An Intuitive Dashboard

Your Ozobot Classroom Dashboard just got an upgrade! Let’s take a quick tour…

First, you’ll find the most important updates right up top, from new features to prompts to update your bots. Speaking of bots, if your school or district needs to order more or wants a demo of the latest features, you can reach an Account Executive anytime by selecting ‘Get Demo or Quote’.

If you haven’t completed Educator Training, that shows up first in your Dashboard and will go away when your training is complete. If you received Bot Camp with your Evo or Classroom Kit, you’ll find those training instructions here. Or, you can print activities to try new Educator Basic Training. Based on your feedback, we reimagined training so it would match student-facing lessons, so you can come out of training well versed in Ozobot’s 2 Ways to Code and ready to lead your first lessons with students.

The rest of the Dashboard features quick links to new Pacing Guides (more on that below), plus the Blockly editor, Simulator, and Challenges (ShapeTracer 1, ShapeTracer 2, and OzoTown). If you have experience programming and teaching with Python, you can also sign up for our Python Beta program from here.

Your last quick links allow you to create your own Ozobot lessons and browse and register for upcoming Ozobot webinars. Check out a monthly Ozobot 101 Webinar for a hands-on demo of how to get started!

Pacing Guides: A Better Way to Plan Your Lessons

Perhaps the greatest new feature with Classroom’s Back to School release is the introduction of new Pacing Guides. Pacing Guides for K-8 allow you to plan lessons by grade level, giving your students a foundational grasp of computer science before moving to content-integrated lessons that bring math, ELA, and STEAM to life. No more browsing through the 500+ lessons in our library and wondering where to start!

There’s so much to say about Pacing Guides, check out this blog post for the full breakdown of how to use them, what’s included, and an intro to the curriculum development team behind them.

Introducing Ozobot Pacing Guides >

Note: Ozobot Pacing Guides–specifically the Introduction to Color Codes and Introduction Blockly series featured within them–replace and enhance the lesson content formerly known as the Core Coding Curriculum.

Simplified Class Management & Student Assignments

Surprise, there’s no more Classes section in Classroom’s left menu. That’s because we’ve completely simplified the process for running lessons in person, assigning them remotely, or teaching in hybrid models.

Gone are the days of connecting to your Ozobot Classroom Communicator before a lesson. Now, you’ll just use the Communicator to update your robots’ firmware in the Devices section. You’ll get a Dashboard notification when new firmware is available!

Now, you can share assignments with students right from Lessons. Lessons with videos have a Share with Students option. Find it on the right side of the Lesson Details page. Select Share with Students’, and you’ll get a unique link.

Open the link to see the lesson exactly as students will see it.

For in-person learning, screencast this view. For remote and hybrid learning, send the link to students via your LMS or preferred method.

Important Note: If you used the Classes section before and got used to plugging in your Ozobot Classroom Communicator before running a lesson, this process has changed. Now, you’ll only use your Communicator when updating bots, in the Devices section. Otherwise, keep it unplugged–especially during lessons!

Let us know what you think of the latest updates to Classroom by reaching out to hello@ozobot.com!

The post Classroom Back-to-School Updates: STEAM Gets Even Simpler appeared first on Ozobot.

By following a Pacing Guide, you can give your students a foundational grasp of computer science and robotics, then move on to content-integrated lessons that bring math, ELA, and STEAM to life in a whole new way. Most lessons found in our Pacing Guides also feature student-facing instructional videos, and all lessons are standards aligned (CSTA, NGSS, CCSS Math/ELA).

To access the new Pacing Guides, go to the Dashboard or Lessons sections of Ozobot Classroom:

• Log in or create an account at classroom.ozobot.com. (It’s FREE for educators!)
• From the Dashboard, select ‘Explore Guides’.

or

• From Lessons, select ‘Explore Pacing Guides’.
• Explore specific Pacing Guides for:
  • Kindergarten
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2
  • Grade 3
  • Grade 4
  • Grade 5
  • Middle School
• Click on a Lesson’s title to get started!

