Instructor directions are listed below:
- Explain to students that each team will come to the front of the room to present their robotic creations to the entire class. Let teams know how long they have for the presentation and if there are any guidelines you want them to follow.
- Ask students to check their creation before coming up for their presentations (e.g., all three wires are attached from the Servo to the Arduino and the Servo works).
- Inform students that one computer and USB cable (2 USB cables if necessary) at the front of the room will be used to power students’ projects (remind them that once they upload, the code is on the Arduino, not on the computer).
- Explain the pattern or flow of how teams will present. We recommend having the next team “on deck” (a spot near or behind the presentation area) while the current team is presenting to move through presentations faster.
- Ask students to introduce themselves, describe their project, and then plug in the USB cable (power supply) to the Arduino board to see the robotic creation in action.
- Flip the “Technical Difficulties” sign to cover creation if students need to fix technical problems and/or make last minute changes.
- Congratulate each team on their creation. The goal of this activity is to give each student a positive experience with creative technology projects.
- If appropriate, encourage students to post their robotic creations on Instagram or Twitter and tag @Thinkabit_Lab
- Have fun with it as we do at the Thinkabit Lab!
At the Thinkabit Lab we treat student presentations like a game show. We act like a game show host and when students come up to present they are interviewed. We discovered that students sometimes experience technical difficulties, so we created a “Technical Difficulties” sign and taped it to the front of the podium to give students a chance to troubleshoot their Robo-crafts before their presentations. We also find fun ways to applaud students and always congratulate them on specific strengths of their work!
At the Thinkabit Lab, we like to go over student expectations during presentation time. All students should be focused on the group presenting, not talking or working on their own project. Ensure that students are being respectful and that all groups get a chance to share their creations.
Alternative ways for students to present include:
- A gallery walk, allowing students to observe others’ projects at their own pace, take videos, and talk with their creators. You can even give the option of leaving comments on Post- it’s to get student feedback.
- A mix between a gallery walk and front of room presentations, you can walk as a class from table to table and interview the students on the spot to hear from them what it is they’ve made.
- A science fair-type showcase for students to share their creations with other students in the school and/or their families.