LEGO Educational & Dacta Discussion Thread

[Exetrius]

I couldn't find an Educational & Dacta discussion topic (neither via the Special themes index, nor via the search option), so I made one. Please move or merge this topic when necessary. Without further ado:

2000451-1: The Panama Canal 

(didn't find this myself, it appeared on Brickset a few days earlier)

The images I found:

45022 Community Minifigure Set

 

45023 Fantasy Minifigure Set

 

Sources: http://www.brickshop.nl/lego-minifigs.html, http://www.nikostine.dk/shop/indelegetoj/maerker/lego

 

[Capparezza]

Hmm, those minifigure sets look quite nice. I heard the Panama Canal set can only be bought in Panama, is this true?

[Exetrius]

1 hour ago, Capparezza said:

Hmm, those minifigure sets look quite nice. I heard the Panama Canal set can only be bought in Panama, is this true?

Yes, it is true according to the Brickset article. Production will be limited to 40,000 sets, price will be around $250.

[Robert8]

Both minifigures sets look awesome. 

Is that Wall-E?

The Snow Queen looks... weird

The baby again! Babies galore

 

[MAB]

What is the girl with the pink hat and green ears meant to be. Did they just make too many Green Goblin parts and need to get rid of them?

[Exetrius]

5 hours ago, MAB said:

What is the girl with the pink hat and green ears meant to be. Did they just make too many Green Goblin parts and need to get rid of them?

A cosplayer, maybe?   I've seen a whole bucket full of them at a Build a Minifigure seller stand at Brick Mania Antwerp, a week ago, those seemed fresh from the factory. Could be overproduction indeed. 

Its really nice to see the Princess Tamina hair moulded in white. I will definitely try to get that!

[koalayummies]

The Panama Canal set is so cool. Bummer its not available everywhere and the price is a bit steep but very cool. 

[notpennysboat]

I like the Fantasy Minifigures sets, having a medieval fantasy collection, it can be usefull. The Snow Queen and the 2 girls in red will be turned into handmaidens and I need to find a green body and a head for the goblin. The other characters will go with their respective groups in my collection and story or will turn into special characters. I'll see :) .

Edited November 23, 2016 by notpennysboat

[Crazy Packers Fan]

I'd really like that Panama Canal set. The price isn't all that ridiculous to me for being a special set, but probably going to be almost impossible to get.

[DarrellBricker]

The fantasy minifigure set is kind of silly, and not in a good way - if you're going to put a witch hat on a figure, then put her in black, not a purple ensemble. What is she supposed to be? Suburban Soccer Mom Witch? And someone already pointed out the weirdness with the green goblin hat. The only real thing it has going for it is as a parts pack, in my opinion, but your mileage may vary. :D 

[Rockmaninoff]

Here is a link where you can purchase the Panama Canal set:

https://www.panamastem.com/shop/2000451/set-del-canal-de-panama/

It comes to $300 including shipping to the US. I went ahead and ordered one and plan to publish a parts list and LDD file once I have it in my hands! I'm guessing the parts are very common so it should be pretty easy to assemble from your collection or BrickLink.

[Exetrius]

19 hours ago, Rockmaninoff said:

Here is a link where you can purchase the Panama Canal set:

https://www.panamastem.com/shop/2000451/set-del-canal-de-panama/

It comes to $300 including shipping to the US. I went ahead and ordered one and plan to publish a parts list and LDD file once I have it in my hands! I'm guessing the parts are very common so it should be pretty easy to assemble from your collection or BrickLink.

Thanks for sharing and thanks in advance for the parts list! 

[Rockmaninoff]

Here's my review of the Panama Canal set: http://brickset.com/reviews/51223 There are also links to an LDD LXF file and more images on that page.

It's a fun build, but overpriced in my opinion.

[Exetrius]

2 hours ago, Rockmaninoff said:

Here's my review of the Panama Canal set: http://brickset.com/reviews/51223 There are also links to an LDD LXF file and more images on that page.

It's a fun build, but overpriced in my opinion.

A big thank you for your elaborate, helpful review! 

[Exetrius]

So, I just found out that this is actually labeled an educational set:

Bricklink lists it simply as "william-1". Release in 2016, limited to 400 copies. 

(https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=william-1#T=P)

 

In other news, I recently got the braided pony tail piece in white, exclusive to 45023, from Bricks & Pieces. 

[Umbra-Manis]

Why does that exist? 

And the printing seems very substandard.

[Robert8]

[Exetrius]

Ah, I see! The middle one is new to me, as it isn't in the Brickset database. @Robert8 Thanks for posting in this thread! 

The contents are nothing too exciting, but most of the parts are available for purchase on B&P, most notably the Kingdoms torso. Also: the interesting space parts. 

[Exetrius]

45678 - SPIKE Prime Set

 

45680 - Expansion set

 

Surprising addition to the Education line! The wild colour scheme and the frame elements definitely remind of the funky end-90's ZNAP and Technic sets.

And then there's the robot system, which works hopefully equally good as it looks! 