 How to Use the Pacing Guides

With up to 30 lessons per grade level, Pacing Guides are designed to keep students and teachers engaged for an entire school year, but they’re also flexible and can be tailored to the needs of your school, class, or camp. Your actual lesson pacing can include a regular cadence of:

• one lesson per week for a year
• 2-3 lessons per week for a semester or unit

Each lesson runs 45-60 minutes. Featured lessons include Introduction to Color Codes and Introduction to Blockly lessons, which provide a solid, grade-level-differentiated CS foundation for your students with and without screens. Student-facing instructional videos make it easy to lead instruction, whether you’re a STEM Teacher or an English teacher with zero computer science or coding experience! These lessons are aligned with CSTA standards, meaning they can help you reach new goals if your state has adopted CSTA standards (shoutout to Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, and many more!), or has state-specific CS standards that can be mapped to CSTA.

After each series of Introductory lessons–Color Codes and Blockly–you’ll find recommended content-integrated lessons that bring CS to math, ELA, and STEAM. These lessons are a great way to increase engagement in core subjects, especially if you’re looking to address unfinished learning in these areas.

Note: Ozobot Pacing Guides–specifically the Introduction to Color Codes and Introduction Blockly series featured within them–replace and enhance the lesson content formerly known as the Core Coding Curriculum.

What’s Included?

When it comes to teaching the lesson content, check out the Full Lesson Plan to find everything you need and the flexibility to teach as you choose. There you’ll find:

• Synchronous Lesson Plan (with Direct Instruction Steps)
• Instructional Video
• Student Activity Guide
• Student Activity Sheets
• Teacher Answer Key/Potential Solution

Almost all lessons in the Pacing Guides, including all the Introduction to Color Codes and Introduction to Blockly lessons, feature student-facing instructional videos. These are a great solution for remote and hybrid models, and even in the classroom some educators find that using the instructional videos gives them time to check in on students and provide individualized support and instruction as needed. If you prefer to lead instruction yourself, follow the Direct Instruction steps also included in each Lesson Plan.

Meet the Curriculum Development Team

Ozobot Pacing Guide lessons, scope, and sequence were all designed by the Ozobot EDU team. Meet this group of passionate, credentialed teachers with real classroom experience and specializations in instructional tech, curriculum development, and PD.

Melissa Toohey, EdTech & Adoption Specialist
Ed.D. Educational/Instructional Technology – University of California, Los Angeles
M.Ed. Elementary Education & Teaching – University of California, San Diego
B.S. – University of California, San Diego

In addition to leading Ozobot’s PD Program, Melissa is pursuing her doctoral degree in UCLA’s Educational Leadership Program where she focuses on ensuring teachers’ success in implementing STEAM and promoting equity in CS education. Melissa is a former K-1 teacher who has taught in private, charter, and public school settings; developed CS curriculum; and created the first elementary school STEAM program in Watts in South Los Angeles.

Jen Maher, Curriculum Developer & Customer Experience Representative
M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction – Weber State University
B.A. – Brigham Young University

Jen focuses on Ozobot curriculum development and ensuring teacher success in her dual role at Ozobot. She has taught middle school math and science and started her own tutoring business to help students advance their math and reading skills. Jen also spent 10+ years as a dance teacher in private and public education settings, where she focused on Brain-Compatible movement education.

Natalie Sanchez, Curriculum Developer
B.S. Childhood Education & English – State University of New York College at Cortland

As an Ozobot Curriculum Developer, Natalie focuses on creating standards-aligned content for grades 2-8. She is a PK-4 certified educator and has taught kindergarten, 3rd-grade reading intervention, and 5th grade. From there, Natalie transitioned into the role of a curriculum developer and instructional coach and focused on CS immersion for K-5, then trained teachers on CS immersion and using data to drive instruction as a PD specialist.

The post Introducing Ozobot Pacing Guides appeared first on Ozobot.

Ozobot heard from teachers and students across the country about how it feels to be coming out of summer and heading into a school year in the wake (we hope!) of COVID-19. Read on for their hopes, wishes, and cautious optimism for fall 2021.

Shannon McClintock Miller, District Teacher Librarian and Innovation Director | Van Meter Community School

I am super excited for this new school year at Van Meter. We are adding a STEAM program to our school so I will be co-teaching and planning this with my friend and colleague, Megan Algreen. With an art education degree and passion for technology, this will be a super fun and exciting addition to my role at Van Meter. We have lots of big things planned for the STEAM and library program….We can’t wait to share more!

Hear more from Shannon on her blog, The Library Voice.

