I'm dad’s engineer
Surprisingly, but often from their own and others' children, or even themselves in childhood, in response to the question “Who do you want to be?” we heard the same words. Among them, the professions of a doctor, astronaut, teacher, taxi driver are common. And somehow no one wonders why this particular set. Where are geologists, politicians, signalmen, bankers, foremen, and finally engineers? After all, few people really become an astronaut or a taxi driver. The answer lies on the surface: children strive for what they understand. Everything is linear: a doctor - cures for diseases, a taxi driver - is lucky, an astronaut - flies into space, a teacher - here he is, next, teaches and makes friends with them. And what do a programmer, engineer, geologist, economist do? Meanwhile, it is in the simple question “Who to be?” primary career guidance is emerging. And it’s important that the child has an understanding of
The issue of understanding the profession in children became interested in a researcher in the field of education and vice president of the Museum of Science of Boston Christina Kinningham. She asked the younger students to draw an engineer at work. It turned out that the engineers drive trains, build houses, bridges and roads in helmets and with a brick in his hand, but do not design them. Kristina noted that such innocent, in general, drawings are alarming. “If you have no idea what engineers are doing, then you are unlikely to invent this profession on your career path,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, the profession of an engineer (we include both a programmer and a system architect) is the work of a person who creates the world that surrounds everyone from birth. On the one hand, the child is confronted with wildlife - and actively studies it in environmental studies and lessons from the outside world, and on the other - the child is immersed in an anthropogenic environment. The very one that the engineers designed. But the student comes to the study of this half (and among residents of cities and most of the world) much later - when his main personality traits are formed, the first career preferences are determined. And in such a teenage period, a person begins to perceive the ideas of becoming an engineer, programmer, economist as a hostile invasion of adults.
Let's imagine the life of a modern child: a city, transport, computer, tablet, phone, dad's car, in the summer a train or plane, a bicycle, a light that turns off at home, an electronic card in the dining room, etc. This is the world around him - the world in which he lives and which requires a systematic approach, even if you are just a user. Meanwhile, the children are wonderful engineers by nature: pay attention to how they plan their huts at home, how enthusiastically they dismantle the toys and how much the designers love. And this is not talent - this is the desire to know the very second - and the main - world. Anthropogenic. And in childhood, it is absolutely necessary to help the child understand how this world works - thanks to this, talent will not be missed, if it is initially there.
So, if your child has a tendency to work as an engineer and technical mentality, the first thing to do is to maintain interest. Busy parents tend to limit their participation to buying books and a computer. However, this is not enough - there are too many distractions, outdated information that the child cannot discard due to the still not developed critical thinking. In order not to discourage the desire for development and learning, it is important to initially get involved in the process and combine what you need for life and what you like: learning and playing. At the same time, it is important not to be limited to the plane “child - technology”, it is necessary to pay attention to the development of communication skills and general thinking. In the youngest grades, educational robotics, for example, a set, can be a good help in the formation of primary skills and primary vocational guidance.LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 . We have already examined it in detail in the first post on the Gimetays , and now we will pay more attention to the methodological aspect of recruitment.
Formation of the concept of experiment. In general, the whole life of a child is one continuous experiment. Children learn the world empirically, ask questions, give their answers (build hypotheses) and get the right decisions (a posteriori method). They are initially prone to an experimental design, which means it needs to be used. WeDo 2.0 integrates with PCs and tablets, allows you to conduct the first experiments and record the results in prototypes of the forms that students, and then students and scientists, will work with in the future.
LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 - a robotic complex consisting of a “smart” control unit, functional components (wheels, gears, wires, connectors) and cubes for the design of the future system (first robot). This set covers all areas of knowledge: from the concept of an experiment to the presentation of the results of its work.
Practical solutions. Working with WeDo 2.0 is practice-oriented - that is, a child, working with a robotic solution, sees and can hold the result of his activity in his hands, can link it with real-world objects, understands how the model he created works.
If you think that in order to assemble something necessary and useful from LEGO, you need to have several sets with smart modules, drives, engines and a mountain of gears, you are mistaken - look how the photographer assembled a machine for shooting timelaps from relatively simple parts . The platform is powered by an engine capable of operating up to 8 hours in constant motion mode on conventional AA batteries.
