Earlier this week, we joined our friends from BirdBrain Technologies for the second installment of our back-to-school webinar series. It was led by Sarah FitzHenry and Jenna Kindler, two of BirdBrain’s Learning Community Managers and, rumor has it, a well-respected robotics fairy godmother. Led by Sarah, the pair gave a fantastic presentation on how BirdBrain’s Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Robotics solutions can inspire creative problem solving and spark real-world connections across all grade levels. Their robots, project guides, and teacher materials truly do help ensure computer science education is for everyone, which you can see in the slide deck from the presentation below.
The pair began by discussing the history of BirdBrain Technologies, including why they got started. When it came down to it, their founders determined they needed to do what they could to start addressing gender gaps in STEM, robotics, and computer science, leading to the launch of BirdBrain. Everything they do is rooted in research and they’ve even received funding from the National Science Foundation and Carnegie Mellon University, where everything first began. Collectively, their goal is reaching every student in every classroom and supporting teachers with resources that will always be free. So far, they’ve certainly lived up to their mission of inspiring joy and deeper learning through robotics!
If you couldn't make the broadcast or want to relive the excellent presentation, the full replay is below. We’ll cover the highlights, including how the BirdBrain materials align to standards and offer a low floor and high ceiling. This means their robotics kits are equally valuable for true beginners or borderline experts. When using the Finch and Hummingbird robots, educators also have the freedom to make the lessons as simple or as complex as they want them to be. They also help teachers facilitate truly interdisciplinary learning and help them break common stereotypes. Check out the full replay for more!
What makes each robotics solution appealing are opportunities for educators at all grade levels to inspire creative collaboration among students. They can also teach outside-the-box thinking, model patience and persistence, and, most importantly, embody inclusion in STEM education. They’re also built for longevity—in their words, these are small-budget robots designed to make a big impact. The Finch 2.0, in particular, is the result of input from about 15 years of teacher feedback. It’s extremely versatile, lasts for over seven hours on one charge, and includes over 30 activities. Then, with the Hummingbird Bit, students truly get a tool for maximizing their creativity. It comes with its ‘gut’ (a micro:bit) and students essentially get to design its entire body using craft materials and whatever else they can build. It fits into every classroom and every subject and helps kids explore the content, the making process, and design concepts up close.
As for using the BirdBrain robots in social-emotional learning, there are close connections to the five pillars of SEL. When it comes to combining STEM and SEL, robotics, in particular, is actually a very viable option. Students can work on self-awareness by sharing passions and designing projects about themselves, which often makes them feel more comfortable. Robotics tools also help teachers calm kids down and get them ready to learn—an aspect of SEL called self-regulation. Plus, since the robots are great for storytelling exercises, students often find it easy to draw social-emotional connections and bolster their relationships. Finally, they can use the Finch or Hummingbird kits to better understand point of view, see situations from the eyes of others, and, through very unique project, gain empathy, and knowledge into what others truly need.
Hummingbird Activities List
Finch Robot Activities List
Hummingbird PD Courses
Finch PD Courses
BirdBrain Educator Facebook Community
Sarah and Jenna also talked a bit about using pandemic relief funds in areas such as addressing learning loss, enriching afterschool offerings, and boosting that all-important social-emotional health. You guessed it—robotics will potentially play a huge role in this. That's due, in large part, to its potential to really ramp up student engagement. To hear more about that, check out the recording! Once again, we sincerely thank Sarah and Jenna for a phenomenal presentation and thank all the educators who joined us! Our next back-to-school STEAM and SEL webinar will be with the Wonder Workshop team on Wednesday Oct. 6. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more.
