BristleBots and Failure

Technology is science.

Science is messy.

Messy is inquiry.

Inquiry is learning.

Therefore, 

Learning is messy.

"A bristlebot is an extremely simple form of walking robot. It is one of the simplest of all mobile robots, both in its function and its construction. As a result of this ease of construction, they have become popular projects at the school science fair level."

Today in technology club we attempted to make britslebots. The kids were given the materials they needed: the head of a toothbrush, double sided tape, a watch battery, and a micro vibrating motor. We showed them a picture example and the model bristlebot I had made. I explained that I was not extremely successful and had tried a few different configurations with the battery and motor and I tried a few different toothbrush styles. My challenge to them was to be scientists and use the skill of inquiry to see if they could get there bristlebot to move forward on a flat surface. The kids took right to the task of making these "simple robots". 

As the kids dove in, Mr. Jackson helped cut and strip motor wires while I passed out more tape. "I NEED MORE TAPE!". Some of the kids quickly got the motors to run off the battery. Mr. Jackson and I then helped kids troubleshoot how to get the battery and motor attached to the toothbrush. 

Most of the kids could get the bristlebot built, it was getting it to move forward on a flat surface that was causing trouble. Here is what a bristlebot is suppose to do:

 

Ours looked more like this: 

Mr. Jackson and I continued to encourage the kids with questions and possible correctives and asked them to go back to the drawing board, like a scientist or inventor would do. But, here is what we found interesting. Many of the students, when not successful the first or second time got very frustrated. Some wanted to give up, some just wanted us to give them the answer (even though we did not have an answer), some got mad but went back to the drawing board. We had a few successful bristlebots, I few kids that wanted to take the materials home to keep trying (parents send me a picture or video if they get them to go) and a few who still think we are crazy. 

As a parent and an educator, what I learned most today is how important it is for us to teach our children that failure is ok. That some of our best learning comes out of failure, just because you failed the first time does not mean that you can not be successful. As adults, we need to model failure and the problem-solving skills we use to make our failure a success. 

Learning is messy, and messy is ok. 

P.S. We will keep trying but If someone out there could give us some hints as to what we were doing wrong...that would be great.