Ozobots

I’ve never really been introduced to coding, so I was very excited when I found out we were going to Nusdeh Yoh Elementary to do coding with Noelle Pepin, the district aboriginal resource teacher for SD57. What I imagined doing for coding was typing long, complex algorithims into a computer, but Noelle introduced us to exciting, hands on ways to code using Ozobots. Ozobots are essentially little robots that read codes written on paper. The Ozobot moves along a black “track” that is drawn on paper with the black Ozobot marker. Along the track, you can use different colour combinations using blue, red, green, and black markers to code for your Ozobot. Different colour combinations give the Ozobot different directions, such as “turn around” or “turn right.” I’ve attached a video of the Ozobot myself and two classmates used on our custom-built track.

Noelle did a great job of scaffolding for this activity. We started with a paper of a pre-printed track and set of 3 blank slots. We were given a key with the different coding options for the Ozobots (i.e. blue black blue = go fast). After we got to try this out, we got the opportunity to free-hand tracks and codes on a large piece of paper provided to us. This proved to be a great test of patience- the ozobots didn’t seem to like the tracks that were drawn freehand as much as the pre-made tracks! If your lines were to thick or too thin, the ozobot would not read the code. If I was feeling impatient as an adult, I wonder how students would feel about this. Nevertheless, I did learn to take my time when coding which definitely helped. If I were doing this in my classroom, I would be interested to provide learners with both scaffolded options (pre-made track and freestyle track) to see how they would react to each.

This lesson was important because it allowed me to see the stigma around certain topics like coding as “too difficult.” We should not be placing these labels on topics before doing our due dilligence to research the learning opportunities. Had I researched coding for kids, I probably would have come across unique learning opportunities such as the ozobots.

This lesson leaves me wondering how an ozobot lesson would play out in the classroom. My goal is to sign a set of ozobots out from our district resource centre during one of my practicums. I would love to create a coding activity such as a “race to the finish line.” I would have a pre-made track, and students would have to see who could get their ozobot to the finish line first. I’m grateful that we had this opportunity to work with the ozobots, and I’m looking forward to exploring more learning opportunities around coding!