Edutopia - August/September 2008 - (Page 18) HeadofClassJGear BRAIN-IAC The heart, soul, and mind of the matter in Mindstorms bots is the NXT software package, with multiple ports for the motors and sensors that give the machines the capability to react to the world around them. ALPHA REX This creature with the chest-thumping name has earned the ultimate robot title: “Humanoid.” With a torso that consists of the NXT software “brick,” complete with a visible heartbeat and an array of sensors, Rex can see, hear, feel, and walk. Or, in the case of the education version, roll on wheels. Depending on audio input, it can also talk, though riveting conversation isn’t yet an option. Mindstorms NXT Robots No disrespect to the hours of pleasure and learning offered to many generations by Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, and Lionel trains, but Lego Mindstorms NXT robots may be the best bond between teachers (or parents) and students to come along since Horace Mann was a boy. Robots are increasingly important in modern life, and increasingly fascinating to the kids whose play today will shape the world tomorrow. (See “Rise of the Robots,” page 46, and “Bots vs Lego ROBO-ARM T-56 A real grabber, literally, the T-56, with three motors and light and touch sensors, can lift, pivot, and pick up objects with its claws. It can also tell the difference between a red ball and a blue ball; it will hold the color it’s programmed to prefer, and drop the other. This, presumably, can make it a Republican or a Democratic robot. 18 EDUTOPIA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2008 COURTESY OF LEGO Bods,” page 20.) With motors, sensors, and mechanical parts supplied by Lego, students can construct robots of various kinds, from the simple to the android-esque, and study science, technology, engineering, and math in a painless, project-based way. The cost for the Alpha Rex education kit is $260, and no feeding other than the occasional recharge is needed. Unless programmed to do so by their makers, the Lego bots will never say, “I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” —Owen Edwards
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Edutopia - August/September 2008 Edutopia Contents Up Front Feedback Dispatches Sage Advice Ask Ellen Head of Class Cool Schools Design: Building on Disaster What's Next Full-Service Schools In the Trenches Moral Aptitude Serious Gaming Behaveyourself.com Media Is the Message The Way of the Wiki A Match Made in Cyberspace Hail to the New Chief Rise of the Robots Disrupting Class As Others See Us Heart & Soul Pop Quiz: Moby Edutopia - August/September 2008 Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Edutopia (Page Cover1) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Edutopia (Page Cover2) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Contents (Page 1) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Contents (Page 2) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Up Front (Page 5) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Up Front (Page 6) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Feedback (Page 7) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Feedback (Page 8) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Feedback (Page 9) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Dispatches (Page 10) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Dispatches (Page 11) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Sage Advice (Page 12) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Sage Advice (Page 13) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Ask Ellen (Page 14) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Ask Ellen (Page 15) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Ask Ellen (Page 16) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 17) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 18) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page bindin1) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page bindin2) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 19) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 20) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 21) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 22) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Head of Class (Page 23) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Cool Schools (Page 24) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Cool Schools (Page 25) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Cool Schools (Page 26) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Cool Schools (Page 27) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Design: Building on Disaster (Page 28) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Design: Building on Disaster (Page 29) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Design: Building on Disaster (Page 30) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Design: Building on Disaster (Page 31) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - What's Next (Page 32) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - What's Next (Page 33) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Full-Service Schools (Page 34) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - In the Trenches (Page 35) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Moral Aptitude (Page 36) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Serious Gaming (Page 37) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Behaveyourself.com (Page 38) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Behaveyourself.com (Page 39) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Media Is the Message (Page 40) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Media Is the Message (Page 41) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - The Way of the Wiki (Page 42) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - The Way of the Wiki (Page 43) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - A Match Made in Cyberspace (Page 44) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Hail to the New Chief (Page 45) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Rise of the Robots (Page 46) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Rise of the Robots (Page 47) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Disrupting Class (Page 48) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Disrupting Class (Page 49) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Disrupting Class (Page 50) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Disrupting Class (Page 51) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - As Others See Us (Page 52) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - As Others See Us (Page 53) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - As Others See Us (Page 54) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - As Others See Us (Page 55) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Heart & Soul (Page 56) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Heart & Soul (Page 57) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Heart & Soul (Page 58) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Heart & Soul (Page 59) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Pop Quiz: Moby (Page 60) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Pop Quiz: Moby (Page Cover3) Edutopia - August/September 2008 - Pop Quiz: Moby (Page Cover4)
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