Ideas for using VEX GO as part of classroom routine practices

[Audra_Selkowitz]

The start of the school year is a delicate dance between enthusiasm for the upcoming learning and the challenge of establishing classroom norms. While setting up initial processes might feel overwhelming, setting expectations, routines, and procedures is vital to the long term success of our classrooms.The urge might be to fast-track this phase for more “significant” learning. However, mastering these basics is crucial for learning itself.

What if we could make these necessary practices more engaging, hands-on, and creative, while incorporating meaningful learning with VEX GO?

Once students have a clear understanding of what it means to be successful in their classroom, more of our time can be spent engaging in effective collaboration and problem-solving, rather than reminders and organization.

In this thread, we’ll look at some common routines and procedures, and give some ideas for how to bring VEX GO into your practice time as you build your classroom expectations with your students.

Let’s start with learning the class schedule…
The class schedule is posted in our classrooms everyday, why not help students learn it by incorporating their handiwork into your schedule?

The Brain Break VEX GO Activity has students build the VEX GO Clock then add different items to the face of the clock. Your students can use this to track their class schedule! Rather than including activities for ‘breaks’, students can make their clock face track the class schedule.

They can divide their clock face into as many sections as needed to include the periods of the day, like different subjects, specials, etc. Then as you move from one activity or subject to the next, students can turn the Knob on the back of the clock to the next item on the schedule.

You can make sure that students are on the right path by asking questions like “What time is it?” and seeing if the class clocks match one another. For instance, in the image above, if we were going to “Take 5 deep breaths”, the time would be about 10:00. Students engage with their schedule, while practicing their time telling skills.

What other creative ideas can you think of for bringing VEX GO into your procedure practice?

[Audra_Selkowitz]

Another idea along these lines is around having students create representations of different classroom rules, routines, or procedures.

We give so many verbal reminders throughout the day, why not use VEX GO to help students make visual reminders for themselves?

The VEX GO Follow Directions! Discovery Activity has students create their own design using just a few pieces from the Kit. Then the students pair up and one communicates their design for the other students to build.

You can have students use their pieces to represent a classroom rule, routine or procedure. One student creates and then describes the build, while the other listens and tries to recreate the build. Not only is this a creative way to help students internalize classroom expectations, but it’s great practice with spatial language, communication, and teamwork!

[Audra_Selkowitz]

I had another idea for using GO to help with the everyday classroom practices over the weekend, as I mentally mapped my route around town to run errands. We move around our buildings often like it is second nature, but learning how to get to and from different locations each year can be tricky for students. Why not code your way to building your mental maps!

The Code a Course VEX GO Activity has students create their own course that matches the activity criteria, then code their robot to complete the course. Your students can create a course that represents your school, with criteria of including specific school locations, like the cafeteria, gym, or your classroom.

Give each group a list of places to go, and have them code their robot to follow that path. You can align these lists, like the one shown here, to a part of your classroom schedule, and ask students what day of the week or time period they are coding, for an extra challenge
Students can not only learn about getting from one place to another in school, but also practice sequencing and decomposition.

This is a great activity for experienced VEX GO students who are ready to jump back into building and coding with GO. (For students who have had experience coding, you can also use the Art Canvas + Playground, and complete this activity with VEXcode VR, using the Where in the World? VR Activity as a basis.)

This could also easily be adapted for use with VEX 123, or potentially as a mixed age experience between older students and their “little buddies” as well.

I hope these ideas are sparking some inspiration for you!