PD Session Descriptions
Robot Mouse (Grades K – 2)
Robot Mouse introduces computational thinking and coding to K-2 students through simple directional instructions. Students solve problems by programming a path for Robot Mouse to follow. In this session, we will orient you to Robot Mouse and introduce you to a variety of classroom activities that will fit into what you’re already doing in your classroom!
Ozobot (Grades 3-4)
Ozobot can be used in two different ways. The first is as a line-tracking robot that responds to black, red, blue, and green colour codes to perform a variety of moves like turning, switching paths, and doing spins. Ozobot can also be programmed using a tiered block-based programming language that is similar to Scratch. Ozo can follow paths, sense obstacles, play a song, and put on a light show. Come see how Ozobot fits into your grade 3-4 classroom!
Edison (Grades 5-6)
Edison is a versatile bot that opens up students’ imagination. Grade 5-6 students can make use of Edison’s Lego-compatible pegs and a handful of sensors to solve a variety of problems. Edison can respond to barcodes to perform various predefined tasks or be programmed using a computer using one of a few different languages. We focus on using EdScratch, a block-based programming language that looks and feels like Scratch, but is customized for Edison.
Arduino – Level 1 (Grades 7-12)
Learn the basics of Arduino microcontroller boards! Make use of sensors, lights, motors, and other components to create autonomous, interactive projects that engage your students in problem-solving using circuits. This session is designed for teachers in grade 7 & 8 but any teacher looking to introduce Arduino into their class will find this session useful.
Arduino – Robot Cars (grades 7-12)
This session builds on Arduino Level 1 to introduce our robot cars kit. Discover how Uno can be linked into a car chassis, along with motors and sensors, to enable your students to build self-driving cars that use different types of sensors. This session is targeted at teachers in grades 7 & 8 but other teachers looking to do slightly more advanced Arduino circuits will find this session useful.
Tinkercad (Grades 7-9)
This session will introduce teachers on how to use Tinkercad to design 3D objects that can be printed on a 3D printer. During this hands on session, participants will learn how to drag and manipulate shapes to make a personalized keychain. Once trained, teachers can use this project in their classrooms and can send the completed student files to SaskCode to 3d print if they do not have access to a 3D printer.
Microbits (Grades 5-6)
This session is intended for Grade 5 – 6 science and mathematics teachers and will focus on how to incorporate microbit into this curricula.