LEGO® Education Community

Updated WeDo Information

LEGO Education — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:11:00 GMT

As excitement builds over the launch of our new elementary robotics product line, LEGO Education WeDo Robotics, our customer service center has been hard at work keeping up with calls from interested customers like you!

In hopes of getting the answers to you before the calls come in, we've developed a quick Q&A addressing the top inquiries we receive on a regular basis. If you don't find the answers you're searching for, feel free to contact us at 1-800-362-4308.

Is the new robotics program compatible with both Mac and PC?
Yes. LEGO Education WeDo Robotics Software is compatible with Mac and PC. It has been tested on both and works in all scenarios. The software can also be installed and used on the Intel Classmate and is expected to be compatible with the OLPC XO by mid-year 2009!

What are the system requirements for the software?
A Systems Requirements tab has been added to the LEGO Education WeDo Robotics Software product page on www.LEGOeducation.com. It lists the minimal requirements to properly run the icon-based software.

Are my LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT sensors and motors compatible with the new elementary product?
No. The sensors and motor developed for the WeDo Robotics Construction Set are similar in design and function to the NXT family of robotic sensors and motors, but the two groups are not interchangeable. You will need the WeDo sensors and motor to complete WeDo robotics activities.

What products do I need to purchase so the complete LEGO Education WeDo Robotics program in part of my elementary classroom?
You will need to order enough LEGO Education WeDo Robotics Construction Sets in a ration of 1 set for every 2 students. You will also need the LEGO Education WeDo Robotics Software and LEGO Education WeDo Robotics Activity Pack. Getting Started Packs including construction sets, software and the activity pack are available. Contact your local LEGO Education Consultant for details.

Washington Post Write-Up

LEGO Education — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:46:00 GMT

The 2008-2009 FIRST LEGO League season is underway and the first competition sightings are beginning! Here is an article that ran in today's edition of the Washington Post describing a recent competition.

If you see your team's name in print, send us the link and we'll gladly add it to our regular blog content! Or if you have video of your team at competition, we'd be happy to display that, too!

Free ROBOTC Webinars!

LEGO Education — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:18:00 GMT

Starting the first week of November, Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy will begin offering their second series of "Learning ROBOTC" Webinars!

The Academy will host 5 weekly webinar training sessions for ROBOTC enthusiasts of all levels and platforms. The ROBOTC webinars are designed for anyone interested in learning more about ROBOTC, from the absolute beginner to the advanced programmer.

All webinars are free of charge and include a forum where participants can get questions answered before, during and after the session. Webinars will be recorded for those who cannot attend and the forums will be monitored daily to answer questions.

Registration is required. To learn more about the available sessions or to register, click here.

Free ROBOTC Webinars!

LEGO Education — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Starting the first week of November, Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy will begin offering their second series of "Learning ROBOTC" Webinars!

Registration is required. To learn more about the available sessions or to register, click here.

Give Us Your 2.0 Feedback!

LEGO Education — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:56:00 GMT

In just a few short weeks the new 2.0 version of NXT software will be available, and we'd like you input!

LEGO Education is looking for feedback from teachers that will be used to help develop an activity pack for the software. If you have experience with LEGO MINDSTORMS in the classroom and would like to tell us your thoughts, please follow the link below and complete our survey.

Some respondents will get a sneak peek at the new functionality in the 2.0 software!

Thanks to everyone who provides input!

Attention Educators!

LEGO Education — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:08:00 GMT

LEGOengineering.com is happy to announce our new Community section. The Community section empowers LEGO educators from around the world to share lesson plans and activities and get feedback from other users. Users can also post questions, ideas, tips, problems and start discussions with the worldwide community. Users can view and share photos of LEGO creations from students.

Becoming a member is easy. Just click the Join Now link here or on the Community front page. Within seconds you will be able to upload content, ask questions, and make comments.

Check it out at http://www.legoengineering.com/

In The News...

LEGO Education — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:39:00 GMT

The LEGO Education WeDo robotics system was featured recently in Digital Directions, an online publication managed by Education Week. The article focused on the new set (debuting in January 09), the reaction from a test site in Texas, and the impact the pre-robotics concept will have within the education industry.

To read more, click here.

Free ROBOTC Webinar Training Series

LEGO Education — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:51:00 GMT

Starting this week, Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Academy will be offering a FREE webinar training series: Learning ROBOTC!

