Welcome to Blog Post #6 where I will discuss LEGO Mindstorm and All Things LEGO/STEAM/Coding
LEGO Mindstorm
My seven-year-old son is very interested in LEGOS, so this technology hardware immediately caught my eye when I saw it listed on Mx. Dreeszen Bowman's list of tech options. My son has been creating LEGO sets for years, but we have never thought about incorporating technology and coding with LEGOs. This takes LEGO building to a new extreme!
LEGO Mindstorms are programmable toys with many functions. This technology is geared towards children ages 6-9, as well as young adults. Children will learn the basics of coding languages as they work to put together the robots, program them to dance, fight and even play sports. Once you download the Scratch-based LEGO MINDSTORMS app, you will be able to interact with the toys, to create models of your own and share them online on LEGO Life. This is a great way for LEGO lovers to get a better idea of how technology and coding work together.
Here's what you can find inside the sets:
- Hub and Battery: Rechargeable Hub that comes with LED display, speaker, and 6 input/output ports
- Distance Sensor: It's LED eyes and ultrasound can detect objects at an accuracy of +/1cm
- Motors: Sleek enough to fit in the smallest robot, powerful enough to move the biggest
- Color Sensor: Robots can now distinguish between 8 colors and different shades of background light
Please watch my video here highlighting LEGO Mindstorm and other LEGO Coding Sets: https://app.vidcast.io/share/embed/4b0f3a13-f9b3-44a7-9c21-46e0e47589b3
How Lego is Creating the Next Generation of Engineers: This article in the Smithsonian Magazine highlights the ways that LEGOS can make children excited about the concept of engineering.
Coding Activities for Kids: Check out these free and fun challenges to test out the capabilities of LEGO Mindstorms.
Many teacher Resources can be found here for LEGO products.
LEGO Mindstorm Robots can even be bought on Amazon
LEGO Mindstorm Customer Service Help can be found here
The Downside
Unfortunately, nearing the end of my research on this product, I did find that many of the LEGO Mindstorm sets have been discontinued, or will be by the end of 2024. Although I did find a few videos on YouTube stating that these products would be discontinued, nowhere on the LEGO website does it say that the products are no longer being used; however, I did notice that many are "Retired." Amazon still has these sets in stock.
This blog post highlights why these sets may be discontinued, with price weighing in as a major factor. I was happy to find out that it does seem as if LEGO believes in building and coding, and will continue to create engaging sets for children.
Something to Look Forward to
After learning that LEGO Mindstorm sets will soon all be discontinued, I went on the search for additional LEGO-made products for coding. LEGO has created LEGO robot sets. LEGO Education SPIKE Essential STEAM curriculum units for elementary are designed around playful narrative-based problem-solving with creative themes. Check out this engaging ferris wheel-themed lesson plan. Be sure and visit lego.com for more great coding ideas!
References
Huw. (October 26, 2022). LEGO Mindstorms to be discontinued. Brickset. https://brickset.com/article/84219/lego-mindstorms-to-be-discontinued
Lidz, F. (May 2013). How lego is constructing the next generation of engineers. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-lego-is-constructing-the-next-generation-of-engineers-37671528/#:~:text=With%20bricks%2C%20action%20and%20hues,loading%20constraints%2C%20building%20to%20scale
The LEGO Group. 2024. https://www.lego.com/en-us
These look like they would be so much fun to integrate into a maker space. Would you offer Lego Mindstorm as a club or would you take specific lessons in class to teach students how to use them? I would imagine that with students having to learn coding languages that it could get in depth. Does it offer different levels of differentiation in coding languages?
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, I think that you could introduce them with a lesson and then make a club for those interested. I agree that it could go in depth! Working with smaller groups at a time, may be more beneficial.
DeleteEmily,
ReplyDeleteI love LEGO’s so your post caught my attention. I have never heard of LEGO Mindstorms but they sounds interesting and something that my students would enjoy. This program seems like the perfect fit for students that are interested in LEGO’s in the modern form, electronically. Technology has really come along way and it has brought a different meaning to the LEGO’s that I am use to which are usually strowed all over the library when students finish with them. Using them electronically means no more missing parts to try and find. Thanks for your post!
Theresa G
I agree! We have LEGO parts all over our house!!
DeleteLEGO Mindstorm also appealed to me because of my kids' love of LEGOs. I looked into it but as you, read that it was discontinued. With how popular the name LEGO is, I was surprised to just find out about this item from the list as I would have expected more conversation around it. There are several "robot" type "LEGO" type items on the market but I wonder how many of them include the coding component versus pre-programmed pieces. I also wonder if the competition might have some impact on the discontinuation of this product. The blog that you linked stressed LEGO's focus moving forward on this type of product for educational purposes rather than for everyday consumers. With the increase of LEGO sets (non-robotic) in schools, this type of product will probably be well received.
ReplyDeleteYou make some important points and I agree, competition and price I think have some to do with the discontinuation. They were very pricy and I think there are other coding tools on the market for much less.
DeleteI also had no idea that Lego made anything like this. This looks like a great way to get students into coding. Thank you for including the information that these sets are or will soon be discontinued and for doing additional research to include similar technology from Lego. I look forward to looking more into these sets and the current products.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I chose to read your blog because I recently stumbled across one of these educational sets at Recraft (a local nonprofit craft store near me that accepts donations). I was wondering what this was when I saw it, but I had no idea that there was an app and educational resources available to go with it. I loved your video because you did such a great job explaining this tool. It is unique and definitely something that I have not heard of before. Thanks for sharing,
ReplyDeleteCora.
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteThese Lego sets are great thanks for sharing about them! I have never used these but I played with Legos a lot with my stepbrothers. This would have been a huge hit in my household growing up so I can see how kids would love these now. It is a shame they are discontinued, there are so many possibilities with these sets as technology gets better.