Bee-Bots and the R.A.T Model

 Bee-Bots

Image from Robot Advance


What are Bee-Bots? They are fun robots created for young students to learn coding skills. They can be used to teach sequencing, functions, coding, and problem-solving! These robots are available for $599 for a hive set, as pictured above, from Terrapin , individually from Lakeshore Learning, and even cheaper ($74.99) from Amazon! 
Image from Terrapinlogo

    Bee Bots have seven primary buttons located on the back of the bee. These each have clear images that students are easily able to recognize, identify, and use. Bee-Bots are able to learn up to 40 consecutive steps in a row! The X button is used to clear any previous codes the bot has learned. The up and down arrows move the bot forward and backwards, and the left and right arrows indicate turns. Once it has been programmed with the directions, a user simply presses GO and the Bee-Bot follows the sequential instructions. 

    Because these are popular among elementary schools, many teachers have already created lesson plans that can be used by anyone with the robots and a blank Bee-Bot map. This teacher, Deanna Brewer, has shared several ways she uses Bee-Bots with her students, including tying it in to key pedagogical lessons, such as telling time, identifying numbers, matching tens and ones, coins, and more! She uses the blank map with task cards or answer cards that can be placed anywhere on the map. 

Students using the Bee-Bot in a math lesson
Image from Deanna Brewer


I love the versatility of the Bee-Bots! They can be used with elementary students of all ages, and mats can be curated to utilize with lessons of all varieties! Some incredible mats have already been created by Terrapin, and users can practice with these online for free. Practice with a Bee-Bot online! 
    In the image below, teachers can spell a CVC word, and students are able to program their Bee-Bot to move to the image that matches the word using the online Bee-Bot. Even if you do not have access to the Bee-Bots in person, you can still incorporate these learning games online with students. This would also be a great way for students to be able to practice and have an understanding of how the robot works before trying it out. 


Image of a Learning Mat from Terrapin



    There are also many add-on features available for purchase that are compatible with Bee-Bots. Some of those include "pusher jackets" that can be used to move, retrieve, and deliver lightweight objects, or "pen holder jackets" that can hold pens, markers, and pencils to have the Bee-Bot draw or write! There is also a new version of the Bee-Bot that is a See & Say that can be programed with recorded messages or respond with beeps. 
Bee-Bot Pusher Jackets from Terrapin

Here is a fun video of the Bee-Bots in action within a classroom! 

    I feel that the Bee-Bots match well with the R.A.T technology-enabled learning model. The point of technology is to use it in such a way that it forms instruction and allows students to do things they've never before experienced! In many cases within schools, educators have the replacement mindset: we need to simply replace pen and paper with technology and it will magically solve all of our problems! However, this really is not the case. Replacement in itself will not change student learning. Students that are allowed freedom to explore, have hands-on experiences with technology are able to transform their own learning. (McHugh, 2019). 
In using Bee-Bots, Replacement would be to take out a traditional board game and have students follow prescriptive directions to all get to the same answer on a mat with their bots. Amplification would be allowing students to use the Bee-Bots to express their ideas and work collaboratively. In order to create a true Transformation, teachers would need to allow students to have freedom to explore, imagine, and create! I feel that this ties back into Bloom's taxonomy, as well. As we allow students more expression and freedom, they move higher up on the taxonomy and are agents for change within their own learning. To allow this transformation, I would allow students to create their own assessments for one another using the Bee-Bots! They would have to think through all of the possibilities, have the correct answers, know how the technology would enhance learning,  and creatively use their foundational knowledge of the skills to create an assessment. This would give students new opportunities for different forms of learning, expand their mental work, modify the tools they use, and learning through problem solving! 

McHugh (2019). 






   
References: 

Hughes, J. (2016, June 24). R.A.T. model. Dr. Joan E. Hughes | TechEdges | Technology Integration Research. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20190612101737/https://techedges.org/r-a-t-model/ 

McHugh, S. (2019, May 14). The rat, SAMR, Transformative Technology, & occam's Razor. Digital Literacy Dover. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20190729084852/http://doverdlc.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-rat-samr-transformative-technology.html 

No Fear Coding. (2020). Computational Thinking & Computer Science. No Fear Coding. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://nofearcoding.org/bee-bots 

Terrapin. (n.d.). Bee-Bot Online. Terrapin: Tools for Thinking. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://beebot.terrapinlogo.com/ 

YouTube. (2015). Bee Bots in the Classroom. YouTube. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcAHpLO0BWA. 


Comments

  1. Jennifer WalterJuly 9, 2022 at 11:20 AM

    Hi Amber - I am fairly new to the practice of using coding robots in classrooms. I really enjoyed reading your blog post. You presented the Bee Bots so clearly and presented so many resources. I think they are a fantastic tool. I could see K-2 students really enjoying working with them. I also appreciated how you addressed the purposeful introduction of tech as a learning tool and not a magic wand. That is a good thought for us to keep in the front of our minds. Thank you for your thoughtful post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mitchell ScholtenJuly 10, 2022 at 3:00 PM

    Hello Amber,
    I loved your post on Bee Bots they are something I had heard of before and your post did a great job of explaining how they can be useful in teaching. The example of incorporating Bee Bot coding into CVC worksheet activities that the students would already be working on was a great example. I also appreciated the links to where you can find and purchase Bee Bots along with their prices. Thank you for sharing.

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