Now through October, the Robotics Academy will be hosting a weekly webinar training session for all ROBOTC enthusiasts. All webinars are free of charge and will include a forum where you can get your questions answered. The online course will be recorded for those who cannot attend and the forums will be monitored daily to answer questions.

Registration for each webinar is required. CLICK HERE to learn what the webinars are about and how to sign up!

FLL To Address Global Climate Solutions

LEGO Education — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:17:00 GMT

With an estimated 135,000 children, representing 40 countries, and ranging in age from 9 to 14, this year's FIRST LEGO League Challenge, "Climate Connections", is expected to be the largest to date!

The 10th season of FLL is underway as teams across the globe begin planning and building for the 2008-2009 competition season. The two-part challenge consists of a Project Phase and a Robot Game. Partnering with the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, professors at MIT and University of Massachusetts, and experts from LEGO Education, FIRST was able to develop Challenge missions reflective of the hurdles scientists face in their study of global climate issues.

FIRST also developed a new social site for teams that debuts this season. FIRSTLEGOLeague.org is an online community for teams where they can learn about the FLL program, see season schedules, register teams, create their own team sites, and join in forum discussions. Teams will also be able to upload advatars, files, and photos all while communicating with their own team members, or with other teams around the world.

For more information check out this feature article or log onto usfirst.org.

Get Ready To "Face Off!"

LEGO Education — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:36:00 GMT

The FIRST Tech Challenge has launched its new season and game!

"Face Off!" is a reality-based challenge that was developed with input from professional robotics designers across the country to mirror challenges they face today, such as navigating uneven surfaces, manipulating odd-shaped objects, using sensors to determine the environment, and withstanding physical stress.

A new kit has been developed for the 2009 season and consists of an expanded TETRIX by Pitsco metal robot structure kit, LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics kit, DC drive motors, servomotors, controllers, and advanced sensors. It also includes three software platforms teams can choose from to program their robots, including LEGO NXT-G, National Instruments LabView for FTC, and RobotC.

To learn more about this year's challenge and how to register a team, check out the follow link!

FIRST Tech Challenge "Face Off!"

Make Your Voice Heard!

LEGO Education — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:06:00 GMT

LEGO Education would like to hear from YOU!

Tell us what LEGO Education products you use, how often, and what impact they have made in your classroom! We welcome all comments and appreciate any opinions and experiences you're willing to share!

Simply fill out the attached Testimonial Form and send it to the email or address noted at the bottom of the form. Some responses may appear in future issues of LEGO Smart News or in Product Testimonial pages!

Thank you in advance for sharing your voice!

The President's Circle

LEGO Education — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:08:00 GMT

For the second year running, FIRST is inviting teams to produce a YouTube video on how they would help recruit and support rookie teams during this year's competition season.

The President's Circle is a competition encouraging teams to develop a 30 or 60-second video/TV ad that will persuade students to start a FIRST team. Ads should be targeted to the audience teams compete within, meaning if you are a member of a FIRST LEGO League team your ad should focus on FIRST LEGO League, whereas FIRST Tech Challenge teams should develop a spot that is relevant to their challenge.

Deadline to submit an entry is November 1, 2008. To learn more CLICK HERE!

LEGO Smart News

LEGO Education — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:57:00 GMT

For the latest LEGO Education news, product updates, and robotics builds, check out the most recent issue of LEGO Smart News!

Inside this online publication you will find features on the LEGO Education Robotics Continuum, product launch information for LEGO Education WeDo Robotics and TETRIX by Pitsco, as well as details on how your students can become LEGO Smart!

Interested in viewing the issue in printed form? CLICK HERE to download your copy!

LEGO Smart News

LEGO Education — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:42:00 GMT

For the latest LEGO Education news, product updates, and robotics builds, check out the most recent issue of LEGO Smart News!

Interested in viewing the issue in printed form? CLICK HERE to download your copy!

Summer Camp Success Story

LEGO Education — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:39:00 GMT

During the week of July 14-18, Lenoir County Public Schools hosted their first-ever Robotics Summer Camp. Twenty-four rising fourth and fifth graders attended the week-long event that made headlines in both the local newspaper and online. Below is what one camp staffer had to say about the experience.

"On the first day students were divided into teams. They came up with team names, built their first robots, and experimented with basic programming. Each day after that we (camp staff) taught new programming and issued challenges for the students to solve using their robots. Points were awarded to teams for their efforts.

