I have been wanting to do this since I came back from CueRockStar Admin at Skywalker Ranch. I had the privilege of being inspired and learning from amazing faculty and colleagues.
I was very inspired by @awelcome who made a video about Sphero in the classroom. So much so that I, well, copied him.
His video:
What's the line? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
Well, here it is.
Thank you to two teachers who let me come in and disrupt their classroom at this very busy time of year to try this out with students.
Lessons learned?
- A quick, whole class mini lesson on rotation and angles is very helpful before getting started
- 4 students is a stretch around one iPad, five + is too many (we only have two Spheros as of now)
- Until we get more, a well structured rotation is important. It would be great to have students using code.org and rotating through stations.
- If I had more Spheros, say 4, I would set up stations and challenges while kids are still learning. Maybe one corner is a square, another is a sequence of movements and color changes, one is free choice, etc...
- Kids pick up quickly! After teaching them the basics, let them go, do and create!
The best part of this is the spreading the love of coding and tech. I learned from #cuerockstar, came back and did it with kids in two classrooms. My amazing instructional coach was with me (btw, that's another blog post- don't we all need a coach), who then went the next day and did it with a classroom in another school in our district. Spreading like a wildfire, or maybe like a waterfall.
Next steps- more Spheros and training for teachers!
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