Classical robotics appeared thanks to LEGO, which in 1998 presented the first LEGO Mindstorms RCX 1.0 robot. In Russia LEGO robotics competitions have been held since 2002. Almost all robotics competitions are held using this constructor. Their popularity from the very beginning was great. First of all, the enthusiasm was shown by the teachers themselves, because they got an opportunity to teach programming visually.
Helps you acquire programming skills
Programming the robot has nothing to do with computer games because the computer game is already created – the child just “absorbs” it. Programming the robot encourages inventing and focusing on solving non-standard problems. Learning to program using the robot as an example is done using a graphical interface adapted to children’s perception. The dry symbolic code of the programmer is converted into pictures and pictograms, which makes it easier for the child to navigate through the commands and learn the logic of the robot.
The robot is a project for the child, which can be connected not only with mathematics, but also with science, linguistics or even music.
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Develops mathematical thinking
Robotics is an applied tool of mathematics, and lessons are understandable and accessible to those children who at first glance are far from mathematics. The fact is that all classes are built so that the child has to operate with as few abstract concepts as possible. There is no code or complicated numbers. Such classes help to understand the mathematical logic, rather than memorize solutions to individual problems.
Teaches making mistakes and daring to implement ideas
Through lessons, children become more creative and daring in the realization of ideas. This is facilitated by the rich technical functionality of robot constructors and the unlimited number of possible tasks for the assembled robots. All children make mistakes in the process of work, and robotics teaches them to accept any mistakes, draw conclusions and correct the process, to look for new approaches to solving problems. A child who is not afraid to make mistakes is the future adult, who will find non-standard and bold solutions without fear of failure.
Programmers talk about themselves as creative people, and it’s true: programming has long gone beyond monitors. It is incredible to wonder what today’s schoolchildren will do in the future. Most likely, their robots will solve problems that we can’t even imagine yet.
Improves communication skills
A general guideline for deciding to buy a robot at home should be the understanding that the child will need the help of an adult. It is not a good idea to buy these kinds of constructors as a toy, because they have an educational function.
It is best if the robotics lessons take place in a small group. The smaller the number of children, the better. If you choose a circle, look for one with a group of six to eight children. It is in such conditions, the child learns to work in a live team, learns to communicate, to put forward and defend ideas, argue and even compete. If all this happens under the guidance of a competent teacher, the child develops the necessary skills for effective communication in the future.
The best robotics lessons take place in small groups. Thanks to the help of adults, children learn to communicate with each other and work as a team. Therefore, the best idea for a child’s summer vacation would be a summer camp in Singapore. Children from 5 to 14 years old can learn robotics, programming, circuitry, and more.
How will these skills help in the future?
Specialists with knowledge in the field of robotics are currently in great demand. That is why the question of introducing robotics into the educational process, starting at preschool age and continuing at all levels of education, all the way up to graduation, is very topical. A human being develops throughout his life, but the basic skills that will become the “foundation” for the development of any competences are formed in preschool age. If a child is interested in this field from an early age, he can discover many interesting things and, importantly, develop the skills he will need to get a profession in the future. It is educational robotics that is the actual means of developing the cognitive interest of senior preschool children, which encourages them to think creatively and produce a unique product. It is the key to a successful future not only for an individual child, but for the country as a whole.
