Part 1: – 9th February 2024 (face to face at SSERC)

Part 2: – 18th March 2024 (MS Teams – afternoon online session)

Closing Date: 12th January 2024

‘VEX 123 is specifically designed to help anyone bring Computing Science to life for their students, no matter what experience they have with robotics. Whether using VEX 123 in a learning center, as part of a math lesson, in a STEM class, or in an after-school club, there are materials that make it easy for you to get started teaching with VEX 123 in any setting.’

VEX 123 is the latest in the VEX Robotics line up, providing ways to engage pupils in Computing Science from the Early stages onwards. This resource can be used in 3 distinct ways to offer levels of differentiation:

‘The three methods of coding with VEX 123 – Touch buttons, the Coder and Coder cards, and VEXcode 123 – not only raise the ceiling of the kinds of coding that can be done with the 123 Robot, they also provide educators with great flexibility in how they teach with VEX 123.’

Through the face to face and live remote session in this course, we will introduce VEX 123 as a tool to engage with STEM and Computing Science in your classrooms.

We will provide an overview of all the VEX 123 kit, how to use the different components and introduce the online infrastructures, such as STEM Labs, created by VEX to support the use of 123 in your setting.

We will explore the 3 different ways to code throughout this professional learning, starting with the touch buttons, then the coder and finally the VEXcode 123 app, and gain a knowledge of where these can be used with learners from Early Years onwards.

As part of the course, delegates will receive their own Vex 123 kit and 123 field to use and keep thereafter, as well as access to additional kits through the SSERC Digital Lending library.

Audience

For Educators working in and around Early and First level CfE.

Rationale

This exciting professional learning practical course provides the opportunity for you to try out engaging STEM activities, inclusive of Computing Science elements, and to consider how they can be transferred to your own setting.

Course Leader

Kevin Reid

Kevin.Reid@sserc.scot

Location

Face to face full day session at SSERC – Friday 9th February 2024

Live remote session on MS Teams – afternoon of Monday 18th March 2024

There will also be a Gap Task to complete via MS Teams.

Each successful applicant will receive an invite to a SSERC Ltd guest teams account.

Cost

The course fees are subsidised by ENTHUSE funding from STEM Learning. This fee covers the PL and the VEX 123 resources provided for you to keep as part of the course. SSERC will support you to complete the application process.   

Your setting pays for the course in advance, and once the course activities and evaluations are completed, you will be eligible for an ENTHUSE subsidy.  This subsidy is normally paid by STEM Learning 8 weeks after the course has been completed. 

Course cost: £320 

ENTHUSE subsidy:  £320

Core outcomes covered:

Organiser – Designing, building and testing computing solutions

I can develop a sequence of instructions and run them using programmable devices or equivalent. – TCH 0-15a

I can demonstrate a range of basic problem solving skills by building simple programs to carry out a given task, using an appropriate language. TCH 1-15a

Other Experiences and Outcomes will be covered through the course and these will be referenced when appropriate.

Aim and objectives 

On completion of this training, you should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of the VEX 123 resource and the online infrastructures to support
  • Use the VexCode 123 coder and the app to program the resource 
  • Embed the use of the Vex 123 resources online, such as the STEM Labs and activities, to support and enhance learner outcomes