–––––

Lisa Richardson, Math Models and AQR Teacher | Clear Brook High School

–––––

Celia Taylor, Middle School Media Specialist | Broward County Public Schools

–––––

Gina Ligouri, English Teacher | Montour High School

I am very much looking forward to starting next school year in much more familiar territory! Due to COVID protocols, we were not able to use the Ozobots last year (no sharing of items) and I CAN NOT WAIT to get my Evos back in the hands of my students! This summer has served as a much needed break to recharge, reflect and regenerate some ideas–but as we get closer to the start of a new year, I am getting more excited to be with my students again.

Follow @G_Ligouri to see the innovative classroom projects that earned Gina the 2020 Dr. Laura Hummel Technology Innovator of the Year Award.

–––––

Amanda Buschmann, Librarian & NISE-Certified STEM Educator | Sheldon ISD

–––––

Last but not least, we had to hear from some students too. From PK to 11th grade, here’s a snapshot of kids are feeling about going back to school. 

Duncan, A Three Year Old With All the Right Priorities

[I like my school] because there’s lots of friends there and people. And potties and beds.

–––––

Hagan, A Soon-to-Be High School Junior

I am really looking forward to the upcoming school year. I am excited for our football season as we work towards making it to state again. The summer has been a great one with friends, lifting, and lots of golf.

–––––

Now that you’ve heard from teachers and students across grade levels and subjects, it’s time to let us know: how are you feeling heading into back-to-school 2021?

The post 7 Teachers & Students On What They’re Excited About For Back to School appeared first on Ozobot.

1. Follow @ozobot on Twitter.
2. Tweet to tell us what you’re excited about for Back to School, with #OzoBackToSchool.

Official Terms & Conditions

OFFICIAL RULES. The following are the official rules (“Rules”) for the Ozobot Back-to-School Fuel Giveaway (“Sweepstakes”). By submitting an entry to the Sweepstakes, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to be bound by these Official Rules, the Ozobot.com Terms of Use (found at https://ozobot.com/terms-of-use) and represent and warrant that you satisfy all eligibility requirements.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

SPONSORS. The Sweepstakes is sponsored by Evollve, Inc. d/b/a. Ozobot (“Sponsor”), a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business at 119 Torrance Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (“Sponsor”).  

ENTRY & ELIGIBILITY. To enter the Sweepstakes, (1) Follow Ozobot on Twitter and (2) post a Tweet with #OzoBackToSchool and share what you’re excited about for the 2021-22 school year. Completion of these entry requirements shall constitute an official entry into the Sweepstakes (“Entry”). Only one Entry per individual. Entries that are lost, late, incomplete, misdirected or altered for any reason, including hardware, software, browser or network failure, malfunction, congestion, or incompatibility will be ineligible. Only legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (excluding Puerto Rico), and the District of Columbia who are educators 18 years of age or older may enter and participate in the Sweepstakes, except employees, agents, or representatives of the Sponsor or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, or members of their immediate family.

PRIZES. The following “Prize” is being awarded in this Sweepstakes to three winning individuals: One (1) Ozobot Stojo cup and one (1) $25 Starbucks gift card.

SWEEPSTAKES. The Entry submission period of the Sweepstakes begins on July 1, 2021 at 12 am Pacific Standard Time (“PST”) and ends on July 20, 2021 at 11:59pm PST (the “Entry Period”). In some cases, Entries from outside the Entry submission period may also be considered. Winners will be notified via direct message or email and announced on the Ozobot Blog (the “OzoBlog”) within five (5) days of giveaway conclusion. Winners may be required, at the Sponsors’ discretion, to complete and return an email confirmation of prize acceptance and an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and a Publicity Release (“Affidavit/Release”) within three (3) days of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected. Prize shall be awarded within 30 days after receipt and verification of completed Affidavit/Release or prize notification. If the winning Entry is discovered to be invalid for any reason prior to delivery of the Prize, or if the Winner cannot be contacted or does not respond within three (3) business days, Sponsors may randomly select an alternate winner from all remaining eligible entries at its sole discretion. If there is no winner by the 30th day after end of Sweepstakes, no further winners will be chosen.

GENERAL. This Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of the State of California in the United States. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By entering and participating in the Sweepstakes, you agree to be bound by these Rules and by Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding on all matters relating to the Sweepstakes. Entrants are required to provide accurate, valid and truthful information at all times. Sponsor will reject and delete any Entry that it discovers to be false, fraudulent, illegal or deceptive and will disqualify any entrant who tampers with the Entry process, the operation of the Sweepstakes, or is otherwise in violation of the Rules. Sponsor is not responsible for electronic transmission errors, which result in the omission, interruption, deletion, defect, destruction, alteration, and/or delay of any Entry. Sponsor is not responsible for any technical, network, electronic, computer, hardware and/or software malfunction, problem, incompatibility, congestion or failure of any kind. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Sweepstakes at any time, in its sole discretion, if the Sweepstakes is not capable of completion as planned, including without limitation, the lack of Entry submissions, incomplete Entries, computer viruses, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort, without notice. Upon cancellation or termination of the Sweepstakes for any reason, Sponsor shall have no obligation to award prizes or compensation of any kind.

