Sojin Kim SED 600 Review 4 Conference On February 10, the Legoland California held the LEGO Engineering Conference for math and science teachers and robotics team coaches. The participants learned the mechanics of the LEGO MINDSTORMS and the programming of the ROBOLAB software. The workshops provided hands-on opportunities to build a simple chaise and to use sensors. Working in pairs, the conferees followed the instructions in the packet to program the robot to accomplish the assigned tasks. Programming demanded higher order thinking skills. There was more than one way to solve the problem, and the flexibility empowered the programmer to explore the effectiveness of each option. Going the Distance challenged the participants to accurately calculate the exact time it would take to drive the robot from one point to another. After a few trials, the average velocity of the car was estimated, and this finding was used to program it to move forward at a given speed to reach the given distance. At the end of the activity, the software allowed the user to plot a distance versus time graph with the data. All the steps of the activity were completed on the computer, and the immediate visual feedback motivated the user to try repeatedly until it finally succeeded. The next activity used touch and light sensors on a one-motor car. Connecting the wire from the port to the sensor, the car was programmed to drive forward until the sensor detected pressure or light. More steps wereinvolved in the programming of this part than the first part. First knowing exactly where to attach the sensor and how to program it to use the sensors were important. The car simply followed the programmed steps, and seeing how it actually responded and how the other groups worked, adjustments were made. After each trial and error, metacognition was applied to fix the error. Aside from the training in the design and the programming, a representative from the Tufts University Center for Engineering Educational Outreach presented their programs, projects, and research. Other professional development opportunities were introduce and the latest research proposals shared. A few other teachers and coaches shared the robotics program at their schools. Hearing about the different ways robotics are used in the classroom was
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