Back to School Tune Up: Preparing Your Kits
The start of a new school year is the perfect time to give your classroom robots a little extra care! Whether your students are meeting VEX for the first time or returning to continue their STEM journey, having your robot kits in top shape ensures everyone can dive into building, coding, and problem-solving without delay. From swapping out worn parts to charging batteries to giving wheels a thorough cleaning, a bit of preparation now can prevent disruptions or frustration later. This article offers a process to get your robot tune up started including links to replacement parts or add-on kits, you’ll be ready to start strong and keep your robots running smoothly all year long.
1. Inventory Kits and Classroom Bundles
The best place to start with your tune up is to take stock of what you have and what seems to be missing from last year. Be sure to keep track as you inventory! Use a spreadsheet to list all missing parts or pieces and other note-savers like sticky notes to keep track of what might be missing in each individual kit.
As you look through your materials, use tools like the parts posters to check what pieces go in each kit. Posters for all platforms are available at posters.vex.com. When inventorying bundles, use the “Bundle Contents” on these pages as a reference for the number of kits, classroom elements, Field Tiles, and more:
- VEX 123 Classroom Bundles
- VEX GO Classroom Bundles
- VEX AIM Classroom Bundles
- VEX IQ (2nd gen) Classroom Bundles
- VEX EXP Classroom Bundles
- VEX V5 Classroom Starter Bundles
2. Power Up and Check Batteries
Nothing slows down a robotics lesson faster than a dead battery. Before the school year begins, check the batteries for each of your robots to make sure they’re holding a charge and are ready for action.
Seems like your battery is refusing to turn on? Be sure to press the Status button! GO, IQ, EXP, and V5 Batteries are designed to go into an energy-saving mode after multiple hours of inactivity. When you press the Status button on a battery in the energy-saving mode, the battery will be woken up. Plugging the battery into a charger will also automatically wake up the battery.
If a battery is taking longer than usual to charge, or doesn’t last through a standard class period, it may be time to replace it. Check out links to replacement batteries for your kits here:
3. Replace & Refresh with Extra Parts
Once you’ve completed your classroom robot check-up and know which parts are worn, missing, or in short supply, it’s time to get stocked up for the year ahead. Having those replacement pieces ready before students start building ensures lessons stay on track and downtime is minimized.
The VEX Store makes it easy to find exactly what you need for every platform!
Here are some ideas for what you can look for and order to help replenish your classroom:
- Restock your Coder cards or add another language to your VEX 123 classroom supply.
- VEX GO Parts Packs can help you refill your spare parts bin from the classroom bundles and get extra structure for your students.
- A VEX IQ 1st Generation to 2nd Generation Upgrade Kit provides you with all of the structural and motion components that come in a VEX IQ (2nd gen) Education Kit. This is great for creating your own classroom spare parts inventory.
- The VEX V5 Booster Kit contains over 600 pieces of structural and motion components to help replace missing materials, or for your EXP or V5 students to build bigger and better robots.
Use tools like the filter on the left side of the VEX Store to find the parts and pieces you need.
Dedicating time before the school year begins to check, clean, and prepare your robots sets the stage for engaging STEM learning. Whether it’s replacing a battery or upgrading with a booster kit, these small steps ensure your students can jump into robotics without interruptions.
As you are going through your tune up, post in the Professional Learning Community to share how you’re keeping your classroom organized! Or you can schedule a PD+ 1-on-1 Session to chat more with VEX professionals about getting your classroom back up and running for the beginning of the school year.