LEGO WeDo Robotics

Imagine a world where your LEGO creations can come alive! Teachers, imagine this happening in an engaging, collaborative, safe and easy to manage environment – even with students from Kindergarten to Year 3! Sounds too good to be true? Well, now you can with LEGO WeDo.

LEGO WeDo is a robotics hardware and software platform specifically designed for K -2 students (Early Stage 1 to Stage 1). As with other LEGO Education products it follows the 4 C’s process – Connect to a story, Construct a model, Contemplate its function, and Continue improving its design.

There are multiple ways to guide the students along the learning path. One example is by choosing an activity from the 12 themed options. Students then follow the build process step by step using the same LEGO instructions we have grown accustomed to, as they work collaboratively in learning described by Dr Seymour Papert as Constructionism. The fun and learning is enhanced when the programming of the models is introduced. Students quickly learn the simple click-and-drag icons to activate a motor, which might also be dependent on a sensor, in a logical and sequential schema.

For the more capable, and even older students of Stage 2, the WeDo programming platform also allows for mathematical operations and display effects, as a stepping stone to game design and entertainment.

What I love about LEGO WeDo, aside from it being tactile and engaging, is that it encourages students to persevere when solving problems. As a teacher, there is no greater satisfaction than a child fist-pumping the air when they finally see the efforts of their labour re-created in front of their eyes.

And for those who also like to use an online means of teaching students the basics of programming and logical sequencing with freeware, such as MIT’s “Scratch” software, LEGO WeDo’s sensors can interact with those too!

Can you WeDo? We can, and we think you and your students can too.