Problem-Solving with Bee-Bot is a new curriculum that utilizes the fun and durable Bee-Bot robot to teach problem-solving and critical thinking skills to elementary school students. Through a series of sequential challenges, students learn to direct Bee-Bot on increasingly complicated routes and develop an understanding of programming, prediction, self-evaluation, and mapping in the process. Combining student motivation to use Bee-Bot with Problem-Solving with Bee-Bot structures learning and uses robot technology to develop vital skills for student success.

Problem-Solving with Bee-Bot combines a teacher manual with 150 student challenges on CD. Challenges are self-contained on one page to be easily printed and distributed to students. Each challenge includes the objective and instructions. Challenges are organized by type and level of difficulty, so teachers can match challenges to student experience and ability.

Lester Carr , a 40-year public school veteran, drew on broad experience introducing technology into the classroom to develop Problem-Solving with Bee-Bot. Bee-Bot's simplicity and ease and use inspired challenges that put the excitement and learning potential of robot technology into the hands of elementary school students.

Branksome Hall , an IB World School for girls in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has implemented a robotics program from kindergarten through Grade 6 to teach problem-solving, math and programming, an understanding of angles, estimation skills, and cooperation. Bee-Bots, Pro-Bots and associated mats and programs are an integral part of Branksome Hall's robotics program.

Junior and senior kindergartners love Bee-Bot and learn to move the robot from one location to another, using the forward and turn commands. From Grades 1-3, Branksome Hall girls learn how to make Bee-Bot move to two or more locations and more complicated programming as well as using Focus on Bee-Bot software on the computer. From Grades 4-6, Branksome girls use Pro-Bot, the Route Mat and Logo software to learn more sophisticated programming.

"I find it interesting to listen to the conversations as the girls try to complete a task," says Cathy Russell , Head of the Junior Division and Integrated Technology Coordinator. "Often the learning process is more important than the completion of the task."

This year Terrapin celebrates the 30th anniversary of the publication of Terrapin Logo . Originally developed for the Apple II based on research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Terrapin Logo has evolved through many different versions across a variety of hardware platforms. Today's Terrapin Logo embodies the original Logo philosophy while extending Logo's capabilities in ways unimagined 30 years ago.

The Journal for Computing Teachers recently published " 30 Years of Logo ," written by Terrapin president Bill Glass, who is pictured at the right. The article outlines Logo's origin and philosophy and traces Logo's history and evolution.

In honor of the anniversary, Terrapin is collecting stories about encounters with Logo. Whether it was 30 years ago or yesterday, in the classroom or at home, as a student or teacher, tell us when you first used Logo and what impact it had on you. We will compile the responses into a journal of 30 years of personal experiences with Logo.