You may have noticed the mesmerizing colored lights of the Sphero robots rolling around the hallways of VHS. As part of our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) integration efforts, we have acquired 12 of these versatile robots to incorporate into projects and lessons in all classes. Currently, we are using them in our art classes for painting abstract portraits and gain experience in long exposure photography. Next year, we are planning to use the Spheros to power student-constructed Roman chariots when learning about ancient Rome in 7th-grade social studies. We are also using the robots in Biology at the high school to conduct our own experiments in genetics to study the inheritance of traits.
Spheros can be controlled by steering the robot with the driving part of the app on their mobile device, or can be programmed with simple block code. Most of the students have been driving the robots using their smartphones as the remote control, however, I am hoping that as our comfort level with this technology increases, students start coding their own Sphero programs.
If you would like to use these within your classroom, please let me know and I will find a project that correlates to your curriculum. For more information on Sphero Education, please visit http://www.sphero.com/education.
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