Year 5 Control Software

[speckytecky]

What are other Primary Schools using to cover the Year 5 Control element of the syllabus? We have 2Simple NXT but only the robots - no traffric lights etc.

[LeMarchand]

A couple of my schools use Flowol along with the Flowgo controllers and some easily constructed basic models with lights, sound and sensors (older versions of what's on the site), one uses the Lego Robotix/Mindstorms stuff. One of them also has a couple of Picobotz (cheaper, but more limiting than the Lego stuff).

 

P.S. I strongly suspect that the amount of time spent on "Control" is fairly minimal due to the teachers not being confident with the software/equipment! I think they would be relieved if they didn't have to teach that particular "block" at all. (I know I got lumbered one year).

Edited May 8, 2009 by LeMarchand
P.S.

[dhicks]

What are other Primary Schools using to cover the Year 5 Control element of the syllabus?

 

Scratch. Excellent, and free. Hardware control boards are also available (or you can make your own!) if you want to do actual, physical control-of-devices. May 16th is international Scratch day.

 

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David Hicks