We at GO Lab understand that changes are needed in our education systems to better prepare our youth for the 21st-Century workplace. We are proud and excited to help pioneer these changes in South Africa – and give our country’s bright minds and future thinkers a chance to develop relevant skill sets, explore their unique interests and reach their full potential.
We provide schools with comprehensive Lab solutions (kitted with new-age technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, programmable electronics and computer software) and each with its own resident Lab Facilitator to assist school staff, learners and even parents with the integration and shift. GO Lab focuses on learner-centred education and the development of 21st-Century skills while guiding learner perspectives to be mindful of real-world problems. We encourage collaboration between individuals and promote self-motivated enquiry, development and evaluation throughout tasks and projects.
During school hours, learners have timetabled lessons within GO Lab that are underpinned by STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) principles and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We also offer extra-mural access to the labs via clubs and Switch On activities that give like-minded individuals the opportunity and assisted freedom to explore their interests and further develop their own skills and talents.
We are currently already collaborating with 13 South African schools to help hundreds of learners Switch On to a world of possibility, with many other prospective schools asking to jump on board. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to integrate into all schools overnight so, until we get there, we still have the learners of other schools in mind and have, therefore, made GO Lab’s range of exciting educational technologies available for anyone to purchase on our online store.
The technologies we use and advocate are sourced from leading international brands that are aligned with our mission – to foster innovative thinking through hands-on experience. One such brand is Makeblock; an engaging learning solution for robotics, electronics and programming concepts. Our most popular Makeblock products include: the mBot, the mBot Ranger and the Ultimate 2.0 Robotics kits, as well as the Airblock Modular Drone. These products are designed specifically for STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), and offer learners of all ages the opportunity to advance their knowledge and skills.
A bit more about these inspiring, educational products:
The Makeblock mBot is the perfect entry-level robot for grade 1 to 7 learners, offering curious minds a fun introduction to programming with a tactile STEM educational experience.
The mBot Ranger is an intermediate robotics kit that makes exploration educational. This programmable robotics kit transforms into 3 types of adventure car modes and is more suited for grade 5 to 11 learners.
The Ultimate 2.0 is an incredibly versatile robotics kit can transform to over 10 different modes, teaching advanced STEM skills as well as electronics, programming and mechanical design principles. This extraordinary robotics kit offers programming languages for all levels of expertise, is remote controllable and is compatible with the Arduino and Raspberry Pi products that we regularly use in our GO Labs. The Ultimate 2.0 is perfect for any robotics enthusiasts and a worthwhile investment for young minds that show promising potential.
The Airblock Modular Drone; our most popular Makeblock product of all. This drone is suitable for ages 8 and above and is said to be one of the easiest programmable and convertible drones on the market – boasting a learning experience that’s nothing short of an adventure. Learners are able to build, code and fly the Airblock, which is controlled with an iPhone/iPad or Android smartphone via an App. It has soft and durable foam material pieces as well as unexposed blades, which makes it crash-friendly and safe to fly indoors. Although Airblock has four main modes: Hexacopter Drone, Hovercraft, Spider and Triangle mode, its modularity and magnetic attachments allow for many other modes to be created – giving the imagination plenty of room to play!
These are just a few of the many educational technology solutions we use in our Labs to bring learning to life, and have on offer on our Online Store. If we have piqued your interest, feel free to pop us an email or take a look at our full product range on our website.
The future is certainly something to look forward to, with new generations using and inventing technologies that will shape the world in vastly unpredictable ways. We implore all schools and parents to embrace this inevitable change and work together with us toward a shared vision of ‘schools of the future’ – to inspire and guide the youth of our country, in a world of limitless possibility.