By submitting an Entry and participating in the Sweepstakes, you represent and warrant that (i) your Entry is original and that you are the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the submitted Entry, or you have obtained the necessary permission to include the Entry in the Sweepstakes, and that you have the right and authority to submit the Entry in the Sweepstakes; (ii) your Entry does not violate any third party intellectual property or proprietary rights; and (iii) you are otherwise not in violation of any applicable laws, rules and/or regulations.

By submitting an Entry and participating in the Sweepstakes, you agree and hereby grant Sponsors and their affiliates permission to use, copy, modify, publish, and/or reproduce your Entry, including but not limited to your name, likeness, image, story and photos, for any purpose, including but not limited to marketing, media, editorial, commercial, advertising, promotional and/or publicity purposes, in any form of media anywhere in the world, without further compensation to you except where prohibited by law.

INDEMNIFICATION:

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ENTRANT HEREBY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS SPONSOR, OF THEIR RESPECTIVE PARENTS, AFFILIATES, AND SUBSIDIARIES AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SHAREHOLDERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, LICENSEES, SUCCESSORS, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS AT ALL TIMES FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, ACTIONS, LOSSES, LIABILITIES, DAMAGES, PROCEEDINGS, COSTS (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) AND EXPENSES FOR ANY INJURY, DAMAGE OR LOSS CAUSED OR CLAIMED TO BE CAUSED, BASED UPON, OR ARISING FROM THE ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF THE PRIZE OR ANY PART OF THE PRIZE, ENTERING THE SWEEPSTAKES, PARTICIPATION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES, OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY PRIZE RELATED ACTIVITY OR EVENT.

In no event shall Sponsor be liable to a winner or entrant for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special or punitive damages of any kind, whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, statutory or any other theory of liability arising from or related to the Sweepstakes, or any aspect of winner’s or entrant’s participation in or termination from the Sweepstakes as provided herein, even if Sponsor has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Sponsor be liable to a winner or entrant for any amount with respect to winner’s or entrant’s participation in or disqualification from the Sweepstakes, or from the termination or cancellation of the Sweepstakes. To the extent permitted by law, the rights to litigate, seek injunctive relief or to any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or related to the Sweepstakes are hereby excluded, and you expressly waive any and all such rights.

Entrants agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, and release, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor and their affiliated companies, and all other businesses involved in this Sweepstakes (including Twitter), as well as the employees, officers, directors and agents of each, from all claims and liability relating to their participation, acceptance and use or misuse of prize.  Winner assumes all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused, by participation in this Sweepstakes or use or redemption of prize.  Sponsors are not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Sweepstakes or in the announcement of the prize.

IF YOU ARE A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT, YOU WAIVE ANY AND ALL RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 1542 OF THE CIVIL CODE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS:

“A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.”

You expressly waive and release any right or benefit which you have or may have under Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California, to the full extent that you may waive all such rights and benefits pertaining to the matters released here.  In connection with such waiver and relinquishment, You acknowledge that you are aware that you may hereafter discover claims presently unknown or unsuspected, or facts in addition to or different from those which you now know or believe to be true, with respect to the matters released herein; nevertheless, it is your intention through this release to fully and finally and forever settle and release all such matters and claims relative thereto, which do not exist, may exist or heretofore have existed between you and the Sponsors.  The release herein given shall be and remain in effect as a full and complete release of such claims and matters notwithstanding the discovery or existence of any such additional or different claims or facts relative thereto.

If any section, provision, term or clause shall be held or found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect and such provision may be modified or severed from these Rules to the extent necessary to make such provision enforceable and consistent with the remainder of these Rules.

FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM/TWITTER DISCLOSURE: You are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. By participating, you hereby release and hold harmless Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube from any and all liability associated with this Sweepstakes.

