On February 27th, 2024, participants learned about Marty the Robot from Robotical.   

Marty is a walking, dancing, and programmable humanoid robot designed for educators and learners. Participants learned how Marty can be coded by various grade levels.   

Participants began coding Marty in the unplugged mode (Grade Pre K-1) using colored cards and moved into coding with Remote Control(K-2), Marty Blocks Jr(2-3) and Marty Blocks(4-8).  

Participants also learned how to use the built in sensors and the sensor dashboard to control Marty's movements.

Participants also learned how to use the various resources such as coding cards and lessons found the learning portal.

At the end of the session, participants received 5 Marty's and various accessories to use at their school.

Fueled by their prior coding experience, educators embarked on a two-hour journey into the world of Edison robot programming. This dynamic session embraced a diverse learning approach, weaving together hands-on activities, insightful lectures, and eye-opening demonstrations, all across the spectrum of available programming languages: EdBlocks, EdScratch, and Python.

Curriculum:

• Meet Edison: The official website for the Edison robot offers a variety of free resources, including lesson plans and curriculum guides: https://meetedison.com/

• EdCreate Lesson Plans: This page specifically offers hands-on activities and challenges for the EdCreate expansion pack, compatible with Edison robots: https://meetedison.com/robotics-lesson-plans/

Types of Coding:

• EdBlocks: A drag-and-drop, graphical programming language designed for beginners: https://meetedison.com/robot-programming-software/edblocks/

• EdScratch: A block-based language based on Scratch, offering more complexity than EdBlocks: https://meetedison.com/robot-programming-software/edscratch/

• EdPy: A text-based language similar to Python, suitable for experienced coders: https://meetedison.com/robot-programming-software/edpy/