Educational
Technology is using technology to educate. The
subject could be maths, history, geography, etc.
Technology education is learning about the technology.
It includes robotics, design, programming etc.
Roamer Vs Lego
Although there
are overlaps, generally, Roamer is an educational
technology tool and Lego Mindstorms projects focus
on technology education.
Students build
Lego robots. Challenges usually concentrate on creating
and programming a robot for a purpose. Often this
offers the opportunity for engaging in studying
topics other than technology, but the primary focus
is understanding the technology involved in the
robot construction.
You “configure”
Roamers for an activity that targets learning objectives
in a variety of subjects. The educational value
lies in the interaction between student and robot.
In activities like the Solar System, the only technical
thing the students do is press the GO button to
start an activity. The rest of the activity is them
reacting to the robots actions.
Obviously Roamer
can focus on learning about technology. The Standard
Roamers involve programming based on Logo and this
can pose a number of technical challenges. A robotic
curriculum for older students is under development.