PRIVACY POLICY: Sponsor is committed to protecting your privacy. The privacy policy located at http://www.ozobot.com addresses how we will use the information we collect from you on the Sweepstakes entry form. By entering the Sweepstakes, or providing your information to us, you agree to accept the uses of your information described in this privacy policy.

Once a Prize Winner is chosen, the Prize Winner’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube handle or name may be publicly shared and displayed on the OzoBlog and other promotional materials if needed. The Prize Winner’s name may also be shared with any inquiring parties.

// End of Official Rules //

The post 2021 Back-to-School Fuel Giveaway appeared first on Ozobot.

Sheila Slawiak, CS and IT Teacher | Pope Francis Preparatory School

Sheila is a dedicated computer science educator in Massachusetts, where, according to code.org there are currently over 13,000 open computing jobs with an average salary of $105,000, yet under 3,000 CS graduates each year. Sheila is passionate about giving more students an opportunity to pursue a computer science or STEM/STEAM career. 

For the last seven years, Sheila has focused on integrating CS into core content areas, like ELA, science, and social studies. Content-integrated CS lessons like hers can help all educators prepare to meet the new CS standards that have been adopted in most states as of 2021.

Programming a Story’s Literary Elements with Ozobot Evo

Evo Tells the Story of the Wizard of Oz is just one of Sheila’s standards-aligned, content-integrated lesson plans in the Ozobot Lesson Library. In developing the two-week middle school lesson, she also collaborated with CS and ELA Teacher Christopher Plasse.

Full Lesson Plan >
Grades 6–8 | Color Codes | Evo

In this lesson, students create a course for Evo using Color Codes or OzoBlockly and visual elements–all to tell the story of The Wizard of Oz. They program Evo to act out the story from a third-person viewpoint. 

In 2020, the lesson was accepted at the NERD Summit at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where Sheila’s students would have presented their work if COVID-19 hadn’t interrupted that year’s plans. Sheila was able to share Evo Tells the Story of the Wizard of Oz, however, when her proposal was accepted for MassCUE’s virtual conference in the fall.

A Winter STEAM Challenge

Last winter, Sheila’s delighted her high school students with another Ozobot project–an end-of-semester challenge where their criteria was to integrate Evo with Scratch and Makey Makey. One class chose to create a cross-section of the school with cardboard, then had Evo tour the school. Here’s Sheila on how her students combined their skills and interests over the course of their project:

“One of my students synchronized the tour with the Scratch presentation, which explained each subject area like ELA, history, science, math, religion, etc. Another pair of students lit the lights around the pole with Makey Makey… One of my seniors took an engineering design course and was happy to discover that engineering & CS can unite, hence the elevator! I was so happy when he made that discovery! Another senior wants to become an interior designer so she made all the furniture and decor in each classroom and shared areas of the school.”

Another class designed a holiday village: 

“Evo toured the village and every time Evo stopped at a home, it played a Christmas song. My student who programmed Evo used Mode 5 Blockly programming language. He loved creating the songs using the music found under [the Sounds Category] and he also programmed Evo’s tour using the line navigation blocks. The Scratch program played a few holiday poems.”

At Ozobot, we want to empower talented educators like Sheila and help them and their students reach their goals. We make it easy to:

• Meet new CS standards, like MA’s Digital Literacy and CS Standards;
• Integrate CS into lessons that also address learning loss for math, ELA, and science;
• Get student working hands-on, from anywhere;
• And give more students opportunities to pursue CS and STEAM careers!

To learn more about how your school district could benefit from an ESSER-qualifying Ozobot robotics program, request a demo from an Ozobot Account Executive.

The post June Educator of the Month: Sheila Slawiak, M.Ed appeared first on Ozobot.

These lessons are designed for all educators and students; no coding or CS experience needed. They’re the perfect place to start if:

• your students are familiar with Ozobot’s Color Codes, but not Blockly
• you’re looking to build foundational CS skills
• you want an introduction to Ozobot basics, before moving on to content-integrated Ozobot lessons in math, ELA, science, and more

Series for Grades 2-5

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 01: Basic Training

Grades 2-12
Computer Science, Engineering/Tech

In this lesson, students learn how to navigate through Ozobot Blockly, program simple block-based code, and run the code on their Ozobot.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 02: Sequences

Grades 2-15
Computer Science

Students learn about sequences in programming, and learn to program their Ozobot to perform a series of commands in order.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 03: Loops

Grades 2-5
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of loops and apply the concept with Ozobot Blockly to program their bot to move in different patterns.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 04: Debugging

