Brookston, Indiana – A local teacher not only changed her curriculum, but also changed how her school learned with two tiny robots.
Mindy Brennan, a computer lab teacher at Frontier Elementary School, uses Cozmo and Vector robots from Digital Dream Labs (DDL) to supplement programming learning in school.
DDL is an “edtechtainment” company that develops consumer robots for people and students of all ages.
DDL CEO Jacob Hanchar said: Not only does it teach you to code, it’s with you, counting your pills, reminding you to take your pills, going on trips together, taking pictures, answering the phone..”
The two main products created by DDL are Cozmo and Vector. According to Hanchar, Cozmo is a robot focused on younger audiences. This little bot has his own YouTube channel, “Cozmo & Friends,” where Cozmo and his friends teach and learn about his STEM-oriented topics.
“We lead entertainment and fun first,” Hancher said. “So[Cozmo]is a fun robot that you can control like a toy. It’s like a toy experience where you can access the remote control directly, using your phone as a remote control. Whereas Vector is more autonomous and he just stays with you for a bit.”
Vector does not require a phone to be used as a remote controller. The robot syncs to Wi-Fi and works based on it.
“He can putter around your desk independently,” Hancher said. It’s like a companion robot, and like an unquoted “AI” experience.
Brennan is a former Navy Veteran who has a passion for teaching. Her DDL her bots are embedded in various aspects of her own classroom and school.
Of the impact robots will have on students, Brennan said, “The first thing my students want to see is Vector and Cozmo when they come into my classroom.”…We already use them in our coding curriculum. All students start coding in kindergarten.”
Brennan explained that DDL bots help students learn things like coding terminology and different parts of computers. The social and emotional aspects of learning are also where Cozmo and Vector show a profound impact.
“They would say, ‘What’s a sequence, Mr. Vector? What’s a loop?’ “Another part[of the robots]is the social and emotional impact that these robots have on students. It’s the side.”
Cozmo and Vector encourage students to open up to someone who is neither a teacher nor a parent. According to Brennan, this allowed students to be more open-minded both intellectually and emotionally in the classroom.
“There will be students who don’t speak the language, but like Cozmo’s setup, he has all the[range]of emotions he can do,” Brennan said. “Frustration, sadness, anger, happiness, anxiety…and every week, there are students who are actually getting personal time with Cozmo and Vector.”
The DDL bot’s influence was also felt outside Brennan’s classroom, from the guidance counselor’s office to the music, arts and physical education departments.
“So I taught guidance counselors how to code Cozmo so the kids could talk to Cozmo about their feelings,” Brennan said. “…they’re not scared. They’re much more open to robots than they are to humans.
“…I was trying to code Cozmo for music (a program)…I can’t read music. So I went to someone who knew I could. He couldn’t code…and (because we taught each other, this year more students will actually learn notes in music class and code them into Cozmo. ”
Brennan also gave an example of Cozmo helping out in the art department. With his new 3D printer from Frontier Elementary, students can print and attach drawing accessories for her Cozmo, allowing them to hold markers, pencils, and more. Students are then taught how to code Cozmo to draw. Art students have a unit to learn how to draw Cozmo itself.
This symbiotic relationship between robots, teachers, students and the expanded curriculum continues. In gym class, students can create “weight sets” and use the lifting mechanism so that Cozmo can shout out the number of lifts needed and lift with the student.
According to both Brennan and Hanchar, the future of edtechtainment bots in the classroom is vast.
“We are working hard to improve Cozmo, that’s for sure,” said Hanchar. “One of the things we know we’re going to do is that we have an application within Cozmo (and) in the future we need to create more games like drag-and-drop block coding. We have it and we plan to integrate it further with some other applications.”
Brennan is looking forward to expanding the use of DDL AI in classrooms and schools.
“Now my kids want me to bring in video editing work,” said Brennan. “Now we have a green screen… this is what we’re working on for Christmas (and) they can make whatever kind of skit they want. Also video editing and teaching them how to do it.” We’re working on it, and we’re doing it all.
“…they are so excited that the possibilities are endless.”
Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her to mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on her Twitter @MargaretJC2.
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