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ROBOT MEMORIES with CODEJOY
ROBOT MEMORIES with CODEJOY
Online engagement strategies with Kelsey Derringer and Matt Chilbert from CodeJoy.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ONLINE LEARNING
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN ONLINE LEARNING
Black Screen Syndrome. We didn't coin the term, but we've certainly felt it: the feeling of teaching to a bunch of empty black boxes on Zoom because students have their video cameras off. Are they listening? Are the sleeping? Do they hate you? These thoughts run rampant through our heads.
This is a problem of student engagement - how to we encourage it, notice it, and measure it? We can SEE it when we are in the classroom: We can feel the crackle in the room when thoughts are buzzing, and practically hear the sad trombone when a lesson fizzles. But what does engagement in online learning look and feel like? Our online remote robotics classes look like this. Students:
Ask and answer questions in the chat.
Point out what they see on screen in chat.
Code and control robots live in our studio during class and see their code in action.
How do we do it? Well, first, you should watch our Robot Memories class from this past week. Then, we'll discuss our methods.
ROBOT MEMORIES CLASS RECORDING
ROBOT MEMORIES CLASS RECORDING
Description: Dottie the Robot has been around a long time. But during a terrible power outage, she gets scared and her memory files become corrupted! Students must help find the altered files and bring them to life by re-coding the motors and LEDs of her micro:bit and Hummingbird parts. Student code really controls the robots! Then, students must go on a scavenger hunt with a remotely controlled flashlight to find items from Dottie's past to reload her memories!
STRATEGY 1: ONLINE TEACHING IS A VISUAL MEDIUM
STRATEGY 1: ONLINE TEACHING IS A VISUAL MEDIUM
In an in-person teaching environment, you can create the context you want your students to learn in with decorations, seating, and materials. In online learning, you get a 13 inch Chromebook screen with bad internet. It might even only be a phone with a cracked screen. THAT is how your students feel you. So, you have to communicate visually, even more so than through sound. You have to create visuals that will bring their attention back to the screen. We have to borrow the techniques of filmmakers, masters of keeping eyes on screens, to engage our students in meaningful interactions. What techniques do we use in CodeJoy classes?
Multiple camera angles
Quick cuts
Scenic composition
Lighting
Pacing
Switching up visuals & sounds
Characters
Humor
Dramatic tension
STRATEGY 2: USE THE CHAT
STRATEGY 2: USE THE CHAT
We used the chat in a ton of fun ways during this class!
PERSONAL STORY ENGAGEMENT
We asked for students to share their own holiday memories and read them out.
(Video starts at 1:36 when we solicit student memories.)
STOP ME WHEN YOU SEE...
We asked for students to point out when they saw something on the screen when searching for "corrupt" robot code.
(Video starts at 4:13 when the activity is explained.)
SCAVENGER HUNTS
We took students on a scavenger hunt to find things that would jog Dottie's memory. They called out in the chat what they wanted to see closer.
(Video starts at 18:40 when we explain the remote interface.)
HYPERLINK SHARING
We shared Makecode links back and forth to control the robot memories. HERE is the link to the Makecode file we sent.
(Video starts at 6:06 when we sent them the Makecode file.)
STRATEGY 3: REMOTE ROBOTICS
STRATEGY 3: REMOTE ROBOTICS
Remote robotics is a term we use to describe students from anywhere in the world coding and controlling the physical robots in our studio. There are a number of ways to do this.
SHARING MAKECODE LINKS
As I mentioned, it is so easy to share Makecode links back and forth. Just hit the "Share" button on the top of your Makecode screen, and create a hyperlink. You can share sample code with students, they can alter it, and send it back with their name. Or, they could imbed it in a Google doc or email if you want to keep it beyond the end of class. Quick, simple, works with any micro:bit compatible devices. We use Hummingbird Robotics Kits a lot, because they are easy to plug multiple LEDs and motors into!
REMOTE : BIT
We are working with a talented developer named Mike Cotterman (@Mehstronauts on Twitter) based out of Ohio, to develop a brand new system for allowing students to interact with robots remotely with just the click of a button, WITH live video embedded directly in a website. See a video explaining and demoing this system further HERE.
This Remote : Bit system has a teacher interface which allows you to connect a micro:bit to your computer and wirelessly control up to 16 other micro:bits. The interface also allows us to queue up submitted student code to run on the robots (feature not seen in this class), and allows us to select which student we would like to give live remote control to. It's still under construction, but we are really excited about it!
STRATEGY 4: MAKING!
STRATEGY 4: MAKING!
Making the sets and characters for these shows is a TON of work, but is also incredibly fun. Here is a behind the scenes look at some of the making of the Robot Memory scenes. Each scene needed to be one piece that could be picked up and moved off screen easily and quickly between segments by Matt while Kelsey taught.
THE APARTMENT
Adding details like tiny portraits and pictures from Dottie's life, a bowling trophy, a grandfather clock, and decorative plates on the mantle was both very fun, and also a cathartic nod to Kelsey's own grandparents' house, since she won't get to go home for the holidays this year.
Matt designed a velcro, removable mantle so that we could switch it out for a menorah, since we also did this same class for a JCC group in NYC, and they requested some nods to Hanukkah.
(It took Matt about 3 hours to program the LEDs in the menorah to twinkle JUST right.)
PANTS PUPPY MEMORY
This is a real story from Matt's friend about their dog, named pants! He really did take off with granny's teeth!
Drawing the flat Memory Dottie in 3/4 perspective made her feel much more dynamic.
We go through a lot of green paint in very small increments.
TAKE FLIGHT MEMORY
This is something like a real memory for Kelsey. She started dancing at age 3, and danced competitively in high school and college. Her first teaching experience was teaching 3 year olds to turn out their toes!
Initially, the plan was to attacher her to a box, but we wanted to keep the memories feeling very OPEN, so instead we attached her to a black-painted popsicle stick.
BEHIND THE SCENES: THE STUDIO
BEHIND THE SCENES: THE STUDIO
We've invested heavily in this idea. We try to make our classes on Zoom feel like interactive TV shows. Check out our studio set up. We have some professional hardware:
5 cameras
16 studio lights
2 monitors
A lav microphone system
A gamer-quality computer
A jillion cords
And it all fits inside a 2 car garage in Pittsburgh, PA!
We use OBS to film and live cut between cameras. It is free and open source software. We can teach you how we use it! Learn more HERE.
We also have another shooting space on the other side of the garage where we make all of our miniature robotic sets. This table is on wheels, though, so it can roll out if we need the space for something more spacious (like smashing watermelons with sledgehammers or inviting in a singing puppet trio, which we've done). You can also spot our workbench on the left.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
There are plenty of ways to engage students in online learning without a fancy studio. You just have to center STUDENT EXPERIENCE as the starting point for your learning design.
If you'd like to learn more:
Email Kelsey: kelsey@codejoyedu.com
Visit the website: www.CodeJoyEducation.com
Follow us on Twitter
CodeJoy: @CodeJoyEdu
Kelsey: @KelseyConnects
Matt: @mgchilbert
Mike: @mehstronauts
STUDENT CLASSES: We do tons of online classes, and can do Robot Memories or any of our other online robotics sessions for your school!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: We also do professional development for teachers on robotics tools and online teaching techniques, including using OBS for teaching with multiple cameras.
COLLABORATION: We are also seeking interesting and fun people to make new things with, so if. you want to pick our brains, or have something you want to share with us, we're all ears!
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