Once I had all of the Tonies Character Cards completed in Canva, I downloaded them and printed them at their original size—3 x 4 inches, front and back.
Then I cut out each card, laminated them, and punched a hole in the corner. I made sure to plan for this when designing the cards so the hole wouldn’t cover or punch through any important information.
Since I have three houses, I split the Tonies into the three different houses, along with the cards for each. I attached each set of cards using a small metal ring.
I love how these turned out and can't wait to see what our students and teachers think. I will continue to add to them every time we get a new Tonies.
My next project will be a bit of fun signage to explain everything. I want to also identify the houses...maybe by the color of Toniesboxes since I have three different colors. I will be sure to share all of that too.
You can find the Canva file for the Tonies Character Cards here, friends.
I would LOVE to hear how you display and organize you Tonies and Tonieboxes too.
We love the Ozobot robots at our school! They are so much fun to use with all of our students, including our youngest learners, as they begin learning how to code with these special robots.
When I saw that Ozobot was a Literati Partner, I was so excited! We love our Ozobot Evos, but I have been eyeing the Ozobot Ari for months. I would love to bring this new robot to our library Makerspace and STEM lab. Now, thanks to this partnership, I can use our Literati Book Fair profit rewards to do just that!
I’m Nick Brunner, Vice President of Business Development at Ozobot. I lead many of our partnerships with schools, children’s museums, expanded-learning organizations, and other groups working to make hands-on STEM and computer science more accessible. One of the best parts of my role is seeing the creative ways educators use Ozobot—often well beyond what we initially imagined.
I love that Ozobot is one of the Literati Partners. For those who don't know about Ozobot, tell us about Ozobot to start.
Ozobot is a hands-on coding and robotics platform designed to make computer science approachable for every learner. Our small but powerful robots allow students to begin coding screen-free by drawing lines and Color Codes with markers, then progress to block-based and more advanced programming.
What makes Ozobot special is that it makes coding visible and tangible. Students create a command, immediately see the robot respond, and then collaborate, troubleshoot, and try again. That quick feedback makes learning feel more like discovery and play.
Who is on the Ozobot team?
Ozobot has a passionate, multidisciplinary team that includes engineers, product designers, curriculum specialists, educators, customer-support professionals, and sales leaders. We bring together people who understand technology with people who understand what it is really like to teach and manage a classroom. That combination helps us create products that are innovative but also practical for educators.
We have used Ozobot at my school since the start. How did Ozobot start and how has it evolved over the years?
Ozobot began with a simple but powerful idea: what if students could learn the fundamentals of coding by drawing with colored markers? The original Ozobot was introduced in 2014 and used optical sensors to follow lines and respond to sequences of colors.
Since then, Ozobot has grown from a small line-following robot into a broader educational platform. Evo added sensors, lights, sounds, and block-based programming. Ari, our newest robot, adds an interactive display, advanced sensors, and opportunities to explore AI, engineering, physics, and more. We have also expanded our standards-aligned curriculum, professional development, math and engineering kits, and teacher resources—all while preserving the screen-free experience that made Ozobot unique.
What ages are Ozobots for? How does Ozobot support students?
Ozobot can support learners from PreK through high school, although most classroom use is concentrated in elementary and middle school. Younger students can begin with screen-free Color Codes, patterns, sequencing, and cause and effect. As students advance, they can move into block-based coding, algorithms, loops, conditionals, sensors, data, and AI-related concepts.
Evo is especially well suited for K–3, while Ari expands the possibilities for grades 3–8 and more advanced learning. Because there are multiple entry points, students with no coding experience can work alongside more experienced students while still being appropriately challenged. Ozobot’s current learning pathway supports creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, debugging, and perseverance—not just coding knowledge.
How does Ozobot support computer science standards and STEM?
Ozobot lessons connect to major frameworks including CSTA, ISTE, NGSS, and TEKS, with additional state and international alignments available. Educators can search for content by standard and identify activities that support their instructional goals. Ozobot’s standards resources make it easier to connect hands-on robotics with required learning outcomes.
How does Ozobot support teachers and librarians?
We recognize that many teachers and librarians have never taught coding or STEM before, so Ozobot is designed to be easy to introduce without requiring a computer science background. Students can begin with markers, paper, and a simple activity, with very little setup or technology support.
Educators also have access to ready-to-use lessons, pacing guides, standards mappings, tutorials, professional development, webinars, and direct support. Ozobot works especially well in libraries because it is compact, collaborative, easy to use in learning stations, and flexible enough for a single event, recurring makerspace program, or schoolwide initiative.
