Today we were introduced to tiny little robots called Ozobots. These little robots help young students to learn the basics about coding. This experience was an absolute riot and I was super engaged for the entire time I was trying to make my little Ozobot perform the task I had asked it to do. Through a series or combination of the colours red, black, green or blue, I was able to make my Ozobot move forwards, turn left or right, spin around or go turbo speed. This kind of technology is a great way to introduce learners to coding and help them make the connection that by giving a computer a set of “codes” they can make the computer perform certain operations. There is a plethora of activities students could engage in while using their Ozobots. I love the idea of creating story boards and using their Ozobots to help tell the story. I also love the idea of giving students mazes and having them navigate their Ozobot through the maze. This is a fun, highly engaging piece of education technology that I hope to be able to integrate into my class some day.
Category: Reflections
My big takeaway from Ian’s presentation was that E-portfolios are a great, easily accessible platform for me to showcase who I am to not only future employers, but also my students as well as my professional network. They are also great tools for professionals to learn from each other. I love the idea of it being an online journal or diary that has the potential to exist for a very long time and be a place where my family and friends can go to read what my thoughts once were. It is also a great place or me to organize and catalogue my own learning so that I can return to it periodically and reflect on what I have done and what I still have left to do. By being public, there is an extra layer of accountability. Once a reflection or intention is made public, there is that extra push to become a better person or realize those goals. My favourite quote from Ian was “Twitter is poetry, your blog is prose.” I have never really thought of myself as a writer but writing in these formats and thinking of them as literature inspires me to create. That is where I am going to go from here. I am going to create poetry and prose for my blog and twitter and hopefully continue to connect with other professionals through these mediums to build my professional network.