BirdBrain Technologies’ mission is to inspire deep and joyful learning in all students through creative robotics.
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What sets BirdBrain apart?
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Learning Materials - Free classroom-tested and standards-aligned learning materials, including programming tutorials, and lesson plans.
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Low Floor and High Ceiling - Absolute beginners can build or program a robot in minutes, but continue learning advanced engineering & programming for years.
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True Interdisciplinary Learning - Integrate robotics and computer science into subjects from ELA to ecology, math to music, and beyond.
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Breaking Stereotypes - Our products were created to promote gender equality and diversity in computer science and robotics.
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Professional Development - Our team of educators provide virtual professional development, including classroom and school district integration planning.
BirdBrain Technologies cultivates creativity and computational thinking by providing flexible and inspiring products:
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And for a great STEM classroom package, check out Tinkering Labs Catalyst Class Pack and Cabinet.
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Please contact your Regional Manager for more information.
Finch Robot
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The Finch is a programmable robot that brings computer science to life by providing students from kindergarten to college a hands-on representation of their code.
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Features include:
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FREE learning materials for programming and classroom activities
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Program in FinchBlox, BirdBlox, Snap!, MakeCode / JavaScript, Python, Java
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Works with Chromebooks, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireOS
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Please contact your Regional Manager for more information.
Hummingbird Robotics Kit
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The Hummingbird Robotics Kit is an easy-to-use, creative robotics tool which allows students to design, build, and program a personally meaningful robot out of any materials, with any device, in multiple programming languages.
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The Hummingbird Robotics Kit is comprised of lights, sensors, and motors which allow students to build a robot out of any materials. The power of Hummingbird is in its flexibility—the same reusable kit can animate a poem, model the human arm, build an autonomous rover, or create a pinball machine. Hummingbird epitomizes a low-floor, high-ceiling approach: absolute beginners can build & program a robot in minutes, but continue learning advanced engineering and programming for years.
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All Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kits work with the following programming languages:
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BirdBlox (block-based - available on iOS, Android, Fire OS)
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MakeCode (block-based - available on Chromebooks, Mac, Windows, Linux)
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Snap! (block-based - available on Chromebooks, Mac, Windows)
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Python (text-based - available on Chromebooks, Mac, Windows)
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Java (text-based - available on Mac, Windows)
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Please contact your Regional Manager for more information.
Introduce Machine Learning with
the Finch Robot & Hummingbird Robotics Kit
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LEARNING RESOURCES
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Hands-on activities for grades 6-12 enable students to create and test their own machine learning models. Students use models to write programs with the Finch Robot or Hummingbird Kit to gain a better understanding of the power of machine learning!
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Free Activities using Python or Snap! programming
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Students use Google Teachable Machine to create machine learning models that can be incorporated into Python (text-based) or Snap! (block-based) programs.
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Students explore 3 types of models:
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image recognition
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audio recognition
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pose recognition
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An extension activity is offered for Finch. Students see more of the math behind the scenes when they create their own machine learning model using a “nearest-neighbor algorithm.”
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Plus free teacher courses on how to use the Finch Robot and Hummingbird Kit
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FINCH ROBOT OR HUMMINGBIRD KIT?
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Recommend Finch when…
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Want to program in Python (text-based); Snap! (block-based) is also available
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Want to jump right into the machine learning/programming
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Need to use the hardware for back-to-back classes (little clean up)
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Want to go more advanced (extension activity where students build their own model without the Google Teachable Machine software)
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Recommend Hummingbird when…
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Want to program in Snap! (block-based code); Python NOT available for these activities
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Have time for extended projects with a single class (robots can stay assembled for a few weeks without another set of students needing the hardware)
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Want to incorporate more project-based learning or cross-curricular concepts. Students can make anything related to other standards/subject areas…or they can make a zombie!
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Making connections with advanced manufacturing. For example, students can build AI-powered Hummingbird projects that sort objects on a conveyor based on color, shape, or other characteristics that the model detects.
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ASSETS
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Finch Videos
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Finch Activity Example: Image Recognition LINK TO VIDEO
How does the Finch react to different Star Wars characters? This program trained the Finch to perform a song or movements based on which character is detected. (Turn on sound!) -
Finch Activity Example: Audio Recognition LINK TO VIDEO
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Finch Activity Example: Pose Recognition LINK TO VIDEO
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Hummingbird Videos
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Hummingbird Activity Example: Image Recognition LINK TO VIDEO
What do zombies eat? In this program the zombie robot responds differently to food choices. (Turn on sound!) -
Hummingbird Activity Example: Audio Recognition LINK TO VIDEO
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Hummingbird Activity Example: Pose Recognition LINK TO VIDEO
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Please contact your Regional Manager for more information.
Tinkering Labs Catalyst Class Pack and Cabinet
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Nurture students' innate creativity and curiosity with hands-on STEM exploration and problem-solving. Empower a classroom of 30 students, working in pairs, to tackle STEM challenges together with this classroom set of Electric Motors Catalyst Kits.
Well-structured lessons allow teachers to hit the ground running. Three units are available for grades 3-5 (up to 30 class sessions!), and one unit is available for grades K-2.​​
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Please contact your Regional Manager for more information.