Algorithmic thinking. Those who went to school in the mid-late 90s will probably remember how the concept of the algorithm was explained to us: looking at a familiar blackboard, we talked about how to boil a kettle, and the teacher carefully indicated that we missed (open the kettle, light a match pour water, turn on the hotplate, etc.). Then we drew the flowcharts, and so the understanding of the algorithm came to us as a strict sequence of actions, each of which should be described. But if we were able to tell the algorithm in the process of heating tea, we would not forget about matches, a lid, etc. The WeDo 2.0 complex is aimed at the fact that the child creates his first robot (that is, the executor of the algorithm) and programs it. Thus, the student along with the practice gets the skills of algorithmic thinking, delves into the basics of programming,
Many elements leave freedom for the imagination of the teacher (parent) and schoolchild, especially since you can disassemble one model and assemble another. Thus, the child begins to understand that the solution is variable and it is possible to solve the problem from the same initial set in different ways, among which there are incorrect, long, and optimal.
Collection, analysis and interpretation of data.When a child creates his first robot, there comes a moment of measuring movement and collecting data from sensors. All data must be recorded, compared, use forms, be able to interpret. It is important that the student not only successfully assembled the model, but also could continue to observe, draw conclusions and talk about them. You can arrange a presentation during which the student will talk about the process of building a robot, programming and the results of observations. This will allow you to speak through all the stages, discover all the gaps, ask new questions, and at the same time develop presentation skills.
Design and prototyping.For the future engineer, design and prototyping is an important part of the job. The system must be designed to be productive, economical, ergonomic and functional. Of course, it’s hard for a student to understand the meaning of these words, and it’s useless. The main thing is to learn to think in terms of convenience and simplicity of solution (but not primitivization!). Prototyping is an important skill that helps one to anticipate the outcome and iterate through it in successive steps. The design of the solution allows you to get acquainted with geometry, physics, the concepts of symmetry and equilibrium in the control of devices.
The classic version of the finished robot, although in fact there can be infinitely many options. LEGO Education WeDo 2.0although small, for example, in comparison with its senior friend LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3, it’s still a complete set for the first robotic experience, which is suitable not only for children, but also for everyone who wants to experiment with robotics, while having a reliable foundation on hand which can be repeatedly assembled-disassembled.
Here, for example, what can be done by applying imagination:
Another small piece of advice is when working with students (whether you are a teacher or a parent), avoid simplifying vocabulary and use engineering terminology. The child will perceive the conceptual apparatus as part of his native language and in the future it will be easy to navigate it.
In general, a phrase often sounds among developers: "The best programmers come from people with an engineering education." Here, of course, there is a share of professional chauvinism of those who became a programmer, having graduated from an engineering university in the 90s and early 2000s - then programmers were simply less trained. Nevertheless, if you carefully look at the sample of professionals, the truth of the expression becomes obvious: good developers come from those who design well and can mentally embrace the system as a whole, rather than thinking in separate “blocks”. This is a very useful skill.
Again, back in our school years, children of the 90s - we were divided into classes of physicists and lyricists. The excellent students of physics and chemistry looked contemptuously at those who read and write poetry, young poets appealed to Pushkin with misfortunes in the exact sciences. In the early 2000s, we dispersed among universities, and then ... retrained because many lacked something - from basic computer literacy to programming skills.
Today, the question of the need for the formation of systemic and algorithmic thinking can be considered removed. Everyone needs it - from a philologist to a spaceship designer. The processes of deep integration of sciences are determined by informatization, the desire for research and research in all areas. So, for example, today the problems of computational linguistics, theoretical biomechanics, chemistry and computers help historians and archaeologists come to the forefront. Yes, you can still maintain a “clean” specialty, but scientists and practitioners with a combination of specialized and computational skills have much greater prospects. In the coming decades, the situation is unlikely to change - the professions of the future are directly related to algorithms, data, and computing.
Commentary by a former teacher of a state university, work experience at a university is 3 years.
Therefore, even if your child is not interested in technology, it is important to give him the necessary skills - and here is learning through the game (and this is how the child perceives LEGO).
WeDo 2.0 helps build an understanding of the discipline at the intersection of engineering and basic specialty . You can suggest using the kit to achieve a goal related to the child’s hobby or inclination - he will be able to understand that the technique is designed to help develop knowledge and delve into the processes.
WeDo 2.0 develops imagination- A robotic solution consists of many elements that can be combined and actually invent something new. Do not insist that you definitely get a car or an all-terrain vehicle in the LEGO Education design solutions library, perhaps the child will create something that you can’t even suspect.
The usual details of the LEGO beloved by children, regardless of their inclinations, will not be considered by them as a compulsory program or some kind of overtime - the child will quickly get involved in the construction of a model, which then will also carry out some commands.
WeDo 2.0 builds communication, presentation and collaboration skills. Especially these features are manifested in the case of work in a group. The time has almost passed when an introvert scientist is doing something in his laboratory and gaining fame. In the context of information globalization, it is important to be able to communicate with colleagues, co-authors, experts. The ability to work in a team as an effective member is the lasting value of 21st century management.
