Category Archives: Technology

LEGO WeDo – Using a Motor and Two Sensors

Posted on December 2, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

Can students use a motor and two separate sensors with WeDo?  If you hook up the motion and tilt sensors to the USB hub and put a sensor  on top of the motor, it does not really work.  You get continuous … Continue reading →

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Creativity and Elementary Engineering

Posted on September 6, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

In the theoretical framework of a new book called Engaging Young Engineers:  Teaching Problem Solving Skills Through STEM (Stone-Macdonald, Wendell, Douglass, Love, & Hyson, 2015), the authors posit that there are 5 kinds of thinking developed by teaching problem solving via STEM for early … Continue reading →

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Guest Blogger Marissa Zych on CS Non-Profits

Posted on August 13, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

Nonprofits have the opportunity to see a problem and analyze it, come up with a creative solution, and expand upon what educators are teaching. Utilizing the base that the education system constructs, nonprofits allow for continued education and provide advancements … Continue reading →

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Introduction to JavaScript Lesson

Posted on May 27, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

 What is JavaScript and why is it useful? Static versus dynamic HTML Static – always the same Dynamic – can change depending on user actions and input, create games JS runs in the browser – is interpreted Full programming language … Continue reading →

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EV3 iPad App

Posted on April 9, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

LEGO Education has released a free iPad app for EV3. I was fortunate to be able to do some curriculum consulting work on this project. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lego-education-mindstorms/id959374369?mt=8  

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Review of Elementary Robotics

Posted on April 7, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

My book got a nice review on LegoEngineering.com http://www.legoengineering.com/elementary-robotics-book-review/

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The Power of Wireless Projector Connection

Posted on March 27, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

This is a real incident from a  study I just completed that compared teacher use of technology with and without wireless projection systems.  I found that these systems changed the spatial arrangements in the classroom as well as the reach … Continue reading →

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Space Challenge Ready To Go

Posted on January 9, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

My enrichment students have finished building all the LEGO EV3 Space Challenge pieces and are ready to take on the challenge missions!

Posted in Robotics, Teaching, Technology | 3 Comments

Timeline

Posted on July 2, 2014 by JohnHeffernan

I want to plot kid’s engineering design process cycles but don’t know how to get EXCEL to combine events of the same type on the same line.  For the example below, I want the 2 PLAN events to be on … Continue reading →

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Elementary Robotics Book Talk – June 19, 2014 – Meekins Library, Williamsburg

Posted on May 22, 2014 by JohnHeffernan

Author’s Talk John Heffernan Elementary Robotics: Sustaining the Natural Engineering Instincts of Children Thursday, June 19, 2014 7 PM to 8 PM 2 Williams Street, Williamsburg, MA 01341 413-268-7472 Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners are natural engineers. They love sand castles, … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Development, Research, Robotics, Teaching, Technology | 2 Comments