A student at John D. "Bud" Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park maps out his plan for his Bee-Bot. Planning is essential to success when working with these small robots.
No matter what students get to build, program, or engineer, planning is essential for success.
First graders in Emily Lehnhoff’s class at John D. “Bud” Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park learned that first hand while working with Bee-Bots.
Bee-Bots are bee-shaped programmable robots with a directional keypad. Lehnhoff’s class created mazes for the Bee-Bots to navigate and mapped out their plan on paper before testing.
“We learned how to plan better,” Weston said. “[It’s important] to make all the plans so we know we are doing it right.”
It was a similar experience for fifth graders in Celinda Elvik’s class working on Turing Tumbles.
“It’s important to pay attention to the little details because the tiniest detail can be helpful,” said Caden.
What’s more, planning is a skill needed not just for individual projects, but for success in school – especially middle school and high school – and in life in general.
When students learn at an early age, it’s easier for them to stick with a defined process when they are older.
“EiE helps kids think forward and create mindsets that will be beneficial in high school and beyond,” Devey said.
In addition to planning, students learn about trial and error, and are encouraged to explore finding creative solutions.
“Building and learning from your mistakes is the biggest part. Trial by fire,” said student Christina.
This story is a part of a series on how EiE is aiding STEM education in Central Kitsap School District. To read the full series, click here.