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English Programming with Thymio (BBbots)2024-10-14T10:36:22+09:00

Get Educational Robots (Thymio II Wireless), STEAM Craft kits, EFL/ESL programming resources, and more at BBbots.com

Programming and STEAM education are two of the fastest growing subjects around the world, and BBbots.com (BINGOBONGO Learning + Robots) is a great source for high-quality programming, STEAM, and robotics resources that are ideal for ESL/EFL students and young learners.

BBbots.com is one of the only places in Japan to get the Thymio II Wireless Educational Robot, a popular robot developed at Ecal University in Switzerland.  And when used in combination with BINGOBONGO Learning’s EFL-focused programming course, Mind Mission Programming, Thymio is also a great choice for teaching programming, problem-solving, and robotics to students in Japan while teaching English at the same time. You can read more in Japanese here.

Check out the Thymio II Wireless Robot and various programming accessories below

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 STEAM Craft Kit + Worksheets are great for events, lessons, or something to do at home!

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Don’t miss these great resources for teaching programming to EFL/ESL students!

Thymio II Wireless, the educational mobile robot, is now in Japan!

nice to meet you thymio
nice to meet you thymio
BBbots Thymio Robot & Mind Mission ESL/EFL Programming Course
BBbots Thymio Robot & Mind Mission ESL/EFL Programming Course

Thymio II Wireless Educational Robot is simple and cute, yet packed with an impressive list of sensors and features, including machine learning and AI capabilities. Thymio has been a popular choice for teaching programming for over 10 years around the globe.

Now EFL/ESL students in Japan can take advantage of this incredible robot to learn programming using BINGOBONGO Learning‘s original EFL/ESL-focused programming course, Mind Mission Programming. This course uses 5 great resources that you can use for teaching programming to EFL/ESL students in Japan or anywhere around the world.

Thymio is a hit with all ages, from 3 to 100!

Thymio isn’t a toy disguised as a robot like so many other “educational robots” that kids quickly get bored with. No, Thymio is a powerful tool for teaching programming and problem-solving to students of all ages, from 3 to 100. When you use Thymio in your classroom, your students will be interested and engaged no matter their age or experience level.

efl students all ages japan programming

Using Thymio with young kids (3 – 5 years old)

Thymio is simple and fun! Kids can use their imagination and build on it with LEGO blocks as well. This is great for letting students get familiar with the robot and its capabilities through crafts and play. They will learn about the way robots move, their different sensors, and the functions that are possible.

Learning easy block-based coding with VPL (5 – 8 years old)

After exploring and playing with Thymio through “codeless programming,” students will be able to apply their understanding of Thymio to block-based coding with the VPL programming language. This is a simple drag-and-drop style of programming that anyone can quickly understand.  As students write more programs to solve various problems, they will gain an even deeper understanding of programming concepts.

Another great feature of Thymio is that it can be programmed using four different block-based languages for free (VPL, VPL3, Scratch, Blockly).

teach programming to efl students
mixed abilities efl programming class

Thymio for high school and university students

Since Thymio can be programmed in six languages in total (4 block-based, 2 text-based), advance students in high school and university will be able to continue pushing the limits of their imaginations with Thymio. Using languages such as Aseba and Python, they will be able to develop programming skills that will be valuable for any number of career choices.

When the researchers at EPFL, and ECAL, developed the Thymio II Wireless Educational Robot, they wanted to be sure that a simple robot could be used to teach all levels of programming to all ages. Thanks to them, you can be sure that Thymio will be a great choice for your programming course for years and years.

The history of Thymio II educational robot and how it came to Japan!

Thymio is an open-source educational robot designed by researchers from the EPFL, in collaboration with ECAL, and produced by Mobsya, a nonprofit association whose mission is to offer comprehensive, engaging STEAM journeys to learners of all ages.

Thymio has been one of the world’s most popular educational robots thanks to its six pre-programmed modes which allow children as young as three years old to discover the joys of robotics and programming concepts through play. It’s also one of the few robots that comes assembled and ready to use right out of the box.

Until recently the Thymio educational robot was not available in Japan. As the need for an EFL/ESL-focused programming course became greater in Japan thanks to programming becoming a required subject in Japanese elementary and junior high schools, BINGOBONGO Learning began making a programming course just for students in Japan. After experimenting with various education robots, it quickly became clear that the Thymio II Wireless Robot was in a class above the rest!

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