The Lego Group is changing how it handles bulk orders, following a backlash against the group on social media last year. In October 2015, Lego was accused of "censorship" by contemporary artist and activist, Ai Weiwei, after the toymaker refused to supply him with bricks, needed for his upcoming exhibition on political dissidents. Following the news, Lego received criticism online, and Lego-owning fans started up an online global initiative to donate bricks to Ai for his exhibition in Melbourne, Australia. At the time, Lego denied that it censored or prohibited the creative use of its bricks. It would refuse bulk order requests however, if the bricks were to be used "in projects or contexts of a political agenda." The row echoes an incident that took place in the 1990s, when a Polish artist created a faux concentration camp toy set made of Lego, prompting the toymaker to ask for it to be removed from public view. When customers now make bulk order purchases however, Lego will not ask customers on what they are using the bricks for, the Danish toymaker announced late Tuesday.
Lego did not refer directly to Ai's order in its announcement. As of the start of 2016, the group will no longer inquire about the "thematic purpose", but rather ask customers to make it clear that Lego doesn't endorse or support particular projects, if their toy products are used publicly, including exhibitions. While Ai mostly retweeted fans' joy following the announcement, he did appear to comment on one Twitter post, saying "nice move #freedomofexpression". Ai also posted pictures on Instagram, including one with a boy attaching bricks onto the artist's face and hair, captioned with a smiling emoji symbol. —By CNBC's Alexandra Gibbs, follow her @AlexGibbsy and @CNBCiCompiled from US eBay listings. Price per pound is calculated based on number of pounds listed in the item title. Excludes listings at more than $16 per pound. Prices are approximate if the listing uses calculated shipping.This set contains everything you need to start teaching STEM and computer science using the exciting LEGO® MINDSTORMS® concept.
It offers full teacher support, including STEM and computing teaching materials, and a comprehensive eLearning program. The system includes the EV3 Intelligent Brick, a compact and powerful programmable computer that makes it possible to control motors and collect sensor feedback using the intuitive icon-based programming and data logging software that is delivered with the set. The set is delivered in a sturdy storage bin with a sorting tray, three Servo Motors, five Sensors (Gyro, Ultrasonic, Color and 2x Touch), a EV3 Rechargeable DC Battery, connecting cables, and building instructions. Includes 541 elements that can be used for teaching science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science. The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Core Set comes with a curriculum pack and includes 48 tutorials to help you and your students learn the basics of LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3. The 48 step-by-step tutorials are designed to help educators and students master basic and advanced programming as well as hardware and data logging functions.
The easy-to-learn, easy-to-use EV3 Software and the EV3 Programming app are optimized for classroom use. Programming is done by dragging and dropping icons into a line to form commands allowing students to uild simple programs, and then easily and intuitively build on their skills until they are developing complex algorithms. The data logging feature inside the EV3 Software is a powerful science tool for carrying out experiments. It is easy to predict, collect, view, analyze and manipulate data from sensors and see the data in interactive graphs. The software is based on LabVIEW, the industry-leading graphical programming language, and is optimized for classroom usage. The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 software lets your students: Program robots and other creations Document and track progress using the documentation tool Create and edit content Access the Robot Educator tutorials Log real-time data and calculate data sets (not available on the tablet app)
The software is Windows, Mac, Chromebook and iOS compatible. The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 Creative Process Assessment provides a bridge between LEGO Education activities and concepts of creativity. The Creative Process Assessment is a document containing methodology for accurately and effectively assessing the creativity of your students who are engaged in LEGO Education activities and related curriculum materials. We’re here to support you before, during and after purchase. Online and telephone support is available for brick replacement, software-related queries or general technical questions. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Call 866-349-5346 or visit our support pages. Students design and build programmable robots using high quality motors, sensors, gears, wheels, axles, and other technical components. By using hands-on robotics, students will gain a better understanding of how technology works in real world applications. The solution enables students to understand and interpret two-dimensional drawings to create three-dimensional models;
build, test troubleshoot and revise designs to improve robot performance; Gain practical, hands-on experience using mathematical concepts such as estimating and measuring distance, time and speed.Adjusted guidelines for bulk sales The LEGO Group has adjusted the guidelines for sales of LEGO® bricks in very large quantities. Previously, when asked to sell very large quantities of LEGO® bricks for projects, the LEGO Group has asked about the thematic purpose of the project. This has been done, as the purpose of the LEGO Group is to inspire children through creative play, not to actively support or endorse specific agendas of individuals or organizations. However, those guidelines could result in misunderstandings or be perceived as inconsistent, and the LEGO Group has therefore adjusted the guidelines for sales of LEGO bricks in very large quantities. As of January 1st, the LEGO Group no longer asks for the thematic purpose when selling large quantities of LEGO bricks for projects.