Fourth grade is a very practical year for tech integration goals. We get email addresses for the first time. The teachers expect wall final draft work to be word processed and printed (more on that later). We have spent the first part of the year creating documents and books, yesterday was the first tech class we could delve into the world of programming.
I talked with the teacher sin fourth grade and learned that they have been studying Mean Median and Mode, so I knew that Sphero's SPRK lesson on Mean Median and Mode lesson would be a good match.
My Prep:
In our 40 minute class we got 1/2 way through the lesson and I had the students write their sphero number and their names on the data collection sheets, so that next time we can get the same results with the same robots.
I am excited to continue exploring math in a hands-on lab and working with the data collected to learn more about mean median and mode.
I talked with the teacher sin fourth grade and learned that they have been studying Mean Median and Mode, so I knew that Sphero's SPRK lesson on Mean Median and Mode lesson would be a good match.
My Prep:
- I printed out the student guide (one per pair) and the data collection sheet (one per student).
- I measured several 7 foot wide spaces and marked them off with tape
- I connected Spheros to their iPads. I have each of my Spheros connected to one and only one ipad so there is less confusion and kids don't connect it themselves
Once the kids arrived I told them what we were doing. They had not used Macrolab before so I did a VERY quick walkthrough and then I gave them the instructions, an iPad and a Sphero. I told them to read the directions before asking me for help. I had a couple groups that needed help aiming the Sphero.
I was pleased how quickly they got started in Macrolab. I only had to make one change to the directions. some students who were using Sphero 1.0 had trouble getting it to move when they set the speed to 10% power, so I had them increase it to 30 or 50%
In our 40 minute class we got 1/2 way through the lesson and I had the students write their sphero number and their names on the data collection sheets, so that next time we can get the same results with the same robots.
I am excited to continue exploring math in a hands-on lab and working with the data collected to learn more about mean median and mode.
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| watching programs run and recording outcomes |
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| When it works, we dance. |