West Boulevard starts STEM in kindergarten

Kindergarten students get introduction to STEM-based learning

By jessica Hardin

jhardin@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

With the help of a pocket-size robot called Ozobot, kindergartners at West Boulevard Elementary are learning the fundamentals of coding.

Daniel Kibby and the three other kindergarten teachers at West Boulevard started using the tiny robots in the classroom this fall.

Ozobot travels along lines and reads colors.

“The kids are just starting to discover that if you put colors in a certain order, it’s a code, and that will change the Ozobot’s movement,” said Kibby.

In Monday’s lesson, students drew specific color sequences on a maze, causing Ozobot to speed up or slow down at various points on the lines.

“It’s really good for integrating other subjects. ... You can use it for language arts. ... You can sequence events in a story,” Kibby said.

Students also can code on a tablet using an app that pairs with the little robot.

Kibby hasn’t started to use the app in the classroom, but he hopes to do so in the future.

So far, students have shown that it’s never too early to learn about robots.

“I was blown away by how quick they picked up on it. I’m reading the manual, and they’re figuring out things faster than I can,” Kibby said.

The kids have really enjoyed the lessons that incorporate Ozobot.

“I love it. I love that when it goes over the colors, it changes,” said McKenna Barnes, a kindergartner in Kibby’s class.

The use of Ozobot is part of a districtwide emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts in the classroom.

“My kindergarten took advantage of that opportunity, and kids are benefiting from it. It’s fantastic,” said principal Alphonse Cervello.

Kibby added, “It’s a great introduction for them to STEM-based learning.”