Grades 2-5
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of debugging and practice the concept with block-based coding to find and correct errors in different programs.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 05: Skills Check 1

Grades 2-5
Computer Science

Students check their understanding of sequences, loops, and debugging by programming their bot along a route from school to home following directions in story form.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 06: Conditionals

Grades 3-5 (skip this lesson for the Grade 2 series)
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of conditionals and apply the concept with block-based coding to program their bot to respond to their movements.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 07: Variables

Grades 3-5 (skip this lesson for the Grade 2 series)
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of variables and apply the concept with block-based coding to program their bot to complete different actions according to the color it senses.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 08: Skills Check 2

Grades 3-5 (skip this lesson for the Grade 2 series)
Computer Science

Students check their understanding of loops, conditionals, and variables to program their bot with Ozobot Blockly to complete a maze.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 09: Line Navigation

Grades 2-5
Computer Science

Students will learn how to program using the Line Navigation blocks in Ozobot Blockly to instruct their bot to move to different locations.

Lesson Plan >

Series for Grades 6-12

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 01: Basic Training

Grades 2-12
Computer Science, Engineering/Tech

In this lesson, students learn how to navigate through Ozobot Blockly, program simple block-based code, and run the code on their Ozobot.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 02: Sequences

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students learn about sequences in programming, and program their Ozobot to perform a series of commands in order.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 03: Loops

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of loops and apply the concept with block-based coding to program their bot to dance.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 04: Conditionals

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of conditionals and apply the concept with block-based coding to program their bot to respond to their movements.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 05: Skills Check 1

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students check their understanding of sequences, loops, and conditionals to program their bot with OzoBlockly to complete a maze with obstacles.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 06: Variables

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of variables and apply the concept with block-based coding to program their bot to complete different actions according to different colors.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 07: Line Navigation

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students will discover the blocks in the Line Navigation category in Level 3 of Ozoblockly and practice using these blocks to complete a maze challenge.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 08: Debugging

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students learn about the concept of debugging and practice the concept with block-based coding to find and correct errors in different programs.

Lesson Plan >

Introduction to Ozobot Blockly 09: Skills Check 2

Grades 6-12
Computer Science

Students will check their understanding of sequences, conditionals, variables, and line navigation to program their bot with Ozobot Blockly to complete a bot wash.

Lesson Plan >

The post CS Standards Made Simple: New Ozobot Blockly Video Lessons appeared first on Ozobot.

With an Ozobot STEAM program, you can spend ESSER funds wisely, balancing short-term and long-term goals and student needs. In the short term, address learning loss in math, ELA, and science with Ozobot’s content-integrated, standards-aligned lessons. In the long term, ensure your students are future ready and gaining critical 21st century skills that can prepare them even for the jobs that don’t exist yet. 

But don’t take our word for it. Take it from Marcy Richards, Program Director of the Anchorage School District 21st Century Learning Center:

“In our philosophy–and this speaks to the curriculum Ozobot provides as well–we view robotics and coding as tools for lots of different academic interventions. Just because it’s a robot doesn’t mean that it can’t teach geography, math, art, or ELA. The robot is an engaging tool that students love, and you can use it to teach anything.”

Ken Kaplan, a Special Educator at Byram Hills Central School District says:

“Students of all abilities and all learning styles can benefit […] from the utilization of Ozobots, whether they have a strong foundation in coding, or [not.]”

Download our free eBook for insights from Richards, Kaplan, and more. The eBook is filled with customer stories and independent studies to validate edtech purchasing decisions and help you build a successful Ozobot program. In it, you’ll discover how amazing educators and researchers use Ozobot to:

• Strengthen attendance and address learning gaps with after school programs
• Promote 21st century skills anywhere (even offline!)
• Inspire girls to pursue STEAM careers
• Transition between remote, in-person, & hybrid learning
• Engage students with autism and behavioral challenges

Download eBook >

The post Five Stories About Engaging All Learners, Anywhere, With Ozobot appeared first on Ozobot.

Our new Color Code Card is a quick activity that kid creators of all ages can use to recognize any mothers, fathers, caregivers, or guardians in their life. Just follow the steps below to share this special message with a side of STEAM!

