#IDEAcon 2020

By now you have probably heard of Sphero. The cute programmable robotic ball that is often seen rolling around on a canvas to paint or navigating through mazes. Perhaps you've seen a cup encasing a Sphero with a balloon and skewer attached to transform them into "Battle Bots”. Even though these are all fun and engaging... The excitement and learning value is short-lived. Rather than having these rolling bots used as a glorified toy, learn how to use them as an effective teaching tool that enhances your subject-curriculum. You don’t need to teach about robotics in order to use them. Sphero Edu has become an essential platform to amplify student engagement and upgrade your lessons. I believe in making Sphero work for you and will share the many ways I have gotten it to do so. Non-coders are very much welcomed as I will show you how to REMIX what’s already available publicly and for free. Get ideas from many of my programs to take the lessons you already teach using traditional methods but upgrading them with Sphero. Go beyond the joystick and learn how to evolve Sphero into a trivia buzzer, earthquake controller, map beacon, "pocket lab" (for collecting measurement data) and much more. Whether you are new to Sphero or want to keep Sphero from collecting dust on your shelves, this session is for you! The audience will be given the opportunity to remix programs and depending on time, be able to test them with available Sphero robots.

Link to the presentation:  https://tinyurl.com/beyondtheball