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Lego bricks help build understanding of science as toy finds role in classrooms
PLAYING with Lego might seem more like an activity for a playgroup than a secondary school science lesson.
However a Yorkshire secondary school has just launched a new facility which is inspiring pupils of all ages.
The Lego Education Centre at Crawshaw School, in Pudsey, was formally opened yesterday and is already proving popular among both staff and children.
The classroom allows pupils to build Lego models which contain computer chips, light sensors and can be controlled by laptops in the centre. The facility, the first of its kind in the north of England, is currently being used for science, technology and geography lessons for Crawshaw pupils and is also being made available to primary school pupils across the Pudsey area.
The school’s head teacher Joanna Ruse said: “It is not just about having fun. The children have been able to learn about concepts which they might otherwise have found difficult.
“We have been using it for science and technology but the applications are endless because it is about creativity and students using their imagination.”
Crawshaw’s deputy head teacher Claire Studd said: “It is more like what used to be called Legotechnic.
“It can be quite advanced up to GCSE lessons but we have also had primary school pupils from Greenside coming in to use it as well.
“In geography lessons it has been used to allow the pupils to create their own wind turbines and learn about wind energy.
“They create models with the Lego, yesterday they made cars which were then controlled by computer. The pupils absolutely love it. It is not because they are just playing but because it is a different way of doing things and it really engages them.
“They are working on something for two hours and not wanting the lesson to finish.”
The school first discovered Lego Education Centres two years ago when staff attended the BETT conference in London which showcases new technological developments in education. The school received money for the centre through Education Leeds’ Innovation Fund.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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