On Friday a final 'Robot Rumble' was held with trophies being awarded to the winners for the week. We even had the local newspaper come out and do a story on the camp and its success. You can read it at Kinston.com.

I just wanted to share what an absolutely wonderful experience this was for both our students and the staff! The intensity of math and problem-solving was amazing! If you want to see our camp website, go to gadgetcamp.wikispaces.com and click on the links for Robotics Camp - Summer 08.

I can honestly say I am hooked! We will be submitting our proposal to teach a session on our camp experience and how to set-up your own camp at the North Carolina Education Technology Conference in December. I will let you know if we get accepted."

Charles White
Media Center and technology Coordinator for Lenoir County Schools

Attention 2008 FLL Teams!

LEGO Education — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:54:00 GMT

While assembling this year's Climate Connections Mission Model Set for shipping, three elements were inadvertently left out. The error was caught before any sets were mailed to teams, but not in time to include the missing elements inside the shipping box. Instead, a small bag with the missing elements is included inside the packing slip pouch on the side of the Mission Model Set box.

The bag will include the following:

One 1x4 SYSTEM brick, white
Two cross axles with grooves, red

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and encourage you to contact LEGO Education at 866-349-5346 if you receive your set and do not find the bag of elements or have questions regarding the set.

TETRIX by Pitsco Coming Soon!

LEGO Education — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:25:00 GMT

TETRIX by Pitsco is a revolutionary new metal building system developed for use in high schools! Designed by Pitsco, Inc. and sold by LEGO Education, TETRIX is fully compatible with LEGO Technic, the building system used with LEGO MINDSTORMS.

A unique LEGO connector joins the metal with LEGO elements, creating a path for older students to complete more challenging projects while continuing to use the LEGO NXT Intelligent Brick as the controller.

The metal system will be available in August 2008 for use in the FIRST Tech Challenge and in January 2009 for implementation in schools.

To view TETRIX in action, click here!

H.A.L.E. To Launch Tuesday!

LEGO Education — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:24:00 GMT

H.A.L.E. (High Altitude LEGO Extravaganza) is set to launch shortly after sunrise (PST) on Tuesday, July 29, 2008!

The event, developed to help commemorate the 10th Anniversary of LEGO MINDSTORMS, will carry LEGO MINDSTORMS-based payloads into the Earth's stratosphere. At that altitude, H.A.L.E. will be above 99.9% of the atmosphere. The payloads will be exposed to extreme cold and radiation. The sky will look black and the curvature of the Earth will be evident.

To learn more about H.A.L.E. and the various payloads participating in this event, log onto NevadaSat. A real time relay will be provided to view the event as it happens! (Instructions are made available on the NevadaSat website.)

Pneumatic Sets On Sale Now!

LEGO Education — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:40:00 GMT

The science of compressed air has made a return to LEGO Education as pre-orders for the new Mechanisms Pneumatics Add-On Set begin!

Designed to work with LEGO Education's Motorized Mechanisms Set, the new Pneumatics Add-On Set enables students to explore power systems, sequence and control, pressure, kinetic and potential energy, prototyping and more through the use of compressed air.

The set and corresponding Mechanisms Pneumatics Activity Pack feature 14 principle model activities that introduce students to the basics of pneumatics. In addition, four main models and activities, and two additional open-ended problem-solving activities thoroughly educate students about compressed air.

The set features 31 specialty elements including pumps, cylinders, valves, an air tank, tubes and a manometer. The activity pack is delivered on CD-ROM and includes video clips of real-life machines, printable worksheets, and teacher materials.

The Mechanisms Pneumatics Add-On Set is available for order now! Sets will ship September 1, just in time for the new school year!

Something To Write Home About

LEGO Education — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:52:00 GMT

Recently we received an email regarding a student who attended a robotics camp in Florida. The camp featured LEGO MINDSTORMS products. The student was not very sociable or familiar with computers when he began the camp, but that was about to change. To learn how, read the following...

I teach Electrical Engineering at Florida State University in Panama City. With the help of some friends from Dahlgren I was able to get some LEGO MINDSTORMS sets for our camp. I wanted to share one of our camp stories with you that was pretty interesting.

One of the minority students that attended was listed by the school system as homeless. I believe he was the only attendee from his particular middle school. Needless to say he doesn't have computer or internet access in his home.

