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Ok some clarification.

The NXT Homeschool set+ Carnegie Mellon curriculum http://www.legoeducation.com/store/detail.aspx?pl=6&ID=1467&c=0&t=0&l=0 is only for PC. With that curriculum, you are buying a code to log into their website to do the class. This does not work on a Mac. If you want the stand alone software which runs only on your computer and requires no log on to Carnegie Mellon website, that will cost you $225.

that is what I was told by tech support at LEGO Ed.

here's more info on that software. http://www.education.rec.ri.cmu.edu/content/curriculum/middle_school/index.htm

My HG+ sister's FAVORITE toy growing up was LEGOs. She had the entire space collection and still has them and won't even let her boys touch them!!! LOL!!! I agree, all girls need to at least be exposed to LEGOs.

They were one of my favorite toys growing up. So versatile!

I know, I didn't have LEGOS either growing up and I think "So that's why boys know so much about physics!" Maybe that's why I keep buying my boys more LEGOs. I should buy LEGO stock instead!

Resistance is futile....

Our homeschool co-op is working on putting together one or more teams, and I thought I might get a quick answer to a JFLL question here:

In the *Junior* FLL, are there robotics involved? There's not, right? Just a model made with Lego bricks?

No robots in JFLL....only LEGO bricks. Last year a motor was involved and you had to have at least one moving thing on your LEGO creation. Ours was a blender which moved. And something at the powerplant which moved. The motors are the new Power FUnctions motors in some of the newest TEchnic LEGO kits.

Hey I just got my catalog from Lego Education yesterday. The girls are going crazy! I may begin with simple machines and Engineering I before I invest in NXT. I'd really like to know more about that software from Carnegie Mellon that is supposed to be a course they can work through.
I did see a book: Maximum Lego NXT: Building robots with Java Brains.
One bullet describes: Learn JAVA, using our complete beginner's guide.
This looks promising for someone looking for additional challenge and it's good to see you can "grow" with the product because it's a considerable sum for a "toy"

You can program in several C-like languages as well as Java. But there are many adults who do some amazing things w/ NXT-G...sure the programming might be more challenging but it's certainly doable.

That LEGO ED catalogue certainly is enticing isn't it?

Yes, that calalog got everyone's engine revving around here, especially DH!

I'm glad to know there are so many possibilities with the system. That makes me feel better about the outlay of $. I'm glad I looked into it. I wonder why my friend was so discouraging of it. The way she described it, it sounded so lame and limiting. From what I see here, the girls can use it for a few years to come here doing different things. And if they aren't into it, it sure looks like DH will be! Maybe this is something DH and I can work on as a couple project if the girls ditch it. Getting carried away now...................

LOL Kids do this into college. Right now they are building LEGO MINDSTORMS robots to go up in the next Atmospheric balloon launch in AZ in the Fall. All sorts of things there - how to survive the pressure, how to survive the fall, what will the NXT be measuring etc. A few of the adults at the NXTSTEP blog don't have kids!

We do tend to go in phases like any toy....we pick it up hot and heavy, then move on to something else, then pick it up again. That's why I wanted to do the LEGO Mars Base Command mission - to give us something targeted to do.