Friday, May 27, 2011

Lego Mindstorms NXT Repair Tips - Screen Shows Lines

Here is a common problem with the Lego Mindstorms NXT - lines flying around the screen. All is not lost - here is the solution:

http://forums.nxtasy.org/index.php?showtopic=2713


Lego Mindstorms NXT Repair Tips - Screen Doesn't Work

I've been teaching robotics with the Lego Mindstorms NXT system for several years now. I have core of four NXT units I use with up to eight student and I have two other NXTs in need of repair. The NXTs are tough but they are not tough enough to be dropped several times. One of my NXT works but the screen doesn't light up. I found this repair procedure that I'm going to try to revive it.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Article on Scratch

When I was in high school back in the early 80s personal computers were just becoming available to the average person. The school still managed report cards using punch out cards feed into a huge mainframe. The only programming we were exposed to was BASIC on Apple II computers. Today's kids can learn programming as soon as first grade depending on their natural ability using a simple, easy to use programming "language" called Scratch....

http://hubpages.com/hub/Kids-Learn-to-Program-with-free-Scratch-software-from-MIT

Friday, May 6, 2011

Teach the Controversy


“Teach the Controversy” t-shirts

Mindstorms NXT Pole Climber

I gave Caffrey a challenge to build a robot that could climb one of the classroom poles...



This is at my Mars Exploration class at the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH. We have a great space to work with, eight computers plus a teachers computer with digital projection. High speed internet. Plenty of room to spread out and build Lego machines, robots, rovers. Currently I am running a class on robotics and a class on Scratch programming. I'll have two sold out summer camps this summer. Planning out my fall offerings.