Diane

Diane Faber - I teach Kindergarten at St. Marks which is part of Renwick schools. Our school just became a charter school for 2007-08 and the Bee-Bot fits into many of our goals for helping students become 20th century learners. The Bee-bot will allow my Kindergarteners the opportunity for beginning "Programing" skills. I am so excited to share this with my students.

Click above for lesson plan Click above for lesson plan
 * __//Acti//__**__//**vity #1 - Scavenger Hunt- THE BEE-BOT MAN (Gingerbread man)**//__
 * Explore our school
 * Find the office, library, PE, Music, Restrooms and Our classroom
 * Finding our way around the classroom (for beginning)
 * __//Activity #2 - Let's Go Hunting//__**
 * ABC Hunt - use flash cards and find the letter on a grid
 * Number Hunt - Use flash cards find the number ( would be very useful with special needs children and use any groups of numbers)
 * Popcorn Word Hunt - Use flash cards and find the word on a grid
 * Color Word Hunt - Same as above using color words
 * Number Word Hunt - Same as above using number words
 * Find my Friends - Same as above using class mates names

===**Journal Entries: Aug. 30th My students Love Bee-Bot day, We have spent 3 days with "free Exploration" basically I have let the kiddos just explore at their leisure. I told the children that the Bee-bots little box was their bedroom and they needed to wake them up and then program them. That seems to be no problem for Kindergarteners. I did try to have my student program Bee-Bot to go around their pencil boxes and that was very difficult we need to go back to some basic instruction of programing. I am having Bee-Bot day every Tuesday and Friday. Dr. Peters our superintendant has ask us to present a Bee-Bot lesson for our Board Members, I have ask Renee Ewert to bring over 2 students and we will present in October for our board. Sept. 3 -**===

===**Friday Aug. 31st. I tried to have the students program Bee-Bot to go around their pencil boxes and I quickly found out that they are NOT ready for that. so I scalled back the assignment for the PM class. I had them walk themselves around a chair with the Bee-Bot in their hands. That worked much better. I can already see that my lesson plan I had planned my not be as easy as I had 1st imagined for them. This is suppose to be a learning experience for me to. Every day the kids ask me if it's Bee-Bot day.**===

===**Sept. 5th - Well I am learning that I have been trying to go to fast, today we pretended that we were Bee-Bot and try to get around a chair. We held Bee-Bot and would go forward, then turn, and then go forward. I think I have not expected the kiddos to think where Bee-bot was going. With The Bee-Bot in their hands looking the same way I felt they were understanding how he moved. I plan to start my lesson plans next week working with a grid. We have also wordered the soft-ware and maps that come with Bee-Bot for our classroom.**===

===Sept. 17, 2007 - our boxes are wearing out very quickly but we were fortunate to have 5 little "KOOL-AID" bags with handles that fit perfectly for our Little friends. they look great and should be very durable! We had 2 very important visitors in our classroom, Our Sup. and curriculum director wanted to come and see BEE-BOTS in action. they were very pleased, as we observed we saw several students estimating how far they needed to go and then make turns before actually "programming" the BEE-BOT. I am beginning to see some improvement in their programming skills. I did have to re-group my students, some personalities were not working out so well. My studetns still ask every day if today is BEE-BOT day. We have switched days to Wed. and Fri.=== ===Oct. 5th - I have made up "Grids" and use little plastic dinosaurs and I have been having the kiddos take turns and try to get Bee-Bot to the Dinosaur after they get ti the dinosaur they __//can not//__ move Bee-Bot (very hard for them) and then they move the dinosaur and program Bee-Bot to new location. This has proved to be very beneficial for them in understanding how the Bee-Bot works. They are still having fun but it is amazing how they are doing. Many try to walk it out before they actual enter their program. Next year I will start off after a couple of times of FREE EXPLORATION. Several of my students are sharing at the Oct. 15th Board meeting. I am taking 2 boys and 2 girls.=== Oct. 24th - We had a blast presenting to the board members it went over well. the students really showed their eagerness and knowledge of BEE-BOT. I am very pleased with my newest "GRID" for my lesson plan - They love finding themselves and and their friends. I am going to take away the pictures after the 1st of the year and just make them read the names and find the picture.

Dec. 28th - I ordered the "bundle" which includes the maps and software (We ordered them in September) - other than the money is in European. I think it will take my BEE-BOTs to the next level. My students love Bee-Bot but become bored with the same games. They have become very good at programming them to go where they want them to go! Dec. 28th - I will add pictures on Thursday the 3rd for the Scavenger hunt