An Introduction to Beebots in Literacy Groups. August 26, 2010
Posted by egollan in C.trackback
Kindergarten were very excited to welcome the Beebots into the classroom. For the initial session all students worked in small groups using the Beebots for different activities. All students were able to experience each activity. In the first group students had to program the Beebot to find a sight word that they had drawn from a pile. The second activity had students listening for the beginning sound in a word and programming the Beebot to find that ‘sound’ from letters of the alphabet. The third activity was the reverse of the second, students were given a ‘beginning sound’/letter name and they had to program the Beebot to find a picture that began with that letter. Students were busy negotiating the mats to guide their Beebot to the correct answer. The fourth activity was a challenge! Students raced the Beebots to the finish line. Two Beebots were lined up and given a grid they must stay on, each Beebot had one obstacle to go around and had to reach the piece of fruit at the end of the track. It was interesting watching this activity as the students decided if it was easier to do one step instructions or multi-step. Many students made mistakes trying to program too many steps at once and then realised their mistakes and went back to one at a time. A great problem solving experience. The class is looking forward to this being an integral part of our group work sessions.
My Beebot 
The element of competition so often adds to the whole experience. Great activities
I absolutely adore these activities that you have used here. Just wondering, what you have used to create the mats?
I like the use of the range of activities and the small mats. I’m off to the shops to get some plastic!
Is anyone else incorporating beebots into reading group activities? What activities have you been using?
My year 1 class did an activity based on past, present and future tense. The children took turns to draw a sentence from a pile next to the mat. They had to decide on whether the sentence was written in past, present or future tense. Labels for past, present and future were scattered throughout the beebot mat and the children programmed the beebot to move to a square of their choice.
I love it. What I am especially interested in, though, is how you find it goes when not ALL of the activities are Bee-Bot related. If you have only one or two BeeBot stations, do the children at other centres get distracted? I have some students who are constantly looking at the computer activity even when they are supposed to be doing something else…LOL, so I have not braved BeeBots within Literacy Groups as of yet!
Only one activity is beebot related. The children at other activities don’t seem to be distracted by the beebots. I usually have the sound turned off in order to minimise distractions. The students also know that they will have their turn with the beebots either during this session or the next one. Beebots are incorporated into maths and literacy sessions throughout the week and the students are just used to them being there.