Brickset article about the various new parts: https://brickset.com/article/43035/spike-prime-new-parts

Edited April 3, 2019 by Exetrius

[Digger of Bricks]

Not sure if this should go here or what, but... 

The Brick Fan - LEGO to Release LEGO Braille Bricks for Visually Impaired Children

Quote

THE LEGO FOUNDATION AND LEGO GROUP TEAM UP WITH BLIND ASSOCIATIONS TO PILOT LEGO® BRAILLE BRICKS AND DEVELOP CHILDREN’S BREADTH OF SKILLS

Motivated By Stories And Ideas From Blind People Around The World, The LEGO Foundation And LEGO Group Will Pilot A Grassroots Innovation That Can Help Blind And Visually Impaired Children Learn Through Play Using LEGO® Bricks.

Paris, France April 24: Today, The LEGO Foundation And LEGO Group Will Announce Their Support Of A Pioneering Project That Will Help Blind And Visually Impaired Children Learn Braille In A Playful And Engaging Way Using Braille Customised LEGO® Bricks. The Project, LEGO Braille Bricks, Will Be Unveiled Today At The Sustainable Brands Conference In Paris, France.

The Concept Behind LEGO Braille Bricks Was First Proposed To The LEGO Foundation In 2011 By The Danish Association Of The Blind And Again In 2017 By The Brazilian-Based Dorina Nowill Foundation For The Blind. It Has Since Been Further Shaped In Close Collaboration Among Blind Associations From Denmark, Brazil, UK, And Norway And The First Prototypes Are Now In Those Same Countries For Concept Testing.

“With Thousands Of Audiobooks And Computer Programs Now Available, Fewer Kids Are Learning To Read Braille,” Said Philippe Chazal, Treasurer Of The European Blind Union. “This Is Particularly Critical When We Know That Braille Users Often Are More Independent, Have A Higher Level Of Education And Better Employment Opportunities. We Strongly Believe LEGO Braille Bricks Can Help Boost The Level Of Interest In Learning Braille, So We’re Thrilled That The LEGO Foundation Is Making It Possible To Further This Concept And Bring It To Children Around The World.”

LEGO Braille Bricks Will Be Moulded With The Same Number Of Studs Used For Individual Letters And Numbers In The Braille Alphabet, While Remaining Fully Compatible With The LEGO System In Play. To Ensure The Tool Is Inclusive Allowing Sighted Teachers, Students And Family Members To Interact On Equal Terms, Each Brick Will Also Feature A Printed Letter Or Character. This Ingenious Combination Brings A Whole New And Playful Approach To Get Blind And Visually Impaired Children Interested In Learning Braille, Enabling Them To Develop A Breadth Of Skills Needed To Thrive And Succeed In A Fast-Paced World.

LEGO Group Senior Art Director, Morten Bonde, Who Suffers From A Genetic Eye Disorder That Is Gradually Turning Him Blind, Worked As An Internal Consultant On The Project. Morten Currently Has 4-Degree Sight Left But Is Determined Not To Let His Loss Of Sight Limit Him.

“Experiencing Reactions From Both Students And Teachers To LEGO Braille Bricks Has Been Hugely Inspirational And Reminded Me That The Only Limitations I Will Meet In Life Are Those I Create In My Mind. The Children’s Level Of Engagement And Their Interest In Being Independent And Included On Equal Terms In Society Is So Evident. I Am Moved To See The Impact This Product Has On Developing Blind And Visually Impaired Children’s Academic Confidence And Curiosity Already In Its Infant Days.”

The Product Is Currently Being Tested In Danish, Norwegian, English And Portuguese, While German, Spanish And French Will Be Tested In Q3 2019. The Final LEGO Braille Bricks Kit Is Expected To Launch In 2020 And Will Be Distributed Free Of Charge To Select Institutions Through Participating Partner Networks In The Markets Where Testing Is Being Carried Out With Partners. It Will Contain Approximately 250 LEGO Braille Bricks Covering The Full Alphabet, Numbers 0-9, Select Math Symbols And Inspiration For Teaching And Interactive Games.

“Blind And Visually Impaired Children Have Dreams And Aspirations For Their Future Just As Sighted Children” Said John Goodwin, CEO Of The LEGO Foundation. “They Have The Same Desire And Need To Explore The World And Socialise Through Play, But Often Face Involuntary Isolation As A Consequence Of Exclusion From Activities. In The LEGO Foundation, We Believe Children Learn Best Through Play And In Turn Develop The Breadth Of Skills, Such As Creativity, Collaboration And Communication, That They Need In The Post 4th Industrial Revolution. With This Project, We Are Bringing A Playful And Inclusive Approach To Learning Braille To Children. I Hope Children, Parents, Caregivers, Teachers And Practitioners Worldwide Will Be As Excited As We Are, And We Can’t Wait To See The Positive Impact.”

 

[Digger of Bricks]

On 4/24/2019 at 11:10 PM, Digger of Bricks said:

Not sure if this should go here or what, but... 

The Brick Fan - LEGO to Release LEGO Braille Bricks for Visually Impaired Children

New Elementary - LEGO® BRAILLE BRICKS