Are there other subject/content areas that Ozobot supports?
Absolutely! Ozobot is often introduced as a coding robot, but educators use it across the curriculum. Students can program a robot to retell a story, trace a character’s journey, model a planetary system, demonstrate mathematical thinking, navigate a historical map, or complete an engineering challenge.
Our resources support math, science, engineering, literacy, art, geography, social studies, and English-language development. Ozobot can become a creative tool for demonstrating understanding rather than simply another subject educators have to fit into the schedule.
Where do you see Ozobot used most within school communities?
We see Ozobot used in classrooms, libraries, Makerspaces, STEM labs, afterschool programs, summer learning, intervention programs, and gifted education.
Some schools begin with a librarian or STEM specialist and then expand into individual classrooms as teachers see the possibilities. Ozobot is particularly effective in small groups, where students can collaborate, assign roles, discuss their thinking, and solve problems together.
Does Ozobot have other resources available to use with the robots?
Yes! Ozobot Classroom includes a large library of lessons and activities organized by grade, subject, and coding experience. Educators can also find introductory Color Code and Blockly lessons, Ari lessons, Challenge Mat activities, STEAM Kit lessons, pacing guides, tutorials, and a community lesson-creation tool.
Beyond the online resources, we offer Color Code Magnets, curriculum kits, math-fluency and engineering kits, Challenge Mats, STEAM kits, professional development, and a 3D CAD library where educators can explore printable accessories.
Are new products tested by students? I would LOVE to know this!
Student and educator feedback is an important part of how we develop and improve our products. Whenever possible, we want new ideas to be used in real learning environments via Beta testing—not just evaluated in a product-development setting.
What is one of the most impactful projects you have worked on within a library or school?
One of the most impactful projects we have worked on took place in a first-grade inclusion classroom at Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia. The class was struggling with foundational number-sense skills, and midyear assessment data showed that six of the 16 students still needed urgent intervention.
Working with the classroom teacher, instructional assistant, and district technology coach, we introduced the Ozobot K–2 Math Fluency Kit during small-group math stations. For three weeks, 14 students used hands-on Ozobot lessons aligned directly to the skills identified in their assessment data, including counting, place value, skip-counting, and comparing numbers.
What made the project especially powerful was the way the educators framed the experience. Rather than telling students they were doing remedial math, they gave them a job: teach Evo how to solve the problems. That shift turned practice into active problem-solving and gave students a greater sense of purpose and ownership.
By the end of the pilot, the number of students needing urgent intervention had decreased from six to four, while the number performing at or above benchmark increased from five to seven. The class also showed no remaining area of need in Number and Number Sense on its end-of-year assessment.
The project reinforced something we see often: when students can physically interact with a concept, test their thinking, and revise their approach in real time, abstract ideas become much more accessible. It was a strong example of technology supporting—not replacing—great teaching.
What does this mean to Ozobot to be part of the Literati Partners program with others like Demco, Capstone, Mrs. Nelson’s, etc?
It is an honor to be included alongside organizations that have supported schools, libraries, literacy, and educators for many years. Books help students explore new ideas and imagine different worlds; hands-on tools like Ozobot give them another way to bring those ideas to life.
The partnership also reflects how libraries are evolving. They remain essential homes for books and literacy while increasingly serving as centers for creativity, technology, collaboration, and exploration. We are excited to help Literati schools extend the impact of their book fairs into those experiences.
What does Ozobot have to offer Literati book fair customers (schools, libraries)?
Literati customers can use their Partner Credits toward Ozobot products, including individual robots, classroom kits and accessories.
What does Ozobot have to offer Literati book fair customers focusing on bringing more to their classrooms with book fair funds?
Ozobot brings a uniquely hands-on approach to elementary learning, integrating seamlessly across subjects. As an approachable, out-of-the-box STEM tool, it enables teachers and librarians to engage students without requiring a background in computer science. Instead of worrying about technical expertise, educators can focus on what matters most: creating joyful learning experiences, strengthening problem-solving skills, and sparking those breakthrough “aha!” moments again and again.
Are there other resources from Ozobot that are helpful to librarians and teachers that you would like to highlight?
I would encourage educators to explore Ozobot Classroom, our webinars, professional-development options, pacing guides, standards-alignment resources, video tutorials, blog, 3D CAD library, and social media accounts. You will find Ozobot at ozobot.com
Do you have a favorite Ozobot product?
Evo is still my personal favorite because of its versatility. A young student can begin exploring right out of the box without any prior knowledge or experience with robots or coding.
I also love how quickly Evo creates a moment of discovery. My two older children at home love bringing Evo off the shelf and coming up with creative stories and adventures for the robot!
