NZC Progress Outcomes

Bee-Bot (and Blue-Bot) activities can meet the NZ Curriculum Progress Outcomes for CT in a number of ways. The specific ways in which you use bits will depend on the specific progress outcomes you are targeting and the needs of your students. Here are a few examples:

CT Progress Outcome 1

1. Break down (decomposition) a familiar process into a set of precise and unambiguous instructions.
Bee-Bot activities can be designed to help children decompose familiar processes into a set of precise and unambiguous instructions. For example, children could be asked to decompose the process of making a sandwich into a set of instructions for Bee-Bot to follow.

2. Create precise, unambiguous, step-by-step process (algorithmic thinking).
Once children have decomposed a process into a set of instructions, they can use Bee-Bot to create a precise, unambiguous, step-by-step process. This involves programming Bee-Bot with the correct sequence of commands to complete the process.

3. Test process
Once Bee-Bot has been programmed, children can test the process by running Bee-Bot through the program. This will help children to identify any errors in their instructions.

4. Identify mistakes and fix the process (debugging).
If Bee-Bot behaves in an unexpected way, children can identify the error in their instructions and fix it. This process of debugging is an important part of computational thinking.

5. Use a code to represent these instructions in a process.
Bee-Bot programs can be represented using a simple code. For example, children could use a code where each directional button on Bee-Bot is represented by a different letter. This code can then be used to write down the instructions for Bee-Bot to follow.

CT Progress Outcome 2

1. Progress Outcome 1: Break down a problem (decomposition) and create a coded process to solve it (output).
Bee-Bot activities can be designed to help children break down problems into smaller steps and to create a sequence of commands to solve them. For example, a child could be asked to program a Bee-Bot to navigate a maze or to collect a certain number of objects. To do this, the child would need to think about the different steps that the Bee-Bot needs to take and to put those steps in order.

2. Progress Outcome 2: Give, follow, and fix (debug) step-by-step coded processes (algorithms).
Bee-Bot activities can also be used to help children learn about algorithms. Children can be asked to give instructions to a partner on how to program a Bee-Bot to perform a certain task. They can also be asked to follow instructions from a partner or from a teacher. Additionally, children can be asked to debug Bee-Bot programs that are not working correctly. This helps children to understand what algorithms are and how to use them to solve problems.

3. Progress Outcome 3: Recognise step-by-step processes must be in a specific order (sequencing).
Bee-Bot activities can also help children to learn about sequencing. In order for a Bee-Bot to complete a task, its commands need to be in a specific order. If the commands are not in the correct order, the Bee-Bot will not be able to complete the task. This helps children to understand the importance of sequencing in programming.

CT Progress Outcome 3

1. Break down a problem and create a process to solve it (algorithms with outputs).
Bee-Bot activities can be designed to help children break down problems into smaller steps and to create a process to solve them. For example, children could be asked to program a Bee-Bot to move from one point to another on a mat, or to collect a series of objects. To do this, children need to think about the steps that the Bee-Bot needs to take and the order in which it needs to take them.

2. Use logical thinking to predict what the process will do.
Once children have programmed a Bee-Bot, they can use logical thinking to predict what the Bee-Bot will do when it is run. This helps children to understand the relationship between the program that they have written and the Bee-Bot's behavior.

3. Understand that there can be more than one process to solve the same problem.
There are often multiple ways to solve a Bee-Bot activity. For example, there are multiple ways to program a Bee-Bot to move from one point to another on a mat. This helps children to understand that there can be multiple solutions to a problem.

4. Look for patterns in the process where looping (iteration) can be applied.
Some Bee-Bot activities can be solved more efficiently by using loops. For example, if a child wants to program a Bee-Bot to move around a square mat, they could write a loop that repeats the commands "move forward" and "turn right" four times. This helps children to understand the concept of loops and how they can be used to simplify programs.

5. Coded processes to include information given (inputs), an end result (outputs), sequence (in order), and iteration (using a loop to repeat part of the algorithm).
Bee-Bot programs can be written to include all of the elements of a coded process, such as inputs, outputs, sequence, and iteration. For example, a child could write a program to input a number and then output the product of that number multiplied by itself. This program would use a sequence of commands to multiply the number by itself and then output the result.

6. Understand binary digits.
Bee-Bots can be used to teach children about binary digits. For example, children could be shown how to represent numbers in binary using a Bee-Bot. They could also be shown how to write Bee-Bot programs to perform simple arithmetic operations on binary numbers.