This key tenet of early childhood education was very evident when Karen Ferrante and I visited Good Shepherd School this week. We were delighted to be able to meet some Kindergarten and Year 1 children who were having their first experiences with the Bee-Bot. These “play” experiences involved them using the engaging Bee-Bot as a context for exploring and manipulating mathematical ideas, and for developing visualisation strategies and precise mathematical language.
The Year 1 children, working in small groups, were totally engrossed. One group were working with Bee-Bot and the Race Track mat. They were coming to grips with negotiating left and right hand bends in the track. The group were taking turns to solve the problem using “trial and error”. There was much discussion as they worked together testing short sequences, debugging if necessary, and then gradually building these into longer sequences. Getting to the “Finish Line” was definitely within their grasp but it would require a significant degree of cooperation and perseverance.
Another group were using a teacher created shapes mat and a large dice. Their game involved rolling the dice and attempting to program the Bee-Bot to gather designated 2 D shapes – squares, triangles, circles and squares.
The Year 1 children, working in small groups, were totally engrossed. One group were working with Bee-Bot and the Race Track mat. They were coming to grips with negotiating left and right hand bends in the track. The group were taking turns to solve the problem using “trial and error”. There was much discussion as they worked together testing short sequences, debugging if necessary, and then gradually building these into longer sequences. Getting to the “Finish Line” was definitely within their grasp but it would require a significant degree of cooperation and perseverance.
Another group were using a teacher created shapes mat and a large dice. Their game involved rolling the dice and attempting to program the Bee-Bot to gather designated 2 D shapes – squares, triangles, circles and squares.
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