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Teaching Position and Orientation using Technology

When teaching within Mathematics it becomes easy to use the traditional approach of teacher lead lessons. These normally result with a small group working with the teacher while the remaining students complete bookwork, worksheets or engaging is some form of Mathematics game. There is a taboo when it comes to teaching Mathematics using a strong technological base. Most areas of the curriculum use a range of written work and device based work, however, with the exception of using Mathletics or Manga High as 'fun' activity time or a homework task there is no integrated technologies. Bee-bots allow for the use of technology to teach within Position and Orientation. The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) has two Achievement Objectives for Position and Orientation (Level One):

  • Give and follow instructions for movement that involve distance, directions, and half or quarter turns.
  • Describe their position relative to a person or object.
Bee-bots are small bee style robots that have a series of buttons on their back. The bee-bot records instructions then upon pressing the go button it completes the path that has been processed into it. A few things to note: 
  • pressing left or right only makes the robot turn left or right you need to factor in spaces after the rotation
  • the bee-bot remembers previous instructions so remember to clear after every path
  • for some students left and right may be harder to grasp so maybe replace the arrows with L and R or get them to decorate the left hand thumb so they can differentiate the two.
The bots can be used to complete any number of paths and activities many of which are offered on the website and all of which require students to give instructions and also describe distance from a person or object for example "I need to move forwards 3 to reach the flower" (see bee-bot app). Other suggestions for the bee-bots and learning within mathematics is drawing letters using the bot. The letters of range in difficulty (see list below) and each level can be achieved after students record their path and complete it successfully.

Level One
O b d L P u C g j
Level Two
A B h q y s
Level Three
E F M w

For beginning students use grid paper and get them to draw their path on the paper before writing the directions or they may use plan paper and draw arrows. The hardest part is recognising the length of each line that is needed. For example:

E (starting at the bottom line)- F2 R1 F2 R1 F1 B1 L1 F2 R1 F2

Thoughts that were discussed regarding the letter writing was programming the bot to write a name or the whole alphabet as an additional challenge, this extends thought processes and allows students to test the limitations of their abilities.

The use of bee-bots can be moved to iPads for practice. The bee-bot app is free and give a range of structured challenges as well as the bonus levels that allow for trial and error as the idea to to herd sheep or collect eggs from birds. The iPad could be used as an additional activity where students have to record their answers for each level for you or draw the path within their books as well as complete it on the device. Overall bee-bots allows for integrated technology use in a curriculum area that has changed very little within the new 21st century teaching and learning environment.

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