We were thrilled to have partnered with St. Mary’s DSG, for our inaugural Teacher STEAM Day, where we offered educators a hands-on introduction to coding and robotics. The objective of the day was to immerse teachers in interactive learning experiences that would enhance their understanding of coding concepts and computational thinking. Witnessing the day unfold and seeing teachers enthusiastically engage in each activity made this event truly special for our team!

We organised five interactive stations designed to help teachers delve into the fundamentals of coding and computational thinking, observing their approaches to problem-solving, patience, and collaboration along the way. Did they apply decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, or algorithmic thinking?

At the first station (unplugged activity), teams collaborated to draw a “Novice Bot” using strings to guide a marker—without any hands touching the marker itself—showcasing their teamwork and creativity brilliantly. It was incredible to see the innovative solutions they came up with.

At the second station (uplugged activity), one member from each team took on the role of “the robot,” while the rest used printed coding cards to direct their “robot” through an obstacle course on a grid. This activity emphasised the importance of clear instructions and careful planning.

Moving to the next two stations (plugged activity), teachers utilised our robotics kits to adjust code. In the third station, they were tasked with making the Novice Bot draw a perfect circle. In the fourth station, they set the “Apprentice Car” in motion, racing it around a track by fine-tuning its Line Following Code, with bonus points awarded for innovative features such as sound and lights. We concluded the day at the fifth station with a fun quiz on coding and robotics, sparking some friendly competition and reinforcing the skills they had learned.

Days like these are crucial for fostering collaboration, enhancing problem-solving skills, and empowering teachers to confidently incorporate coding and robotics into their classrooms, eliminating the 'fear factor' surrounding this new and unfamiliar subject. Seeing the teachers genuinely invest in each activity reminded us of the joy of introducing these subjects in schools. The excitement and creativity displayed throughout the day highlighted the profound impact these skills can have—not only on our students but on our educators as well. After all, why should students have all the fun?

Thank you, St. Mary’s DSG, for hosting us! We can’t wait to carry this momentum into our future events!

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