WeDo 2.0 makes the child independent and responsible for the result of actions. Working with a solution, a student learns to design, make decisions and break down work into tasks and subtasks. This helps to develop planning and self-organization skills that will help both in completing school assignments and in a future career.
Teaching any child is a complex process in which, in addition, several participants: parents, teachers, circle teachers, tutors. And it is important to follow a few rules that will help make learning effective and go through the first steps of career guidance - it should still be formed from childhood.
And then the student learns a new theory, realizes many unsolved problems and tries to find a solution to them. And then the time comes for invention - the creation of new designs that can bring real benefits to the outside world. The first LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 robots are being replaced by LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 - more serious smart brick solutions that can really be invented. We already told you about inventions made with EV3.
And finally, robotics can be ideally combined with any hobby - even music. How do you like, for example, Jimmy Hendrix from LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3?
Of course, the young dreamer will still rush from astronautics to yellow checkers, from dancing to chess, and then he will certainly become painful to choose between the Naval Forces, aircraft building and directing departments. Moreover, he will also change professions - such is the dynamics of our life. But thanks to early learning, he will always have an understanding of algorithms, systems thinking, engineering ability to design and predict. And this still did not bother anyone anywhere.
And we are in a hurry to congratulate the Russian team, which won four medals, including two gold, at the International Robotics Olympiad with a great victory.
A team of Russian schoolchildren and students took part in the International Robotics Olympiad (World Robot Olympiad - WRO-2016), which was held in New Delhi (India). The Russian team presented innovative projects for the development of environmental infrastructure in the Arctic and the World Ocean, based on LEGO Education's educational solutions. More details on Facebook .
The Russian robotics team won prizes in 4 categories of WRO-2016 and even in the youngest. Guys, we are proud of you!
The issue of understanding the profession in children became interested in a researcher in the field of education and vice president of the Museum of Science of Boston Christina Kinningham. She asked the younger students to draw an engineer at work. It turned out that the engineers drive trains, build houses, bridges and roads in helmets and with a brick in his hand, but do not design them. Kristina noted that such innocent, in general, drawings are alarming. “If you have no idea what engineers are doing, then you are unlikely to invent this profession on your career path,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, the profession of an engineer (we include both a programmer and a system architect) is the work of a person who creates the world that surrounds everyone from birth. On the one hand, the child is confronted with wildlife - and actively studies it in environmental studies and lessons from the outside world, and on the other - the child is immersed in an anthropogenic environment. The very one that the engineers designed. But the student comes to the study of this half (and among residents of cities and most of the world) much later - when his main personality traits are formed, the first career preferences are determined. And in such a teenage period, a person begins to perceive the ideas of becoming an engineer, programmer, economist as a hostile invasion of adults.
Let's imagine the life of a modern child: a city, transport, computer, tablet, phone, dad's car, in the summer a train or plane, a bicycle, a light that turns off at home, an electronic card in the dining room, etc. This is the world around him - the world in which he lives and which requires a systematic approach, even if you are just a user. Meanwhile, the children are wonderful engineers by nature: pay attention to how they plan their huts at home, how enthusiastically they dismantle the toys and how much the designers love. And this is not talent - this is the desire to know the very second - and the main - world. Anthropogenic. And in childhood, it is absolutely necessary to help the child understand how this world works - thanks to this, talent will not be missed, if it is initially there.
He is an engineer
So, if your child has a tendency to work as an engineer and technical mentality, the first thing to do is to maintain interest. Busy parents tend to limit their participation to buying books and a computer. However, this is not enough - there are too many distractions, outdated information that the child cannot discard due to the still not developed critical thinking. In order not to discourage the desire for development and learning, it is important to initially get involved in the process and combine what you need for life and what you like: learning and playing. At the same time, it is important not to be limited to the plane “child - technology”, it is necessary to pay attention to the development of communication skills and general thinking. In the youngest grades, educational robotics, for example, a set, can be a good help in the formation of primary skills and primary vocational guidance.LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 . We have already examined it in detail in the first post on the Gimetays , and now we will pay more attention to the methodological aspect of recruitment.
Formation of the concept of experiment. In general, the whole life of a child is one continuous experiment. Children learn the world empirically, ask questions, give their answers (build hypotheses) and get the right decisions (a posteriori method). They are initially prone to an experimental design, which means it needs to be used. WeDo 2.0 integrates with PCs and tablets, allows you to conduct the first experiments and record the results in prototypes of the forms that students, and then students and scientists, will work with in the future.
LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 - a robotic complex consisting of a “smart” control unit, functional components (wheels, gears, wires, connectors) and cubes for the design of the future system (first robot). This set covers all areas of knowledge: from the concept of an experiment to the presentation of the results of its work.
Practical solutions. Working with WeDo 2.0 is practice-oriented - that is, a child, working with a robotic solution, sees and can hold the result of his activity in his hands, can link it with real-world objects, understands how the model he created works.
If you think that in order to assemble something necessary and useful from LEGO, you need to have several sets with smart modules, drives, engines and a mountain of gears, you are mistaken - look how the photographer assembled a machine for shooting timelaps from relatively simple parts . The platform is powered by an engine capable of operating up to 8 hours in constant motion mode on conventional AA batteries.
Algorithmic thinking. Those who went to school in the mid-late 90s will probably remember how the concept of the algorithm was explained to us: looking at a familiar blackboard, we talked about how to boil a kettle, and the teacher carefully indicated that we missed (open the kettle, light a match pour water, turn on the hotplate, etc.). Then we drew the flowcharts, and so the understanding of the algorithm came to us as a strict sequence of actions, each of which should be described. But if we were able to tell the algorithm in the process of heating tea, we would not forget about matches, a lid, etc. The WeDo 2.0 complex is aimed at the fact that the child creates his first robot (that is, the executor of the algorithm) and programs it. Thus, the student along with the practice gets the skills of algorithmic thinking, delves into the basics of programming,
Many elements leave freedom for the imagination of the teacher (parent) and schoolchild, especially since you can disassemble one model and assemble another. Thus, the child begins to understand that the solution is variable and it is possible to solve the problem from the same initial set in different ways, among which there are incorrect, long, and optimal.
Collection, analysis and interpretation of data.When a child creates his first robot, there comes a moment of measuring movement and collecting data from sensors. All data must be recorded, compared, use forms, be able to interpret. It is important that the student not only successfully assembled the model, but also could continue to observe, draw conclusions and talk about them. You can arrange a presentation during which the student will talk about the process of building a robot, programming and the results of observations. This will allow you to speak through all the stages, discover all the gaps, ask new questions, and at the same time develop presentation skills.
Design and prototyping.For the future engineer, design and prototyping is an important part of the job. The system must be designed to be productive, economical, ergonomic and functional. Of course, it’s hard for a student to understand the meaning of these words, and it’s useless. The main thing is to learn to think in terms of convenience and simplicity of solution (but not primitivization!). Prototyping is an important skill that helps one to anticipate the outcome and iterate through it in successive steps. The design of the solution allows you to get acquainted with geometry, physics, the concepts of symmetry and equilibrium in the control of devices.
The classic version of the finished robot, although in fact there can be infinitely many options. LEGO Education WeDo 2.0although small, for example, in comparison with its senior friend LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3, it’s still a complete set for the first robotic experience, which is suitable not only for children, but also for everyone who wants to experiment with robotics, while having a reliable foundation on hand which can be repeatedly assembled-disassembled.
Here, for example, what can be done by applying imagination:
Another small piece of advice is when working with students (whether you are a teacher or a parent), avoid simplifying vocabulary and use engineering terminology. The child will perceive the conceptual apparatus as part of his native language and in the future it will be easy to navigate it.
In general, a phrase often sounds among developers: "The best programmers come from people with an engineering education." Here, of course, there is a share of professional chauvinism of those who became a programmer, having graduated from an engineering university in the 90s and early 2000s - then programmers were simply less trained. Nevertheless, if you carefully look at the sample of professionals, the truth of the expression becomes obvious: good developers come from those who design well and can mentally embrace the system as a whole, rather than thinking in separate “blocks”. This is a very useful skill.
He’s definitely not an engineer or not decided
Again, back in our school years, children of the 90s - we were divided into classes of physicists and lyricists. The excellent students of physics and chemistry looked contemptuously at those who read and write poetry, young poets appealed to Pushkin with misfortunes in the exact sciences. In the early 2000s, we dispersed among universities, and then ... retrained because many lacked something - from basic computer literacy to programming skills.
Today, the question of the need for the formation of systemic and algorithmic thinking can be considered removed. Everyone needs it - from a philologist to a spaceship designer. The processes of deep integration of sciences are determined by informatization, the desire for research and research in all areas. So, for example, today the problems of computational linguistics, theoretical biomechanics, chemistry and computers help historians and archaeologists come to the forefront. Yes, you can still maintain a “clean” specialty, but scientists and practitioners with a combination of specialized and computational skills have much greater prospects. In the coming decades, the situation is unlikely to change - the professions of the future are directly related to algorithms, data, and computing.
