The Lego/Logo project was begun in the 1992-93 school year and has grown larger each year; during the summer of 1994 more than 18 teachers participated in the planning of the next year's curriculum. Problem solving and cooperative learning are integral aspects of this project. Each teacher involved finds different ways to tie other skills into the Lego-Logo curriculum: from basic spatial awareness skills in the lowest grades to reading, writing and drawing as students keep journals of their progress, to scientific experimentation in the upper grades. Some teachers involved in this project strive to create a parallel integration of all subject areas: literature, math, social studies, science, music, art, and dance.
At a point in time when most teachers feel that children are very fragmented, we thought it very important to use Lego/Logo as a tool within the framework of the entire curriculum; this broad base is the project's primary strength. The Lego/Logo project gives children an opportunity to connect classroom learning to the real world, to apply the scientific and technological principles they are learning to real world applications, to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.
The success of the Lego/Logo project has thus far been measured by observing the students' increased knowlege, enthusiasm, and willingness to push past a level of frustration that would normally hinder the student. As one teacher observed, "The kids' creativity takes over and pushes each building project far beyond its original scope."
Donna O'Sullivan, second grade teacher
Marty Billingsley, computer teacher