Sixth Blog Technology Tool Sphero Bolt
Sphero Creates BOLT of Excitement | Tech Review
https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/sphero-creates-bolt-of-excitement-tech-review
Transcript
Teachers, educators, principals, guidance counselor, whomever you may be. This is your friendly librarian, Ms. Angelia Jackson, and I am here today to help you. See the importance of using. The Sphero bolt in your classroom. It's a hands-on STEM learning that is engaging from kindergarten through fifth grade. Why use it? Why is a sparrow boat so important? The overview for this is that the Sphero Bot is a programmable robotic ball. Designed to introduce scholars to problem solving. 21st Century Playful, interactive ways of learning and coding. It has the sensors. The app-based coding for drawing blocks, and JavaScript. And also has LED metrics. The Grows with the scholars. It grows with them so they can use it even after they leave the elementary school level. It's creative, collaborative, and it even helps them look at things from a different perspective. Here you will see the educational growth strategies. How to use the sparrow boat. Kindergarten through first grade, they can play, explore, and discover. Second through third grade, they could collaborate, design, and code. 4th through 5th grade, innovate, analyze, and… be the engineering… engineer that they are. For K-4 through 1st grade. They can draw here. The scholars can use the boat to draw lines in the Sparrow Education app. And this will introduce them to sequencing, direction, and cause and effect. They can also use story-based learning. You educators can create. Um, imaginative lessons where the bulk can be a character. And they could say something like, help Boat find his way home. Isn't it… wouldn't that be fun? Also, you have the center expiration to where there are simple activities that the bulk can do to where it can go left, right, forward, backwards, and even help the scholars with counting. Second through third grade is where the bulk can be programmed for block coding, the way the scholars can. Visually have a base. Block code that where it can light up, it can move, and it can respond to their commands. It also has the steam. The STEM challenged where they can build a maze. And the boat can do bowling, and it can also spark. Uh, group activities and group problem-solving skills. And also have the math component to it, to where it can measure distance. Practice angles, and it's also can reinforce multiplication and division. For the students as they bought moves around. 4th through 5th grade. It can be used here on the advanced level for our GT students, to where we can have the cross-curricular projects. For, like, combining in ELA for storytelling and persuasive writing. Science for variables and experiments. And social studies for map-based navigation. What about the data and sensor? We can use the lights here that's already embedded inside of it for them to. Um, use the accelerometer to explore motion, energy, and design experiment. And a JavaScript, it will help introduce them to where the. Scholars will be able to modify the text code beyond the block program. And interlock. Enter the point to where the students are… doing real-world coding. So let's go and let's just watch this video to see exactly what it would do. I hope you enjoy! It's time for school. That was awesome. Where… you see where the teacher even got involved, the way he had his own. Instead of bots in order to get everyone in the classroom engaged. Because only, like, 3 or 4 people had one, but now everyone can interact. Wouldn't want to be involved with something like this to the entire class could be. Don't have to worry about it getting wet, because it is waterproof. You guys saw that? This is excellent. Why the Sphero bolt works? Why does it work? It works because… It differentiates for all learners. It's aligned with the international, um, standards for technology. It supports. The teamwork and exploration. Of our scholars, and it encourages. Inclusion-based learning and play-based. Here, you will see where I have some, um… resources here for you teachers. Um, to where you can go to this, uh, library right here, and you will be able to find lessons already created for you. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. We also have a classroom management tool here to where you can go and create an account, and you could allow your scholars to go on at different times, maybe when you have extra time in the classroom to where they can. Play games on, you know, work on a lesson that you, um, gave them previously, or even start a brand new one. This is an awesome opportunity, teachers. Why wouldn't you want to be a part? So to summarize here. The Sphero Bolt! Takes coding into an adventure where the classroom becomes a lab. It becomes a lab. For discovery. Whether you're teaching primary scholars. How to think critically, or prepping elementary graders for the future. The bolt! Makes every lesson exciting. Active and unforgettable. Will you come join me? Teachers, if you are interested in this, please come and stop by the library, give me a call, so we can ensure that your classroom is equipped and ready for today's world. Thank you.
Reference(s):
Sphero (2018). This is Sphero BOLT. Retrieved July 26, 2025 from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZluyTRFn3OY
Sphero (2025). Sphero Edu Activities Library. https://edu.sphero.com/edurobots/collections
Sphero (2025). Sphero Classroom Management Tools. https://sphero.com/pages/manage-students-edu-app https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZluyTRFn3OY
Zoom (2025). Documents\Zoom\2025-07-26 06.47.44 Angelia Jackson's Zoom Meeting
The Sphero Bolt sounds so interesting! It is so cool to see how far technology has come just in the last few years that I have been out of school! I appreciate how you take the time to explain how it is an applicable resource within a variety of subjects. This is an important aspect to highlight, especially if it is a pricy sort of tool that the school would have to purchase.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved the enthusiasm you conveyed in your video—it’s contagious! It would be hard for any teacher or student to watch you and not get curious about what has you so excited. After checking out the website, I saw some fantastic activities that really showcase the potential of the Sphero BOLT. Since this week's lesson focused on makerspaces, I explored how the BOLT might fit into that environment. I was impressed to see students using coding skills to create art with the BOLT or building robot-powered cars to race—both incredibly engaging and creative applications that would thrive in a makerspace. I mean, what kid wouldn’t be excited to build and race their own robot-powered car?
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated that the BOLT is available in classroom sets, making it easier to include more students. Of course, the $3,000 price tag could be a hurdle, especially for schools in under-resourced areas. Thankfully, there are grant opportunities available to help make this kind of hands-on learning more accessible. One great option is Project Lead the Way (https://www.pltw.org/stem-grants), which offers funding for K–12 STEM initiatives. I appreciate your sharing this resource, as it could be a fun inclusion in our STEAM week projects.