Barbie Atkinson has been utilizing Cubelets for 4 years in her position as media clerk for Park Hill Elementary in Derby, Kansas. As an educator, she enjoys actions with college students of all ages all through the day, the place Cubelets are a school-wide favourite for even the youngest learners.
“Cubelets make [the students] extra assured learners,” Atkinson says. “It’s an ideal, participating studying software.”
Like many educators who buy Cubelets, Barbie acquired her equipment with the assistance of a grant. As Park Hill Elementary serves a big army household inhabitants, they obtained a grant from the Division of Protection Schooling Exercise to enhance the tutorial achievement of military-connected college students in STEM.
Atkinson notes that college students who’re working with Cubelets for the primary time typically begin out by constructing a lighthouse, or making animal creations with them. Robotic races are additionally a well-liked exercise, and Atkinson has created mazes for her college students’ robots utilizing tape on the ground. One other one in every of her favourite actions is to attract a strong black line on a chunk of paper, after which problem her college students to create a robotic that follows the drawn path. Educators who’re searching for robotic inspiration can go to the Cubelets Robotic Concepts webpage for extra builds!
Assets for serving to college students (and educators!) might be discovered on the Modular Robotics Useful resource Hub on-line–every part from introductory programs for academics and easy actions for younger learners to extra complicated pc science items.
“Don’t be afraid!” Atkinson advises educators who’re additionally utilizing Cubelets for the primary time. “Cubelets are user-friendly and straightforward to get began with.”
Atkinson additionally praised the distinctive buyer help offered by Modular Robotics.
“[They are] very fast to reply with e-mail questions,” Atkinson mentioned. “In addition they have been superb when a Cubelet has stopped working. I used to be capable of mail the damaged cubes in and really shortly received some returned which might be working effectively.”
Along with being straightforward to get began with, Atkinson says that Cubelets are a good way to fill the top of a day with one thing that’s each instructional and enjoyable.
“Want an academic exercise to fill the top of a day–maybe the final hour after a discipline journey when college students are exhausted and overstimulated?” she says. “Pull out the Cubelets! They’re an ideal exercise to fill that point.”
Footage courtesy Barbie Atkinson, and shared with permission.
