Renowned educator Mitchel Resnick, Ph.D. from the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab, cited the importance of creative learning as an integral part of a child's education, during an educational forum at the Boston Children's Museum. Through his work, Resnick furthers this pursuit by studying the role of technology and media in learning, while also developing new computational tools and toys that help people -- particularly children -- learn new things in new ways.

``MyBot extends the range of what children can design and build. With the new computerized building blocks, children can create LEGO constructions that act, react and respond,'' said Resnick. ``Unlike many high-tech toys, MyBot puts control of the technology in children's hands, supporting creative learning experiences.''

Teachers and parents attending the workshop also listened to remarks from U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, about the significance of incorporating technology into early education, and the importance of introducing technology into classrooms at an early age. In addition, local children, ages 4-6, participated in hands-on play sessions with LEGO MyBot sets.

By interacting with MyBot, children are introduced to the concept of learning through building, and are empowered to construct and control their own futuristic creations. The toy pairs fun and imagination with interactive technology to produce unique light and sound reactions, and fosters open-ended play.

The core of the LEGO MyBot is the cockpit-shaped microcomputer that contains technology developed in consultation with MIT. Children can design and build one of three interactive creations around the microcomputer -- an airplane, a racecar or a robot -- and ``program'' it by attaching a combination of ``smart bricks'' to bring their creations to life. Depending on the ``smart'' activity and identity bricks selected, each creation exhibits its own distinctive behaviors. For example, when children play with their completed LEGO MyBot, they hear interactive sound effects that vary depending on how the toy is moved -- up, down, forward, side to side -- such as the ``whirr'' of an engine when the plane climbs upward.

The action-and-reaction play encouraged by LEGO MyBot embodies the principles of creative learning. ``As children build various LEGO MyBot creations, they mix and match identity and activity bricks to change the MyBot's behavior. A child's natural curiosity propels him or her to continue playing and discovering the different functions of each MyBot they create,'' said Tom Christiansen, product design manager for the LEGO Company. ``As we developed this toy, we worked to incorporate elements that immerse children in play, such as the continual feedback the toy provides to the child on the LCD screen. Our goal is to make children perceive the experience as 'fun,' while in fact the child is learning through play,'' Christiansen added.

According to MIT's Resnick, children have many of their best learning experiences when they are actively engaged in playing and building. ``As children build things in the world, they continually try out their ideas -- and revise their ideas based on what happens,'' said Resnick. ``As a result, building things in the world helps children build knowledge in their minds.''

In 1998, the LEGO Company introduced LEGO MINDSTORMS, a line of robotics products developed in conjunction with MIT. These sets, geared for kids ages 9 and up, allow users to create and program robotic inventions.

LEGO MyBot (Ages 4-6) will be available at major retailers beginning in September 2000, priced at $49.99 U.S., $69.99 CN.

LEGO Systems, Inc. (LSI) is the Americas (North America and Latin America) division of the LEGO Company, a privately held firm based in Billund, Denmark. The LEGO Company employs more than 2,000 people in the Americas -- approximately one half of whom work at LSI's 203-acre headquarters in Enfield, Connecticut. LSI manufactures more than 2.7 billion LEGO elements each year. The LEGO Company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: ``Only the best is good enough.'' For information, visit www.lego.com.

[Posted 8/31/2000]