You’ll Need

• An Ozobot robot (Evo or Bit)
• Color Code markers (or any markers in the shades of red, green, blue, and black)
• A printer
• Scissors
• Glue or double-sided tape

Create Your Card

1. Print your Activity Sheets. Depending on the parent or caregiver you want to celebrate, choose one of the PDFs below.
   Color Code Card for Mothers >
   Color Code Card for Fathers >
   Color Code Card for Everyone >
   The printout has a card on page 1 and cutouts on page 2. 
2. On page 2, color in the hearts and the words “I” and “YOU.” (Tip: Don’t color in the heart on page 1).
3. Ask an adult for scissors, then cut out your hearts and the words “I” and “YOU.”
4. Fold the words at the dotted lines.
5. Fold the card (page 1) at the fold line.
6. Apply glue or double-sided tape to the bottom of “I” and “YOU”, matching the numbers to the numbers on your card.
7. Using the Color Key provided, fill in the blank Color Code boxes on the heart.
8. Decorate the front of your card with hearts (and your own drawings, if you’d like!).

To share your creations with us, tag @ozobot and the #OzoSquad! To learn more about Color Codes, check out some of our introductory Video Lessons:

• Introduction to Color Codes 1: Line Following
• Introduction to Color Codes 2: Drawing Color Codes
• Introduction to Color Codes 3: Directionality

Educators, if you’re looking for more ways to celebrate and support families in all their iterations, Lee and Low Books has a great reading list designed for culturally responsive teaching in the season of Mother’s and Father’s Day. 

The post Color Code Card: Celebrate Mothers, Fathers, and All Kinds of Caregivers appeared first on Ozobot.

Parents – For At-Home Play

Evo is a one-inch robot with two ways to code–screen-free with colors and on screens with block coding. Follow the steps below to start creating with both ways to code, then explore challenges and activities that build your skills across STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math).

(1) Get the App

Download the Evo by Ozobot app on your tablet or smartphone. If you have a large tablet (any iOS or Android tablet that’s larger than an iPad Mini), that’s ideal because you’ll be able to use not only the Evo App but OzoBlockly block coding with that screen size. (Don’t have a large tablet? No problem! Use a smartphone or small tablet for the Evo App, then use a computer for OzoBlockly coding later).

Get the app:

(2) Start Coding with Colors

All ages
Within the app, complete the Experience Pack to learn how to code Evo with Color Codes. Color Codes are short sequences of color, made with markers or stickers, that you can use to tell Evo what to do. There’s an entire language of Color Codes to choose from, including Speed Codes like Turbo, Direction Codes like Right at Intersection, and Cool Move Codes like Zigzag. As you complete your Experience Pack and start to code Evo without screens, the app will magically track your progress and reward you with stars.

(3) Advance with Blocks

Ages 7+
Once you’ve mastered Color Codes, it’s time to advance to coding Evo on screens with OzoBlockly. OzoBlockly is a block-based programming editor. To use it, you drag blocks from the left sidebar and drop them into the editor. Each block has a command for Evo, like “Move forward 2 steps.” By connecting different blocks together, you can create a program, or series of commands, for Evo to perform. For the best coding experience, you’ll want to use OzoBlockly on a computer or large tablet.

The best way to start coding with OzoBlockly is by completing OzoBlockly Challenges. Between ShapeTracers 1 and 2 and OzoTown, there are over 30 levels of OzoBlockly Challenges for you to explore.

(opens in a new tab)”>Start with ShapeTracer 1 >

(4) Keep the Creating Going

Ages 7-13, depending on the Activity
To keep the creating going with your Evo, explore tons of Video Activities that bring Color Codes to math, reading, science, and more. Each video has step-by-steps instructions directly from the Ozobot Edu team, and each video description has a link to printable Activity Sheets you’ll need. Check out a sample above, a Science activity for ages 10+, and find the right activity for you at the link below:

(opens in a new tab)”>Explore Video Activities >

Educators – For In-Person & Remote Learning

Educators, even if you’re already familiar with Ozobot and our 2 Ways to Code, we made some big changes in 2020. In January, we introduced Ozobot Classroom, our STEAM software platform that lets teachers assign standards-aligned lessons and track student progress. In March we went to work building in features that would help educators deal with the challenges of teaching during COVID-19. For the 2020 back-to-school season, we introduced our new Learn Anywhere lessons within Classroom–remote-friendly, instructional video lessons that can help you keep students engaged in the classroom or at home. Read on for steps for getting started and integrating coding and STEAM into all subjects with Ozobot.

