Blocks to Robots

by Bers, Marina Umaschi; Elkind, David

• ISBN13: 9780807748473
• ISBN10: 0807748471
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-09
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

Research shows that attitudes about science, math, and technology start to form during the early schooling years. This pioneering book shows how to successfully use technology in the early childhood classroom. Grounded in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, the author focuses on robotic manipulatives that allow children to explore complex concepts in a concrete and fun way. At the same time, she examines how this technology engages sensorimotor and socioemotional skills, which are fundamental for the healthy development of young children.

Author Biography

Marina Umaschi Bers is an assistant professor at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development and an adjunct professor in the Computer Science Department at Tufts University

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Introduction: Playful Learning: Little Robots, Big Ideas	p. 1
Constructionism: Technology and Early Childhood	p. 11
Constructionism as Developmentally Appropriate Practice	p. 13
Learning by Designing Within a Community	p. 16
Technological Tools for Learning: From Building Blocks to Robotics	p. 21
Powerful Ideas and Wonderful Ideas	p. 23
Learning About Learning with Technology	p. 27
Socioemotional and Developmental Contexts for Learning with Robotics	p. 30
The Big Picture: Promoting Positive Technological Development	p. 31
Promoting Socioemotional Development Through Robotics	p. 36
Technology in the Classroom: Technocentric vs. Systemic Approaches	p. 39
The Role of the Family: Lessons from Literacy	p. 41
Vignette: A Well-Kept Secret: Classroom Management with Robotics	p. 46
Why LEGO Engineering?	p. 46
What Are the Obstacles and How Have Teachers Gotten Around Them?	p. 48
But What About the Girls?	p. 50
Is It All Worth It?	p. 51
What Next?	p. 52
Vignette: The Engineering Design Process in a Kindergarten Study Group	p. 53
Project Goals	p. 54
The Initial Provocation	p. 54
Curriculum Planning	p. 56
Implementing the Curriculum	p. 56
Extending Engineering	p. 59
Interview with Rebecca S. New: Moving from "I Know" to "I Wonder": Revisiting Developmentally Appropriate Practices in the Light of Sociocultural Theories	p. 60
Using Robotic Manipulatives in the Early Childhood Classroom	p. 67
Robotic Manipulatives as Learning Tools	p. 69
What Is a Robotic Manipulative?	p. 69
Teaching and Learning Powerful Ideas with a Robotic Manipulative	p. 76
Designing the Environment: A Practical Guide	p. 85
Designing the Learning Environment	p. 85
Developmentally Appropriate Robotics Construction Kits	p. 89
Engaging Parents	p. 92
Resources	p. 95
Curriculum Starters	p. 96
Vignette: Building Boston Together: Local History Through Robotics	p. 103
The Freedom Trail	p. 106
Vignette: Engineering by Design	p. 108
Engineering by Design in First Grade	p. 109
Getting Started: From Play to Design	p. 110
The Engineering Design Process	p. 110
Interview with Terry Green: Insights from Experience: From Lunar Rovers to Chaos	p. 115
Conclusion	p. 121
Engineering and Technology Standards in the United States	p. 125
Sample Curriculum Starter	p. 134
Sample Design Journal	p. 136
References	p. 143
Index	p. 149
About the Author	p. 154
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