Recently educators were saddened with the news that some applications used with Sphero are no longer free.  This happens often within the realm of educational technology.  There is a lot of merit in these programs and I personally have no problem with organizations selling their services.  This post was created for those who can not afford such applications.

The good news is that there are other options available which will be discussed within this blog.  The aim here is to ensure these devices are still utilized in schools in hopes of creating additional skill sets while extending their understanding of major concepts.

Let me begin by saying there are multiple applications you can utilize but I am going to touch on only three for today.

1) Sphero Edu (aka Lightning Lab)

2) Coding with Chrome

3) Swift Playgrounds

Let’s being with Sphero Edu (previously Lightning Lab).  This is honestly my preferred choice.  I have included a video explaining the merits of the program so I will keep it brief.  The benefits include:

• Can program with a Chromebook (no iPads required)
• Online community with built in lessons and tutorial videos
• Can function as online classroom similar to Google & Microsoft Classroom
• Sophistication of program allows for deeper rooted pedagogical applications
• Ease of use and ability to connect to devices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please see the video below for how to use this application:

My friend and colleague Carlo Fusco spoke about the merits of “Coding with Chrome” at a local Google Summit.  With this application you are again able to program via a Chromebook and I love that you can save you code within your Google Drive account and edit again later on.  There is also a neat little “test” feature where you can view what function your Sphero is going to perform prior to actually using it.  The nice feature of this application is that it extends far beyond Sphero and you can use additional devices or extend your level of coding knowledge through the vast activities within.

Lastly, I will speak to the merits of Swift Playgrounds.  David Carruthers, a friend and colleague suggested this recently to several individuals who were looking for additional applications to use with Sphero.  Swift Playgrounds is a great choice for users as you can utilize multiple third party applications along with learning to code simultaneously.  If your school/venue has iPad’s this is a great option although this is not the case for everyone.  If you don’t have access to iPad’s simply use one of the first two choices but if you are fortunate to have them available this can really help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope these options make your journey slightly easier and should you have additional questions or comments as always feel free to reach out.

Thank you!