According to the teacher he kind of hung back when the camp started. That was until we got started with the LEGO kits!

It seems we discovered a natural programmer! He took charge of the programming for his group. The transformation was phenomenal. I wish you could have seen his eyes light-up when he described what he had accomplished during the camp - - pure joy!

At the end of camp I had him talk to our Congressman Boyd's area rep about his experience and he was part of the three students that were chosen to present the results of his team to the 150 students, teachers and S&Es at the final report out.

One of our leaders is a long time member of the Bay Education Foundation and is now working on finding him a mentor. First thing Monday I am contacting the local community college to see if they can line him up with a scholarship.

Just wanted to let you know LEGO's impact!

David Skinner
Florida State University, Panama City

Hands-On Learning

LEGO Education — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:24:00 GMT

How many times have you heard a child say they didn't want to do something because it wasn't any fun?

If you are an educator, especially of preschool or early elementary students, there is a good chance you hear this daily! Learning through playing is not only the preferred method by children, its also the best way to get them to relate to what is being taught.

Play is a key element to a child's growth and development, and play stimulates the imagination, the emergence of ideas, and encourages creative expression. It is LEGO philosophy that "good play" enriches a child's life.

To learn more about the benefits of Hands-On, Heads-In Learning, check out this feature article in the April/May issue of The Pitsco Network.

Not Your Typical Classroom

LEGO Education — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:19:00 GMT

Based in Southlake, Texas, the first US-based LEGO Education Center has been welcoming children through its doors for nearly a year. Offering a variety of courses each focusing on hands-on learning through the use of LEGO Education sets and curriculum, trained Center staff teach essential skills to children ages 3-12. Everything from free play for preschoolers to robotic design and programming for pre-teens is available.

To read more about the Center's program, structure and future, check out this feature article from the April/May issue of The Pitsco Network, Not Your Typical Classroom.

Interested in having a LEGO Education Center in your backyard? CLICK HERE to send us your contact information including name, address, phone number and email. All submitted information will be kept in a database and if a Center is planned in your area, we will contact you with the details!

New Robotics Products...

LEGO Education — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:17:00 GMT

For all those LEGO robotics enthusiasts out there, here is a sneak-peak at what is new or improved for the coming year!

LEGO NXT for Robolab
The Unofficial LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Inventor's Guide
The Young Inventors' Project with LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT
Classroom Activities for the Busy Teacher: NXT
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Zoo
HiTechnic IRLink Sensor for NXT
Infrared Electronic Ball
LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Power Programming
Mechanisms Pneumatics Add-On Set and Add-On Value Pack
Preparing Your Team for FLL Compettition

For a listing of featured products, new items and clearanced products, log onto http://www.legoeducation.com/!

FIRST Reveals New FTC Robotics Platform

LEGO Education — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:47:00 GMT

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) has announced a new robotics platform for the 2008 FIRST Tech Challenge season! FTC is a robotics competition designed for high-school-aged students. Each fall teams of up to ten students compete at regional tournaments where the students, collaborating with mentors, must apply math and science concepts to solve the annual challenge.

For the 2008 season teams will be required to use the new FTC Competition Kit, which includes a TETRIX Base Set (metal building elements, LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT robotics kit, servomotors, controllers, sensors, and LEGO NXT, LabView for FTC, and RobotC programming software.

In a recent release, Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST, said, "Our primary goal at FIRST is to provide a continuum of connected events that allow children multiple entry points on the path of creativity, lifelong learning, and technologic literacy. I am so pleased that working with our partners Carnegie Mellon University, HiTechnic, LEGO Group, National Instruments, and Pitsco, we have incorporated advanced technology and materials that will enable our challenges to more closely resemble real-world engineering challenges. Overall, we believe we can now provide our studetnts with a robotics experience that is higher quality, more challenging, more rewarding and ultimately more fun."

To learn more about the new platform or to register a team for FTC, CLICK HERE

LEGO Technic Design School

LEGO Education — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:55:00 GMT

Building with LEGO Technic elements can be challenging, and sometimes even a bit intimidating! But thanks to a cool, new resource those design doubts and building blunders can quickly be replaced with construction support and expert advice!

Learn how to build like the pros at the LEGO Technic Design School! Master all the mechanics to make your creations work just like the real thing! Ask questions, sign-up for lessons and allow your imagination to take you to new heights!

For more informtion or to get started, visit LEGO Technic Design School today!