5 BOSTES registered hours

BOSTES Registered Teacher Professional Learning Workshop

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Robotics provides a highly engaging medium for creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication – four essential skills for learning and ICT within a curriculum context. This workshop promotes independent learning through an inquiry-based approach where participants are encouraged to collaborate and be creative in solving open ended challenges. Participants will:

  • learn the basic features of the robot and programming software;
  • build a basic robot and participate in guided and open ended robotics challenges;
  • document solutions to challenges and upload to an online community;
  • view and respond to digital resources identifying the benefits of robotics in education and record response on a collaborative Google Doc;
  • identify links from activities covered in workshop to outcomes in the NSW Syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum and discuss ways robotics resources can be managed and integrated into the classroom.

LEGO WeDo – suitable for K-3

8 September NEW DATE – 3 September 2015
9am – 3:15pm | $220 (inclGST) | MyPL Event ID: 110594

2 December 2015
9am – 3:15pm | $220 (inclGST) | MyPL Event ID: 115238

The LEGO® WeDo® is a tethered robotics system designed to serve as an intermediate step between the more fully featured robotics platform and regular, non-robotic LEGO. It’s an easy-to-use set that introduces young students to robotics and teach them to build LEGO models featuring working motors and sensors; program their models; and explore a series of cross-curricular, theme-based activities while developing their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as language and literacy.This hands-on workshops demonstrate how robots can be applied to problem solving and collaborative learning within a curriculum context, linking the NSW Quality Teaching model to classroom practice, fostering a differentiated approach to learning whilst enhancing the integration of robotics into the classroom.
About the LEGO WeDo

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 – suitable for Year 4 – Year 12

5 November 2015
9am – 3:15pm | $220 (inclGST) | MyPL Event ID: 115237

Released in 2013 this third generation Mindstorms robotics kit enables students to build, program and test their solutions based on real-life robotics technology. The EV3 Intelligent Brick is a powerful small computer that makes it possible to control motors and collect sensor feedback. It includes Bluetooth and WiFi communication ability, and provides on-brick programming and data logging. Note: We also have the LEGO® NXT available to use for this workshop. If you would prefer to use the NXT model because your school already has these, please just let us know in the ‘Special Requirements’ section when enroling on MyPL.
About the LEGO EV3
Robotics in the Classroom: Bee-Bots & Pro-Bots | Teaching K-2

We are currently taking EOIs for this workshop. Click here to register your interest and we will contact you if a workshop is to be scheduled.

The Bee-bot and Pro-bot robots are a great way to encourage the acquisition and consolidation of multiliteracies in younger students who are excited and actively engaged whilst exploring the capability of these simple robots in various problem solving contexts. This hands-on workshops demonstrate how robots can be applied to problem solving and collaborative learning within a curriculum context, linking the NSW Quality Teaching model to classroom practice, fostering a differentiated approach to learning whilst enhancing the integration of robotics into the classroom. The Bee-Bot is suitable for Kindergarten and the Pro-Bot for K-2.

Note: The Pro-Bot software does not support Windows 7 and requires XP or earlier to run. As MacICT works within a NSW Department of Education environment, we are not able to use the associated software and the workshop will look at on-board programming only.

About the Bee-Bot & Pro-Bot


Completing this course will contribute 5 hours of QTC Registered PD addressing 2.1.2, 2.6.2, 3.4.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

Course Presenter – John Burfoot

MacICT Program Co-ordinator
John has facilitated hundreds of robotics workshops to teachers and students across Sydney, including State, Catholic and Independent schools. He has consulted for LEGO® Australia, Moore Educational Pty Ltd, and the Southern Region Catholic Education Office, Sydney. John has presented and spoken at numerous educational conferences, including the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, ICT Educators of NSW and the NSW Priority Schools Program’s Equity Conference at Darling Harbour. He has facilitated MacICT robotics programs since 2011.

Posts by John Burfoot
John Burfoot