Presented by: Ana Canizares, Ian Roller, & Zhuoqun Zhang
This is a workshop (45 min): This practical workshop uses participants’ imagination and sphero Indi cars to explore and apply fundamental computational thinking principles without a computer. Through a hands-on game, participants will solve progressively challenging puzzles to guide their Mars rover to safety. These activities foster spatial reasoning, computational thinking, and mathematical skills in students.
Designed for up to 30 adult participants, the workshop targets primary school teachers. While the workshop incorporates Indi robots and color mats for unplugged programming, the activities can be easily adapted for classrooms without technology, offering teachers practical tools, insights, and skills to integrate into their teaching practice, regardless of available resources.
Presenter Biography:
Ana Cañizares is a STEM educator and researcher at Technological University Dublin, spearheading the Try Five + project and junior cycle workshops to promote practical STEM learning among DEIS students. Ana’s career highlights include leading a live amateur radio contact between her students and astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli on the ISS.
Zhuoqun Zhang is the current Try Five + coordinator and delivery lead. With a background in primary education and curriculum development, she’s passionate about STEM education and project-based learning.