By Dian Schaffhauser
· 08/27/20
LEGO Education is
priming to help teachers in the new school year with initiatives intended to
serve learning, whether it takes place in person or remotely. New programs
include STEM lessons that include physical movement; downloadable teacher and
parent guides; and a new online teacher community. Although the
resources are all available at no cost, some may require access to LEGO or
other products that aren't free.
A new unit called "Training
Trackers" will teach core science and math concepts using with
LEGO's LEGO Education SPIKE
Prime, intended for use with middle schoolers. The unit has seven
lessons focused on physical science and data, including new coding blocks that
improve on data collection and visualization. In the lessons students learn
about kinetic energy, speed, potential energy and other concepts as they "stretch,
walk and squat-jump," to collect data for analysis and interpretation.
Each lesson plan identifies which learning stages can be completed
asynchronously or in person, for hybrid learning scenarios.
The SPIKE Prime Training Trackers unit will
be available this fall in English on legoeducation.com/lessons and
will automatically download to the SPIKE App in
a new software update. Additional languages supported by the SPIKE App are
expected later in the year.
SPIKE
Prime uses LEGO building elements, hardware and a drag-and-drop coding language
based on Scratch or text-based
coding with Python, to push students to tackle complex problems.
For
virtual learning with SPIKE Prime, LEGO Education has worked with CoderZ to produce a
virtual SPIKE Prime experience, enabling students to practice coding and STEAM
skills in an online-only setting. The online experiences are intended to
complement hands-on building activities with a physical SPIKE Prime Set, either
before or in parallel.
"It's more important than ever to continue learning
through play--wherever the learning happens," said Esben Stærk, president
of LEGO Education, in a press release. "LEGO Education solutions provide
playful learning experiences that not only teach important STEAM skills, but
also social and emotional skills that together help build the confidence and
resilience needed among students, teachers, and parents to rebuild and thrive
this school year--and for years to come."
The new teacher and parent guides, each two or three
pages long, are intended to help people adapt LEGO Education lessons to virtual
versions. They include tips on preparing for online learning, engaging online
learners whose interest is flagging and managing materials at home. The lessons
incorporate social aspects ("Try opening the virtual classroom a few
minutes early and keeping it open for a few minutes after to allow time for
your students to get settled and socialize"), screen breaks (recommended
for every 30 to 45 minutes) and emotional development guidance for parents
("...If your child gets frustrated, guide them past their emotional
response by discussing the source of their frustration. Make sure they know
that you understand why they're frustrated, and that it's OK to feel that
way...").
Earlier
this summer, LEGO also launched an education community, where
educators can do lesson plan exchanges, participate in discussions and get
updates from the company.
One
participant, Jacob Woolcock, the head of computing and digital learning for Penpol School in
Hayle, Cornwall, described the community as "a diverse and exciting group
of educators willing to share their expertise, as well as learn from others and
take these skills back to the children we teach." Woolcock is a member of
the newest cohort of LEGO Education "Master Educators," a
volunteer ambassador program for teachers who use LEGO Education resources in
their everyday teaching. He said that "sharing and collaborating on ideas
with other teachers from around the world will be an incredible resource for
both new and experienced teachers, especially as we look to adapt and continue
learning in the new school year."
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