Commentary by a former teacher of a state university, work experience at a university is 3 years.
I taught statistics, economic analysis and econometrics in financial management and applied computer science. It would seem that these guys are as close to techies as possible. Being young and in all trends, I was preparing classes with a focus on working with a PC - both theory and practice. Still, 3-5 courses, I expected that we would do "for real", as it happens in business - at their future work. Well, in general, what I got was almost the last straw that made me forget about teaching forever. First of all, a lot of students are not friends with numbers and logic - this is about them answers from the category of "one and a half digger". They do not care what the decimal fraction differs from percentage. But this question is easily resolved - you can repeat again, you never know, they forgot. The worst thing is that students do not know how to see relationships, find patterns, think systemically. This will then be a big hindrance in my career. I don’t know, to be honest, I would also take a robotics course for them to face them face to face with the concepts of algorithm, system, system management, interaction, etc.
Therefore, even if your child is not interested in technology, it is important to give him the necessary skills - and here is learning through the game (and this is how the child perceives LEGO).
WeDo 2.0 helps build an understanding of the discipline at the intersection of engineering and basic specialty . You can suggest using the kit to achieve a goal related to the child’s hobby or inclination - he will be able to understand that the technique is designed to help develop knowledge and delve into the processes.
WeDo 2.0 develops imagination- A robotic solution consists of many elements that can be combined and actually invent something new. Do not insist that you definitely get a car or an all-terrain vehicle in the LEGO Education design solutions library, perhaps the child will create something that you can’t even suspect.
The usual details of the LEGO beloved by children, regardless of their inclinations, will not be considered by them as a compulsory program or some kind of overtime - the child will quickly get involved in the construction of a model, which then will also carry out some commands.
WeDo 2.0 builds communication, presentation and collaboration skills. Especially these features are manifested in the case of work in a group. The time has almost passed when an introvert scientist is doing something in his laboratory and gaining fame. In the context of information globalization, it is important to be able to communicate with colleagues, co-authors, experts. The ability to work in a team as an effective member is the lasting value of 21st century management.
WeDo 2.0 makes the child independent and responsible for the result of actions. Working with a solution, a student learns to design, make decisions and break down work into tasks and subtasks. This helps to develop planning and self-organization skills that will help both in completing school assignments and in a future career.
Teaching any child is a complex process in which, in addition, several participants: parents, teachers, circle teachers, tutors. And it is important to follow a few rules that will help make learning effective and go through the first steps of career guidance - it should still be formed from childhood.
- Talk to the child in an understandable language, but do not replace the terms - let him immerse himself in vocabulary, delve into the essence of the terms. The imagination of a younger student allows him to quite deeply understand the definitions, to represent them.
- Use experience and experiment - this is a child’s natural form of knowledge of the world. In addition, the skills of planning, hypothesizing, reasoning are developing.
- Let the student speak, and not only silently write down the results of observations in a notebook - so he will develop the skill of self-presentation.
- Try to work in a team - with yourself or other children, but the child must be aware that he is part of the chain of interactions and he is responsible for his area of work. The whole result will depend on how he performs his steps.
- Let the child make mistakes, do not be afraid to make mistakes yourself - it is important that there is a dialogue and the mistake is perceived as a starting point for finding a new solution.
And then the student learns a new theory, realizes many unsolved problems and tries to find a solution to them. And then the time comes for invention - the creation of new designs that can bring real benefits to the outside world. The first LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 robots are being replaced by LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 - more serious smart brick solutions that can really be invented. We already told you about inventions made with EV3.
And finally, robotics can be ideally combined with any hobby - even music. How do you like, for example, Jimmy Hendrix from LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3?
Of course, the young dreamer will still rush from astronautics to yellow checkers, from dancing to chess, and then he will certainly become painful to choose between the Naval Forces, aircraft building and directing departments. Moreover, he will also change professions - such is the dynamics of our life. But thanks to early learning, he will always have an understanding of algorithms, systems thinking, engineering ability to design and predict. And this still did not bother anyone anywhere.
And we are in a hurry to congratulate the Russian team, which won four medals, including two gold, at the International Robotics Olympiad with a great victory.
A team of Russian schoolchildren and students took part in the International Robotics Olympiad (World Robot Olympiad - WRO-2016), which was held in New Delhi (India). The Russian team presented innovative projects for the development of environmental infrastructure in the Arctic and the World Ocean, based on LEGO Education's educational solutions. More details on Facebook .
The Russian robotics team won prizes in 4 categories of WRO-2016 and even in the youngest. Guys, we are proud of you!