Lego Education

Notes from the Meeting with Lego Education

Representative Manuel Frederick

29 November 2010

NMS-Primary Room 301, 16:15-18:00

Mr. Frederick met with three NMS-Primary Teachers:  Tom Zlodre, Sonya Ralph, Wilhelm Holthus and Shelia Joneleit, Parent Coordinator of the NMS Lego Lab.

He came to show us the three major educational concepts of the Lego Education Divison.  First of all, he discussed the Lego Education concepts called the 4c’s:

Connect          --what students create should connect to the real world. 

Construct        --create a Lego machine.

Contemplate    –examine the machine and think about making it better

Continue          –keep exploring and keep experimenting

An example Mr. Frederick showed was a simple machine street cleaner.  In a team, using simple lego directions students create a street cleaning machine and figure out how best to use the arm mechanics through the use of gears. 

The Lego Education Concept also allows the teacher to connect back to the curriculum:

Science:                 working with simple machines, gears, levers, pulleys, transmission of motion

Technology:          programming, using software media, designing, and creating a working model.

Enginnering:         brainstorming solutions, teamwork

Mathematics:        counting, measuring, estimating

Language /Literarcy:  narrative and journalistic writing, storytelling, explaining, interviewing and interpreting. 

With fantastic working models utilizing a laptop PC, Mr. Frederick went on to show us the three major Lego Education Products. 

We-Do Computer Programming with simple robotics geared for 1st-4th grades

Machines & Mechanisms  geared for 3rd-7th grades

NXT Programming—an autonomous Robot system geared for grades 5th +

We-Do Computer Programming introduces students to the use of computers as a programming tool.  Using simples sensors and virtual programming components, students can build programming sequences that can make simple robotic birds sqwak and move their head, hungry crocs close their mouths and more.  A full teacher curriculum in German or English can be downloaded.  And each kit can serve a team of 2 to 4 students at one time.  Of course, a computer with a USB hub is also needed to handle the programming chores.

Machines and Mechanisms are not computer based but look like an incredible amount of fun for students to learn science and math concepts by doing.  Again, a full teacher curriculum in German or English can be downloaded and each kit can serve 2 to 4 students at one time.  No computer is needed for this area.  This area also includes the solar and wind energy components as seperate kits.

Both the We-Do and Machines and Mechanisms utilize a storytelling component with two different sets of min-fig characters. 

The NXT Programming is a fully autonomous robot system that utilizes all the Lego concepts and is completely flexible so there is no written curriculum.  Teachers can create their own curriculum  based on the concepts they want to teach.  Programming is based again on sequencing block components.  Advanced students would also be able to create their own blocks.  Also, five sensors come with every kit so that the flexibility of building a robot is within the hands of the students.  NXT is the programming used in the First Lego League Competition. 

At the end of the presentation, the group discussed how the Lego Education fits in with the eEducation Master Plan.  One of the programs that many schools have worked on is the Roberta Project—an extracurricular program geared to girls who are interested in exploring technology in more of a non-competitive environment. 

This presentation was timely since the NMS-Primary will soon be engaged in an all day work session concerning the NMS Master Technology Plan, a plan the ICT Development Workgroup is preparing that will integrate an overall technolgy (hardware & software) and curriculum plan for the entire school.  Building the plan will also allow deeper funding opportunities from the Berlin Senat. 

The next steps for the Lego Lab Teachers/Educators group would be to decide if they want to begin using these technology products in their own classroom and how they could integrate the concepts into their current curriculum.    If they decide to go in this direction, then a plan could be drawn up in parallel or even in conjunction with the NMS Master Technology Plan. 

In the meantime, in early January, the group should reconvene to discuss the idea of building a First Lego League Lego Lab for 5th grade+ students who have reached the age of 10 through 16 by 1 January.  This activity might possibly be open to all Primary & Secondary students.  The first stage though is to decide as a group if this is a good idea for the school and what implications a new program like this would have on existing extracurriculuar programs such as the Lego Lab and the Odyessy of the Mind Program.    Also, finding coaches who can dedicate their time once or twice per week is a primary consideration.