Whether you have a classroom
full of bricks and RCXs or a brand new set of Technic beams and NXTs,
teachers who use LEGO materials all have a common problem—how to
organize
those all of those pieces . So, how do you organize your pieces?
LEGOengineering.com
surveyed 133 educators from around the world on how they store their
pieces. Reviewing the results, we found that educators are using two
main methods for
storing LEGO pieces: bins and kits. While both systems have their
advantages
and disadvantages, we see that educators are finding creative ways of
mingling
the systems to meet their own needs.
Why kits? In
case you were unclear, kits are the LEGO Mindstorms original boxes. Obviously,
this is the most convenient (and most popular) method of organization. It
requires no additional cost, and kits stack conveniently for trouble-free
layaway. Many of the educators of older students (high school, college)
use the kits as students may find it necessary to take their creations home
over a weekend. Kits also aid in accountability. A number of educators
said they sign out a kit to a group of students for the semester. This allows teachers and students to know exactly which pieces are missing
from which kit, and which students are responsible for the missing pieces.
Kits are naturally divided into sections for a more organized arrangement
that can make it easier to find and use pieces. However, for many educators,
while they like kits, the existing LEGO kits don't do the job. Some
dislike the sturdiness of the boxes (which don't survive falling of the table)
and others prefer finer sorting compartments. A number of alternative
storage boxes (tackle boxes, craft storage containers) were recommended that
you can check out in the sidebar.
Why not kits? If
you've ever tried sorting pieces into kits, you probably know it's a tedious
and time-consuming task. Sorting a LEGO MINDSTORMS Education Base Set
(NXT) with 431 pieces can take many students an hour or more. Younger
students in particular can have a difficult time sorting all the accurately
pieces in a timely matter. The quality of student sorting often leaves teachers
with multiple kits to organize on their own. One teacher reported sorting
kits every Thursday night in the summer while watching his favorite TV shows.
Kits can also be confining. While it's a great challenge to work with in the confines of the kit, often
students who are newer to LEGO building need just one more wheel, beam or
brick to make their creation work. This is particularly true for
more open-ended projects done without building instructions. Moreover,
students are often really excited to have the freedom to build whatever they
have in mind. Over 60% of the survey respondents said they regularly
allow students to use extra pieces, while many of those in the "Other"
category said they have a classroom box of LEGO pieces or a box of lost and
found pieces that they will let students use for special projects.
Why bins? Bins
are an ideal option for fast and easy sorting. Bin systems typically
have containers where pieces are sorted by type (i.e. a whole container for
beams or a whole container for pulley wheels). 23.4% of participants
in the survey claimed to use communal bins as their main organizational method.
Bin systems help to avoid the tedious task of keeping track of which pieces
are missing from which kits by having communal resources. Bins allow
for faster and easier sorting and more flexibility in students designs. If a student needs just 2 more beams to make their design work this can be
easily accomplished (without having to worry which kit they came from)
Why not bins? When you start purchasing your organizational method, it can get a little
expensive to purchase all the storage containers. In addition, many
classrooms just don't have the space for a bin system. A bin system
can also be difficult to manage for educators who teach in different rooms
or have to share the materials with other teachers. With a bin system
direct accountability for lost pieces is virtually impossible. An instructor
could realize that three motors are missing, but would have no idea which
student had used the missing motor last.
Kits and Bins? One of the interesting results of the survey was many teachers reported that
they have created their own systems—alternatives to the traditional
kit or bin storage. Several respondents reported that they make custom kits
(or mini-kits) for students. A mini-kit generally consists of pieces that
are in short supply or that the teacher wants students to be accountable for. A typical NXT mini kit might contain the NXT, motors, sensors and wires in
a small plastic storage container. Students generally receive a mini-kit
they are directly responsible for but use the classroom bins to get the beams,
bricks, and connects that they need. This system retains many of the benefits
of both bins and kits. Students have the freedom to "think outside
the box" but are still accountable for expensive pieces. Similar
to the bins, mini kits and bins rely on having enough pieces to have well-filled
bins and complete kits.
Accountability? Regardless of their organization system,
educators all responded that it was important to have students be accountable
for LEGO materials. Many respondents said they used the "trust
and honor" system, encouraging students to take good care of their kits. A large number of teachers reported that each group was responsible for a
kit (full or mini) and inventory was taken at the end of the semester. Teachers generally had a small fee for missing pieces or allowed students
to replace them from the classroom lost and found kit. Some charged all students a lab fee to cover the small
pieces that are lost each year. A few teachers had a contract that students
and parents signed (see an example in the side bar) to convey the student's
responsibility in taking care of the materials and the costs for materials.
Survey says? There's no one perfect way to organize your classroom collection of LEGO
materials. We hope this article
has given you some insight into organizational possibilities that may help
you organize your collection. Stay tuned for more surveys for
educators on LEGOengineering.com
| |
Bins |
Kits |
Bins & Mini Kits |
| Easy Clean Up |
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| Fast Clean Up |
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| Easy Student Accountability |
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| Encourages Creativity & Support Open-Ended Design |
|
|
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| Requires Minimal Space |
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|
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| Facilitates Sharing Materials With Other Educators |
|
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| Low Set-Up Cost |
|
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Summary Table
Article by Olivia Teytelbaum (
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)
and Merredith Portsmore (
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)
Results Generated by Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com)
