This week @ryan_library we made artbots (robots that make art) during our makerspace lunches.  On Monday, I shared how to make scribblebots. On Tuesday, I challenged kids to make artbots with littleBits, and on Wednesday, we programmed our art with Sphero!

Sphero Art!

Some students started a timelapse video of our scribblebots on Monday, so I made a few more when we started making art with Sphero. I’ve edited a lot out, but you can enjoy watching our robots draw. One of the best things was watching students lurk, eat lunch, then get up and participate and make a simple walking robot!

Even though they are high schoolers, they were most amazed by the scribblebots the one bot I thought might be too juvenile to teach them. They loved adding markers, adding motors, and creating DIY switches.

I’d assumed that my students loved Sphero so much, that they would be the most excited to dip Sphero in paint. However, my Sphero painters were all new kids to this awesome programmable bot. In fact, the first batch of Sphero painters were all girls, so I made them all sign up for my girl’s STEM and robotics club: The Circuit Girls. (More on these awesome ladies soon!)

Some of these projects will be in my McGraw Hill book co-authored by my #superlibrarianhubs , Aaron Graves!  You’ve got some time to wait, but it’s gonna be a pretty rad resource.  Although I’m biased so meanwhile…. watch some more cool videos of things my students made!

Girls programming Sphero to make art!

Wireless transmitter littleBits art bots!

I liked this girl’s thinking. She didn’t want her drawing bot to scribble, she wanted a straight line, so she weighted the marker with a battery. She found just the right amount of weight!

More Scribblebot Mania!