Coding and Robotics for young Children

AATLC and ISU-TWT Collaboration

Technology education for young learners often faces the challenge of combining theory with practical, inclusive experiences. Before the fall of 2025, the President of Althea Augustine Technology Learning Center, Inc. (AATLC) accepted an invitation to partner with the Toying with Technology (TwT) team at Iowa State University (ISU). This partnership aimed to redesign the TwT course in order to provide pre-service teachers a more critically grounded teacher education course and connections to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive informal learning environment for school age children.

A Unique Collaboration for Teacher and Student Growth

The ISU-TwT team, led by Dr. E.J. Bahng, includes teacher assistants, pre-service teachers enrolled in the TwT course, and the ISU Reiman Gardens Education Department. Their goal was to redesign the course to provide pre-service teachers with a more meaningful and critically grounded experience. This meant not only learning about technology but also understanding how to teach it in ways that respect diversity and inclusion.

AATLC’s role was to offer an informal learning environment with children from Lincoln Heights, Ohio. The collaboration allowed TwT preservice teachers to provide the research around the theme of the year, block coding and robotics, along with lessons plans for a general age or grade level while AATLC made appropriate adjustments for their children and implemented the lessons into the flow of their curriculum.  Below are posts depicting the teaching of block coding and robotics in AATLC. These workshops were implemented as an afterschool program for the AATLC children.

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Introduction to Coding! January 22, 2026

In this workshop, children:

• Were introduced to Coding and Block Coding

• Read "How to Explain Coding to a Grown-up"

• Used the book “My First Coding Book”

• Learned the “Osmo Coding Awbie” iPad game app

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Computer Programmer in Training! February 12, 2026

In this workshop, students:

• Wore handmade visors “Computer Programmer In Training”

• Had an introduction to Coding and Block Coding

• Reviewed “How to “Explain Coding to a Grown Up” 

• Used the book “My First Coding Book”

• Played with the “Osmo Coding Awbie” iPad game app

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Grids and Obstacles - moving Awbie along the path! February 19, 2026

In this workshop, the children:

• Continued working on “Osmo Coding Awbie” iPad game app

• Worked on teacher-made grids to get over obstacles, capture rewards and/or move Awbie along the path

• Took home grids and teacher-made ‘Awbie’ key ring 3D-printed and painted

• Took home teacher-made ‘Computer Dictionary’ made from “My First Coding Book”

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Making Plans and choosing a Plan! February 26, 2026

In this workshop, the children:

• Used the interactive flip book, My First Coding Book

• Learned the importance of decision making in computational thinking

• Learned how to make a plan and the importance of choosing a plan

• Continued exploring Osmo: Coding Awbie on iPads

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Learning and using Scratch Jr. app! April 9 & 16, 2026

In these workshops, the children:

• Learned how to block coding in Scratch Jr. app on iPad

• Changed the looks of characters and learned coding blocks for movement

• Created their own story and sequenced the scenes

• Demonstrated prior knowledge with the app and/or quick knowledge

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STEP UP! Program Summer 2026

The 2026 STEP UP! summer program at AATLC introduced robots. The first SoBA [Song, Book, Art] program involved the making a paper robot. The children were fully engaged and very proud of their handmade robots.

IT's Robotics Day! July 2, 2026

A Reading, Writing, and Robot Workshop for next year's (rising) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. In this workshop, children:

• Practiced print and/or cursive writing (your name)

• Learned about robotics and how robots work

• Did a robot dance to a robot song

• Learned from book: How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-up.

• Made a paper robot

The children were fully engaged and very proud of their handmade robots.

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Meet BlueBot, a real robot! July 9, 2026

The second STEP UP! lesson involved meeting BlueBot, a real robot.  The surprise came when a couple of children were more impressed with their handmade paper robot from the previous week than the real one that flashed lights, made sounds and moved across the floor. They soon became more excited as they had opportunities to participate in getting Bluebot across the grid on the floor to his home—the box it came in.

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Caterpillar robot! Coming up

The third planned STEP UP! summer lesson comes straight from a TwT lesson plan created by the pre-service teachers. It will be a SoBA lesson based on the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Students will do paper grids getting the caterpillar to his food and the same using a grid on the floor using the real Bluebot dressed like a caterpillar. Eventually, the robot will ‘consume’ enough food to go into a cocoon and become a butterfly.

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Collaboration success

This collaboration between AATLC and ISU-TwT demonstrates how thoughtful partnerships can enhance technology education for young learners and prepare future teachers to be more effective and inclusive. By working together, they create a learning environment where children can explore coding and robotics in meaningful ways, and pre-service teachers can develop practical skills grounded in real-world experience. This approach offers a promising path for expanding access to STEM education and supporting diverse learners in technology fields.