How Robotics Can Develop SEL Skills in the Classroom

When you teach a robotics lesson, you wait students to learn nearly math, science, and coding. There are fractions to calculate, decimals to separate, and angles to mensurate. This STEM skill development is often disguised by the fun factor associated with a slick, run into-through, sphere-shaped robot, like the Sphero.

Just STEM skills aren't the only lessons students learn from robotics. Each time students fix out on a robotics challenge, they are besides building critical SEL skills like persistence, collaboration, critical thinking, creative innovation, and teamwork. The list goes on.

As teachers, we're tasked with molding the next generation of leaders, engineers, doctors, and scientists. And yeah, that'due south an of import task. But you know what's as well important? Education kids how to be good collaborators, thinkers, trouble-solvers, and citizens.

Laurie Guyon is an assistant coordinator for Model Schools in Wilton, New York. Guyon frequently uses Sphero robots in her classroom.

"Sphero offers limitless opportunities to exist creative, to recollect critically, to interact, and to persevere," said Guyon. "It's having these 'soft skills' that volition make our students leaders in their future industries and will assist them be more successful in whatever they pursue."

Every bit you lot're incorporating robotics into your adjacent lesson (and wow, there are and so many creative ways to incorporate bots!), pay attention to these critical SEL skills that your students are gaining on top of the obvious STEM skills.

Working Through Failure

Fail. Ooph. "Neglect" is i 4-letter word that makes even adults shutter. Showing students how to accept failure is a huge chore. Often, pedagogy failure has much to do with redefining success. And sometimes success looks like rewriting a line of lawmaking 100 times before it finally works.

Robotics challenges entail an abundance of trial and error. Each attempt to get your robot to the end is a lesson in persistence. Maybe next time, you'll tweak this angle. And the next fourth dimension, you'll conform the path by a small-scale degree. It'southward a constant cycle of attempt, fail, attempt, fail, until—guess what—attempt, success! Through every attempt and failure, students are strengthening their growth mindset and honing their problem-solving skills.

Guyon shared a story nigh a offset-grade student's beginning interaction with a Sphero, "She came to our Globe night and spent two hours sitting with the robot, talking to it, and testing out different lines of lawmaking. One claiming, in particular, required some advanced thinking, as the robot needed to manipulate a corner and then proceeds plenty speed to become up a ramp. She must accept failed 100 times, but every fourth dimension it fell curt, she picked it up and started again. Older students offered to help her, and she would heed and offer her thoughts right back. She was laughing and smiling the unabridged time. When she finally succeeded the whole room erupted. This girl wanted to learn, and she kept on trying even though it was super difficult for her. No other lesson could capture the same amount of communication skills, critical thinking, and perseverance that this i activity could."

She must take failed 100 times, simply every time information technology cruel short, she picked it up and started again.

Creative Innovation

"Playing" with bots brings creative innovation to a whole new level considering students are able to test ideas in a tangible way. They're able to thoughtfully work through problems and come across their choices play out correct in front of their eyes.

Andy Wall is a instructor at Discovery Elementary in St. Charles, Missouri. Wall has been teaching with Sphero robots for over half dozen years and frequently uses bots to build and navigate mazes. Co-ordinate to Wall, working with Sphero has been a game changer in his classroom. "The instant information technology came out, the kids were hooked. I could come across that, even coding aside, if I could find ways for Sphero to fit into lessons, I was going to go engagement that was through the roof."

Students are highly engaged in the lessons about engineering science and building. By kinesthetically applying these STEM skills, they're also learning about user experience and the big-picture touch of small choices.

"Students have to take their deportment and reactions into consideration to be successful," says Wall. "At the cease of it, they Really want to consummate their mazes."

Collaborating Every bit a Squad

Existence a adept team player is a critical life skill, and information technology can be a tough one to teach. But when students connect over something that excites them, well, collaboration becomes a lesson that almost teaches itself.

Similar many teachers, Wall doesn't have a 1:1 ratio of bots and students. Because of this, students need to collaborate with one another. When students work together, their imaginations fuel one another'south.

Brandy New is a teacher at Hardin County Schools in Kentucky. She began using Sphero bots at summer camps focused on getting girls engaged in Stem, where teams of girls raced and blocked code.

"What really got me excited was seeing the math concepts the girls discovered while just 'playing,'" said New.

She also recommended that teachers "step out of the fashion" when students get on a collaborating roll.

"You exercise not have to know it all!" said New. "It'south okay (preferred even) to let them lead and guide their learning."

As educators, it is our goal to inspire a passion for lifelong learning. Past finding new ways to foster skills like perseverance, collaboration, and creative innovation, we are doing only that.

Thank you to our friends at Sphero for sponsoring this slice. Sphero makes some of our favorite robotics tools for nurturing SEL skills and more. Check out some of our favorites for the classroom here.

johnsonthishe1957.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.weareteachers.com/robotics-sel-skills/

Share this post