Lego Education's Newest Spike Prime Programmable Robots Aim For the Classroom (cnet.com) 18
Lego Education, the education-focused arm of the veteran Denmark company, is making its biggest product debut in three years, unveiling Spike Prime, a new kit that aims to mix the company's familiar bricks with motors, sensors and introductory coding lessons. The company is targeting kids aged between 11 to 14. From a report: Lego Mindstorms have been around for years. The Mindstorms EV3 robotics kit remains a staple of many learning centers and robotics classrooms. Lego's newest kit looks more like Lego Boost, a programmable kit that aimed to win over families in 2017 and was compatible with regular Lego bricks. It's compatible with Lego Boost, Lego Technic sets and classic Lego pieces, but not with Lego's previous Mindstorms accessories. Lego Mindstorms EV3 is remaining alongside Lego Spike Prime in Lego Education's lineup, and looks like it's aiming more at the high school crowd, while Lego Spike Prime could bridge to that higher-end projects.
The Spike Prime set is created specifically for grades six to eight. It uses an app that uses visual Scratch programming and aims to adopt the Python programming language by the end of the year, according to Lego Education executives. The robots made by Spike Prime look cute, and Lego Boost-like, but not necessarily as complicated as some Mindstorm kits. The central processing hub that drives the Lego Spike Prime robotics creations has six input and output ports, and connects with sensors including an RGB color and light sensor, a force-sensitive touch sensor, and an ultrasonic distance sensor for measurement and navigation.
The Spike Prime set is created specifically for grades six to eight. It uses an app that uses visual Scratch programming and aims to adopt the Python programming language by the end of the year, according to Lego Education executives. The robots made by Spike Prime look cute, and Lego Boost-like, but not necessarily as complicated as some Mindstorm kits. The central processing hub that drives the Lego Spike Prime robotics creations has six input and output ports, and connects with sensors including an RGB color and light sensor, a force-sensitive touch sensor, and an ultrasonic distance sensor for measurement and navigation.
Easy to build things with: Lego, Python, PHP (Score:3)
I guess some people like Lego because it's an easy way to build simple things. You can snap something together in a couple hours. They plan to add Python to the Lego set, because Python is also easy, suitable for kids.
People like to snap something together in a couple hours with Lego. Same reason they like Python and PHP.
Oddly, nobody makes the mistake of thinking Lego, being easy, are a good way to build mission critical systems that your company relies on.
Then they seem to think that it's impossible to pr
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Warning: If she learns exceptionally fast she'll likely have problems later in life.
She'll likely get bored in school when the class uses a lot of time on things she already knows. Her grades may belie her talent if she's bad at doing homework but great at learning in class.
She might not learn the benefits and necessity of studying hard/smart. This won't be a problem until she's attending education where it's necessarily to have good studying routines (university or earlier?).
What can you do?
I don't know, s
You're right, thanks. Flexible education in Dallas (Score:2)
I think you're absolutely right. I'm a nerd and I was bored to tears in school.
Fortunately, here in Garland (a suburb of Dallas), we have a lot of choices in public schools. Several good magnet programs, flexible options which let the student learn at their own accelerated pace. At least, that's the sales pitch. The Academy for Excellence program LOOKS like it will be pretty good for her.
We'll see. The typical track with Academy for Excellence is that they graduate high school with a associate's degree, so
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and I will never understand how grown ass men get obsessed with either of them.
Curiosity and play into adulthood are linked with higher intelligence and fewer mental disorders as one ages. Many intelligent species, from humans, to many mammels such as dogs, cats, elephants, etc, and more intelligent bird species show tendencies towards playfulness as they age.
That said, some people take the obsessions a little far, but we all have our quirks it is what makes us human.
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You forgot to tell us to get off your lawn.
Give me TC LOGO, or Give me DEATH!! (Score:1)
Lego as a teaching tool (Score:2)
That is why most of the Legos' I buy are knock-off brands, such as LOZ and Lepin. As a teacher, I can not really afford to buy Lego Brand for my students to play with, yet I can, and do afford the knock-offs'.
Recently the "when you are done with your work, you can build with the Legos'" project was the big Hogwarts Castle. Before that was the Arcos truck, that one took over a year of off and on student work. We then put an EV3 controller in the truck and we are currently working on getting it to drive well.
Simple Robots... (Score:2)
Simple Robots... but I'd still find a way to brick them.
LEGO Money Grab (Score:2)