I am sure you have big things planned for what is next for Ozobot. Can you give us a little glimpse into what is to come next?
We are continuing to expand the ways Ozobot supports computer science, AI literacy, engineering, math, and core academic instruction. Ari gives us exciting opportunities around interactive learning, real-world sensors, data, and age-appropriate AI experiences. With those capabilities, we plan to launch a number of career-connection kits in 2027!
At the same time, screen-free learning remains an important part of our future. Our goal is to give educators more flexibility—not simply add more screen time—and to develop products and curriculum that are increasingly easy to implement across all educational environments.
Thank you so much for joining me, Nick. You have such an interesting and fun job. I can't wait to see what is next for Ozobot. And I sure can't wait to have my Literati Book Fair this fall so I can bring more Ozobot's to our students.
You can learn more about hosting a Literati Book Fair and book fair rewards here.
Over the summer, I collected over 50 new books in this special Follett Content Titlewave list. These books are perfect for back-to-school time as I can't wait to share them with our students and teachers, and with you!
You will find the entire list of these books in the Follett Content Titlewave list here. This makes it super easy to start your own Titlewave list and add these titles too.
I hope you have a wonderful start of the year with these amazing books, friends.
Friends, we would love to invite you to a very special event....the Future Ready Librarians Court at the MassCUE Fall Conference on October 14-15, 2026!
It's going to be such an amazing two days together.
Here is what MassCUE shared ...
Step into the Future Ready Librarians Court, a dedicated space to learn, network, and grow with colleagues who share your passion for transforming libraries and schools. Join Shannon McClintock Miller, Future Ready Librarians® Leader, and Lia Dossin, Director of Programming & Outreach at All4Ed, for a day of inspiring sessions, fireside chats, and collaborative conversations.
In addition to presentations from Shannon and Lia, speakers from across the state will be joining the Future Ready Librarians Court, bringing their expertise, voice, and leadership to this vibrant community.
The Court is your hub for:
Exploring the Future Ready Librarians Framework 3.0
Gaining strategies to lead, innovate, and empower students and teachers
Networking with peers and sharing best practices
Leaving with practical tools and resources to support your library and school community
Session Lineup
Wednesday, October 14
Session 1: Future Ready Librarians 3.0 Year 2: Growing as Leaders in AI, Literacy, Advocacy, and More! — Lia Dossin & Shannon McClintock Miller
Session 2: Wired for Bias: Why Our Brains and Our Bots Get It Wrong — Jessica Garbowski
Session 3: Year 20, Day 1: The Program I Built — and What Every Educator Can Learn From Starting Over — Jen Thomas
Session 4: Empowering Digital Citizens: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking in the Age of Edtech — Lia Dossin & Shannon McClintock Miller
Thursday, October 15
Session 5: Future Ready Librarians 3.0 Year 2: Growing as Leaders in AI, Literacy, Advocacy, and More! — Lia Dossin & Shannon McClintock Miller
Session 6: Collaboration, The Future Ready Librarians Superpower! — Shannon McClintock Miller
Session 7: Empowering Digital Citizens: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking in the Age of Edtech — Lia Dossin & Shannon McClintock Miller
Session 8: Prioritizing Information Literacy in Elementary Learning Spaces — Laura Hubert
....in the amazing Fall 2026 Capstone catalog.
I was so excited to find the new Capstone catalog in my mail today. It's always my favorite delivery as it contains all of their new books and so much more.
Let's take a look inside, friends!
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I love seeing resources that remind us that every reader has their own pathway. The Discover New Pathways to Reading infographic does just that! The colorful roadmap starting on page 5 highlights the many stages readers move through, with each pathway having its own twists and turns.
Capstone’s Fall 2026 collection includes new books designed to meet readers wherever they are on that journey.
A few of my new favorites along this path are are the Knowledge Builders that build knowledge and confidence,
Capstone Early Readers for early reading,
...and Spark Decodables, for upper elementary readers.
In the front of the catalog on page 4, Capstone’s Publisher and Executive Vice President, Beth Brezenoff, beautifully compares learning to read with learning to ride a bike. At first, we need support and practice. Then, one day, we take off on our own.
That moment of independence is the goal.
As librarians and teachers, we have the wonderful opportunity to provide the books, encouragement, and choices that help every reader get there.
I can't wait to explore these new Capstone titles and help our students find their next stop on the pathway to reading.
I love using and sharing the Demco Activity Calendars throughout the year. As we get ready to kick off a new school year in a few weeks, and as others have already started back, our friends at Demco have two new ones for August!
