NXTLOG Contest Asks Students to Build Lego Adventure Bots -- THE Journal

21st-Century Skills

NXTLOG Contest Asks Students to Build Lego Adventure Bots

By Margo Pierce
03/05/13

Legos have found yet another life, thanks to the power of the cloud. NXTLOG is an online community that encourages Lego users to share how-to instructions for building unique robots. To do so, users have to employ 21st century skills such as posting digital photos and videos, writing blog posts, and following the safety and etiquette rules of an online community.

To put these skills to the test, the site is holding a contest called Build Your Own Adventure Bot. The site asks, “Have you ever wondered, if your robot wanted to go on an adventure, what it would it be? What obstacles would it encounter? What discoveries would it make along its way? We want NXTLOGgers to build a NXT robot and build its adventure! Design a robot AND the environment that it interacts with! Get working on a Build Your Own Adventure Bot! What will you make?”

There’s always the argument that businesses exploit kids with such product-related activities—and the counterargument that getting kids engaged is the critical first step to any kind of learning. This combination of a popular activity (building), with a popular toy as a way to teach some important cloud computing lessons, and squeezing in a little science (making the robot function) can be the makings of a popular and effective lesson.

Entries must be submitted online by March 31, 2013.

About the Author

Margo Pierce is a Cincinnati-based freelance writer.

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