1. Constructionism: Teaching Math Skills Through Robotics By Danica Bullis

2. Why Robotics? It’s Constructionist by Nature! It is through a process of self-directed learning, expressing ideas and testing them out, that learners construct meaning. Students participating in robotics are involved in hands on, engaging, meaningful projects where learning is discovered through the process of exploration and creation.

3. Robotics Builds Math Skills Using a constructionist approach to teach math skills through a robotics class enables students to strengthen their math skills in several ways including: math based robotic inspired formulas; applied skills in measurement; estimation; number sense; spatial awareness; angle measurement and time sequence.

4. Motivation Leads to Learning ROBOTS ARE COOL! students involved in robotics programs see robots as toys. A widely used Robotics Kit is supplied by LEGO: Children using this kit can build and program robots out of the same materials they have in their toy chests at home. This makes the math they learn with the kits seem entertaining as well.

5. Motivation to strengthen Math Skills Students in a constructionist based robotics class apply real world math skills to a project in which they have a vested interest. Students can customize their robots and program software that enables the robots to perform in a personalized manor. This motivates students to continue to learn math, understand its authentic purpose and meet students’ various learning styles.

6. Robotics Competitions *Robotic competitions foster the fun in learning science, technology and math through interactive, hands on learning. When students experience math in an exciting way, it naturally leads them to continue their development. *Many robotics competitions involve industry volunteers and create excitement toward careers in Science Technology Engineering and Math

7. Constructionist Nature of Robotics = Strengthened Math Skills The success of robotics class in strengthening math skills is due to the fact that it veers away from traditional direct instruction teaching strategies and opens students up to the world of open-endedness, where the means to the solution is put entirely in the students’ hands. Students learn and perfect math skills in a fun and meaningful way though their own trial, error and creativity.