Build your robot
We are an educational project born from a unique fablab in the South of Portugal (www.buinho.pt). We have been actively promoting the growth of digital literacy in our region since 2015, and have become one of the main references in our field of action. Buinho currently coordinates an Erasmus consortium (PT01-KA121-SCH-000010598) dedicated to the mission of increasing the digital proficiency in all public schools of the neighbouring municipalities, mostly in the fields of coding and robotics.
The main motivations for designing this course were to share some of our extensive experience in the teaching of robotics in public schools, explore creative practices that also incentivize the learning of coding, and provide support to teachers in starting innovative practices in their schools even if having a limited budget.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
By taking this course you will learn how to teach robotics and introduce coding in your classroom.
All the tools will be provided, we just ask the participants to bring a laptop as it will be needed for the software training. We will also provide free and lifetime access to our online tutorials in a dedicated eLearning platform to help you implement the learning activities. This course is meant for teachers from different teaching years (3rd to 12th-grade teachers), with limited or no previous experience in robotics and visual coding, and that aim to become proficient and autonomous in digital skills. In Portugal, Buinho has been successfully teaching robotics to children from elementary to secondary school years, and we want to share some of our experiences with you.
We have vast experience in teaching and capacitating teachers from different school years and with zero experience in these subjects. At the end of this course the participant will be able to be proficient in two of the most popular microcontrollers for education (Micro:bit and Arduino), master, not one but two important visual programming languages (Makecode and Makeblock), be able to assemble and create its educational robots and develop activities in the classroom for their students, and implement STEAM and digital active learning methodologies in the classroom with their students. And more importantly, we will teach you how to create your own low-cost Otto Robot, an open source robot that is helping to democratize the access of robotics to all the school’s communities in Europe
All our courses are made in a fablab/makerspace environment, which means that the participants will be granted free access to other digital prototyping equipment like laser cutters or vinyl cutters, which can be helpful for the customization of the machines – Inside a fablab, the only limit is your imagination!
Finally, the course also includes a cultural program free for the participant, providing the opportunity to visit Portuguese landmarks and experience a bit of our Culture.
Target Groups – Elementary, Middle and Secondary School teachers
Duration of the course – Five days
Total Cost of the Course – 400€
Note: Each class will have a maximum of 12 participants to provide higher quality standards and more individualized support.
Timetable
Day 1
10:00 – 12:00
Welcome session and introduction
We will receive the participants in the working space, making a short introduction to Buinho’s experience in the educational field. We will also dedicate some time to getting to know the participants but also their sending schools.
Quick introduction to the Otto bot. The Otto is one of the most friendly and funny to have DIY robot in existence. A highly popular open-source robot that you can make, program, and design together with your students. For this version, we will learn how to use the Arduino nano as the microcontroller to make its use easier and more accessible.
13:00 – 15:00
Introduction to Arduino
Arduino is a very popular microcontroller due to its ease of use, low price, and powerful capabilities which make it a very complete and attractive solution to introduce robotics in classrooms today. In this session you will learn how easily code for the Arduino using Otto Blocky or other visual blocks IDE. We will also learn how to use Arduino to control simple actuators before going for the Otto bot.
Day 2
9:00 – 12:00
Making of the Otto Bot
In this session you will learn how to build your own Otto bot from scratch, including learning how to solder, basic electronics, and coding of a micro controller. We will begin with the Starter combination, the basic building for of the Otto Bot, already including a simple HC-SR04 distance sensor.
13:00 – 15:00
Continuation of the assembling of the Otto Bot
In the afternoon, we will continue assembling, calibrate, and prepare our first codes and choreographies for the Otto Bot. At the end of this session, the participants will also have the opportunity to make their own personalized bags to the take the Otto Bot home.
Day 3
10:00 – 18:00
Cultural Day
We are presenting the opportunity for a group visit to Cascais and Cabo da Roca as part of our cultural offering. This will include a visit to the Paula Rego Museum, a visit to an historic Lighthouse, having lunch by the sea, shopping in the beautiful town center of Cascais, and to finish the day, a visit to Cabo da Roca – the most Western point of Europe.
Cascais is world famous for its bay, for being the town of the exiled Kings, or for being known as the Portuguese Côte D’Azur. Many centuries of History has contributed to making this fisherman village, into one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Portugal. We will also have a walk through the Estoril – Cascais seaside promenade, so bring comfortable shoes!
Day 4
9:00 – 12:00
Upgrading the Otto Bot
After assembling and learning how to work with the Otto bot starter, we will make an upgrade to this highly modular robot solution. We will add some temperature and humidity, together with a small Oled monitor that will enable the student to monitor and communicate exterior environmental conditions, as well as to code actions accordingly to the received values.
13:00 – 15:00
Introduction to other robotic Kits
In this session, we will distribute Mbot robots for each participant and spend the whole afternoon developing practical activities and exercises with these robots. You will learn on how to use the Mbot, but also on how to program it using the Makeblock platform. We will teach about sensors and motion control, and how to create games, among other subjects by the use of exercises and projects with the Mbot.
Day 5
10:00 – 11:00
Final discussions, e-learning platform, and amazing brunch in the Makerspace!
For the last day Buinho organized a final morning brunch to commemorate the end of the training. We will start with providing to all of our students access to our e-learning platform where you will find free online content that our team prepared
specially for each course we provide. After presenting these and other useful contents for your future activities in the classroom we will have an opportunity to further discuss, and in an informal environment, the next steps when returning
to the school. It will also give us the opportunity to share some best practices and advises according to each participant specific reality and fear. This includes sharing of activities, methodology, and evaluation strategies.
11:00 – 12:00
Delivery of the final certificates
To finalize these five days training course we will take the group session, prepare a final surprise gift for all participants and deliver the final certificates of attendance.