Racing into the Future
Hunter is looking forward to using the Ozobots for more
holiday-themed lessons and challenges. And now that she
and her students have gotten the hang of coding, she plans
to have her eighth graders help younger students learn
the basics.
The robots have allowed Hunter to build her own
confidence in coding as well. “I had never used robots
before, but now I feel comfortable trying something more
involved,” she says. “Lego Mindstorms are on my next
wish list.”
Hunter admits that robots can run the risk of being too
popular. She restricts Ozobot activities to once a trimester,
so as to avoid consuming all her class time. But that hasn’t
slowed the still-steady stream of questions from students,
parents, and other teachers.
“Whenever parents walk into my classroom, they always
ask where the Ozobots are,” Hunter says. “They say they
hear all about Ozobots at home.”
Explore More Robotics
Ozobots are one of many robotics systems designed to teach the fundamentals
of coding. Check out these other classroom favorites.
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LEGO MINDSTORMS CUBELETS
Design, build, and program original
creations using the ever-popular toy
bricks — now upgraded with motors,
sensors, and software. These kid-friendly pieces snap
together with magnets, with each
block performing a moving, sensing, or
processing function.
DASH & DOT ARDUINO
Use a phone or tablet to program these
robots to play hide and seek, launch
projectiles, and play original songs. Ideal for advanced coders, this open-
source prototyping platform allows
users to build more complex robots,
thermostats, and motion detectors.