(1) Sign up for Classroom

Create your free Ozobot Classroom account at the link below. Even if you only have a single Educator Entry Kit, signing up for Classroom will give you access to teacher training, lessons, and more (see Step 2). Ozobot Classroom is currently compatible with most desktop/laptop computers with the Chrome or Edge browsers installed.

(2) Learn 2 Ways to Code

Within Classroom, complete Bot Camp teacher training to learn to code Evo with and without screens. Without screens, you’ll use markers and short sequences of color to code Evo. With screens, you’ll use the OzoBlockly visual programming editor. Bot Camp walks you through both, plus you’ll earn a PD certificate for your training time (subject to your district’s specific PD guidelines). Our goal with Bot Camp was to make it easy for any teacher to get started with Ozobot, no coding or Computer Science experience needed. From there, you can confidently move to bring Ozobot to your students. More on that in Step 3!

(3) Explore Lessons

Once you’re ready to bring Ozobot to your students, explore 100s of standards-aligned lessons for grades K-12. It’s a little known fact that Ozobot is not just used to teach coding and computer science. In fact, 74% of our users utilize Ozobot to integrate coding and CS in core subjects, like math, ELA, and science. Other subject areas covered include art, SEL, and digital citizenship. In the Ozobot Lesson Library, you can filter by grade level, subject, and remote-friendliness. The Library contains a mix of lessons created by the in-house Ozobot EDU team and lessons created and submitted by the community.

Speaking of content produced by the Ozobot EDU team, they’ve been hard at work since March 2020 producing our remote-friendly Learn Anywhere lesson series. These STEAM, math, ELA, and science lessons include step-by-step, student-facing instructional videos, designed to help shoulder some of the burden on teachers during remote and hybrid instruction. The lessons also include a full Lesson Plan with direct instruction should you choose to use the lessons for in-person instruction, standards, Activity Sheets, sample answers, and more. While these lessons are designed for specific grade levels, many of the lesson plans also include suggestions for scaffolding to other grade levels.

We suggest all educators and their students start with these four introductory Learn Anywhere lessons. These will teach students about their Ozobots and walk them through the basics of Color Codes. From there, you can use the remote-friendly filter in the Lesson Library to find Learn Anywhere lessons for a range of subjects.

• Introduction to Ozobot: Get to Know Evo, All Grades
• Introduction to Color Codes 01: Line Following, All Grades
• Introduction to Color Codes 02: Drawing Color Codes, All Grades
• Introduction to Color Codes 03: Directionality, All Grades

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to support@ozobot.com or connect with us @ozobot. Thanks for empowering the next generation of creators!

The post How to Get Started with Ozobot [Holiday 2020] appeared first on Ozobot.

Note: need bots for all your students to take full advantage of these lessons? Request a demo today to learn more about our 1:1 program–you might be surprised by the federal and state initiatives it qualifies for!

Catching Santa

Grades PK-1
ELA, Engineering/Tech
In this lesson from Pre-K Teacher and Ozobot Certified Educator Jahaira Ortiz, students will use critical thinking, problem solving skills, and Color Codes to help Evo get to Santa.

Lesson Plan >

The Ozobot Express

Grades PK-3
Art
Introduce this activity, from educator Mary Dams, after reading The Polar Express as a way to have students work on comprehension and retelling.

Lesson Plan >

Code-A-Flake

Grades K-4
Computer Science, Art

In this STEAM lesson, created by Ozobot Certified Educator Kat Staton, students will design and cut out their own snowflake then add Ozobot Color Codes.

Lesson Plan >

Christmas Directional Activities

Grades 1-4
Computer Science
These activities, from Ozobot Certified Educator Jennifer Mahin, will help students identify directional Color Codes with fun holiday tasks!

Lesson Plan >

OzoClaus

Grades K-5
Computer Science
In this lesson created by Ozobot Certified Educator Carrie Willis, students will use previous knowledge of Ozobots and Color Codes to program OzoClaus to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

Lesson Plan >

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Grades 3-6
Computer Science, ELA
In another holiday-themed lesson from Jennifer Mahin, students get to sequence the story of Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. They’ll use directional Color Codes to retell the story.

Lesson Plan >

The Snow Plow

Grades 5-8
Engineering/Tech
In this lesson by STEM Educator Stephanie Racine, students will use the engineering design process to construct a snow plow that attaches to their Ozobot which they have programmed with OzoBlockly to remove snow from a roadway.

Lesson Plan >

The post 7 of Our Favorite Holiday Lessons from Teachers Like You appeared first on Ozobot.