US STEM Summer Camp Coding with Robotics Case Study
How many kids are in a group
4
How was the Matatalab robot(s) used?
For our Summer Camp, we have a STEM/Makerspace Lab and we are wanting to incorporate the use of robots in our lab. We don't just want our kids to know how to use robots, we want them to figure out the purpose of the robot that was created for them to work with. We combined the Matatalab Coding Set and a lesson about habitats. In this lesson, the children had to program their Matatalab Robot to arrive at three habitat locations (grassland, forest, and desert) within one program they created. Upon arrival, they used a flag to mark that their robot reached that habitat.
What skills did it develop?
Coding, teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, following directions, small-motor skills, sequencing, directional skills, planning, estimating, counting, cause and effect, and problem-solving
What worked best and what was challenging?
The children had fun learning how to program the Matatalab robots. They had not worked with robots before so it was a fun experience to watch them experience it for the first time. The greatest challenge was teaching the smaller students how to "plan" their program for where the robot would stop and go.
How did students respond?
The children never gave up and even helped each other when they got stuck and weren't sure what was wrong with their code or program they entered. It really helped with their collaboration and communication skills.
Share your comments upon the class using Matatalab
The Matatalab Robot is a very fun and adaptable way to teach young children the use of coding, programming, and robotics. I can now think of endless ways this can be used in the classroom or for teaching young children who have interest in robotics and coding.
