Gamifying Your Classroom with Bee-Bots and Blue-Bots

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 What is a Bee bot?

A bee bot is a simple robot that can operate on its own via Bluetooth (Blue bot) or by physically pressing the command buttons on the robot  (Beebot). The Blue bot is see-through; students can see wires and how the robot is built inside. 

The Bluetooth can be used through an Android, iOs, Mac, or Microsoft device. 

The bee bot has black and yellow colors outside (as a bee). In addition, this robot has lights that turn on when operating.

Why should we consider integrating coding into our lessons? 

beep boop beep robot

TTS group - creator of the Bee bots and Blue bots- states that these robots are used to design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts. 

Some benefits we can experience using Beebots are: 

  1. Students engage, investigate, connect and communicate with one another 
  2. Students learn together 
  3. Students learn in a setting and, after that, can reflect on the subject. 
  4. Exposes students to the extent of learning opportunities across the curriculum 
  5. For teachers, we are ready to screen, watch and assess children's proficiency aptitudes (such as tuning in and talking), and numeracy abilities (such as checking)

How to Use a Blue-bot?

We will be learning how to use a Blue-bot as it can also be used as a Bee-Bot. 

The Docking Station


Button Layout



Bee-Bot may be programmed to move forward and back and turn left and right by pressing the corresponding arrow keys on its back. Next, press the green GO button and watch Bee-Bot follow the steps. Children are captivated by Bee-Bot and eager to send it on its way.

The Card Mat

TTS sells a premade card mat where you can change the card content. However, I have not been able to use it as I have made my mats. 
You need a firm, smooth surface. I use cardboard or future boards. You will need to make a grip of 14cmx14cm or 5.5inx5.5 as many as you can fit on your surface. 

I have made a template with three different ways you can create activities for the blue bot. It also works with Bee-bots. You can personalize it as you please or focus on a specific topic you want students to review or master. 
The edit template is here.





Blue-Bot is Bee-Bot with a Bluetooth connection that lets you program the robot from a tablet or PC and the onboard keys. First, use the command keys on its back to send Blue-Bot forward and back, left and right, and teach sequencing, directionality, problem-solving, counting, and estimation. Then, take Blue-Bot to the next level by controlling it remotely with the Blue-Bot by TTS, the free app on iPads or Android tablets, Windows or Mac PCs.

Controlling the Blue-Bot Remotely

Bluetooth 

You will need the device that can access the application to control the Blue-bot. I will be guiding you through the steps to follow with an iPad. 







 




References

Nicoli, M. (2017, January 28). How bee-bot is used in our classroom? Classroom Meets Technology.  from https://classroommeetstechnology.wordpress.com/use-in-class/ 

Blue-Bot® Bluetooth programmable floor robot. TTS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.tts-international.com/blue-bot-bluetooth-programmable-floor-robot/1015269.html  

Schina, D., Esteve-Gonzalez, V., & Usart, M. (2020, September). Teachers' perceptions of bee-bot robotic toy and their ability to integrate them into their teaching. In International Conference on Robotics in Education (RiE) (pp. 121-132). Springer, Cham https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-67411-3_12 

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