STEM, Coding, Programming, Robotics….These are all popular terms we hear often as 21st Century educators. What are the best tools for your classroom? I give a big hidey-ho to KUBO.
Kubo can be used in grades pre-K through high school. My favorite thing about KUBO is how it serves as a visual to explain the block coding students do on the computer i.e., Scratch. Students do not use a computer to code, instead they use the tag tiles to program KUBO. The tag tiles have circuits on the back of them. A Grid is provided to help students with the mathematical concept of coordinates and the need to understand how to use the X,Y coordinates to show location.
Students can make functions using KUBO. The process shows how code can be made shorter, but the programming can be longer.
Loops can also be made using the tag tiles from KUBO. In Scratch, and other block coding programs, variables are added to the coding. In using the tag tiles a visual is shown on what is actually happening when adding variables to the code.
A number 2 variable was placed in the loop so KUBO was programmed to complete the code twice.
Problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration are all skills that your students will use and grow in while being engaged in coding with KUBO. He is indeed a favorite robot friend.
Thoughts to puzzle over…
Do you think a visual of the coding process is needed for your students to understand on a deeper level what is happening when using the block coding programs on the computer? Does the actual coding using the tag tiles change what they are doing from a game mindset to a problem solving mindset?