Category Archives: Teaching

New Kits

Posted on August 25, 2016 by JohnHeffernan

New kits for school LEGO EV3 and LEGO WeDo 2.  It’s going to be a fun year!  

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Review of My Book

Posted on June 14, 2016 by JohnHeffernan

Nice review of my book I just noticed on Amazon.  Thanks, Ann Wyman.  Glad you liked it. I recently read the book “Elementary Robotics” by John Heffernan and I recommend it to any teacher interested in starting a LEGO Robotics … Continue reading →

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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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Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching

Posted on June 12, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

From the MA State House yesterday. Here I am standing next to Commissioner of Education Mitchell Chester receiving a plaque for being one of three elementary science teacher finalists in the state for a Presidential Award for Excellence in Math … 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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WeDo Getting Started for First Grade

Posted on May 20, 2015 by JohnHeffernan

I have been using the LEGO Education supplied getting started activities for many years with my first grade students.  We do them together usually in circle.  Week one is the motor, week 2 most of the gears, and week 3 … Continue reading →

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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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