Creator of Popular Educational Robots Introduces Tools and Resources for District Wide Coding and Robotics Implementations
Wonder Workshop's Class Connect allows educators to confidently introduce state-of-the-art coding and robotics, tailored to the needs of individual students
PHILADELPHIA, June 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonder Workshop — maker of educational robots Dash, Dot, and Cue, that are used in more than 20,000 K-8 schools worldwide, and nearly 33% of school districts in the US — today announced the upcoming release of Class Connect, a suite of online tools for educators to implement cutting-edge coding and robotics in their entire school. Class Connect equips educators with tools to track students' skill development in real time as they play and learn with Dash and Dot, and expand their repertoire of rigorous, hands-on learning exercises, empowering them to meet each student where they are.
District and school leaders increasingly want to implement STEM, robotics, and computer science but need a way to provide every classroom with tools to engage every student. Educators implementing coding and computational thinking in their classrooms need support to understand where students are struggling and succeeding, and how to differentiate instruction. While many educators have made headway integrating technology into their instruction, they need better tools for effective district wide implementation to reach all students.
Wonder Workshop's Class Connect gives educators a clear learning progression for coding and robotics, the ability to track student progress in real time, and just-in-time resources for teachers without prior experience to tailor instruction for every student. Using Class Connect, teachers can check the entire class' understanding in real time and dive deeper into individual student's progress with a single click, saving them hours every day. Remote management of student devices, profiles, and challenges with Class Connect simplifies on-boarding and administration for class, school, and district wide implementations. Educators on the same school license can share dashboards with each other, giving technology specialists the ability to co-teach with classroom teachers to help them gain confidence with demonstrated student success.
"Over the last few years, educators have discovered that coding and robotics are powerful classroom tools to engage students, awaken curiosity and enthusiasm for learning through project-based learning," said Vikas Gupta, CEO and co-founder of Wonder Workshop. "With Class Connect, we are bringing robotics and coding education within reach for more educators, ensuring they have the support they need to foster the creativity, problem-solving skills, and joy that comes with high-quality robotics play."
Through Class Connect, educators will have access to the resources needed to bring state-of-the-art coding and robotics experiences into the classroom, including 23 groups of scaffolded coding and robotics challenges, extending from basics like sequencing and loops to advanced concepts like conditionals and variables. As students solve challenges in Wonder Workshop's kid-friendly robot programming app called Blockly, their completions, solutions, and time spent are captured in one place, making it easy for educators to see how they are doing and to access differentiated lessons that will serve each student's unique needs.
"When I introduced Dash and Dot into my classroom, it sparked an immediate rush of enthusiasm, as my students discovered the pride of creating something with their own brains. But, as they eagerly devoured the curriculum and progressed further and further, their needs also became more and more varied — I realized I would need additional support to ensure that each child had access to exercises that continued to challenge and excite them," said Kim Collazo, K-5 STEM Lab Teacher at Moore County Schools in North Carolina. "Class Connect has empowered my students to explore whole new facets of the coding and robotics realm, giving them the support and guidance to take their passion for robotics to new heights."
With a Class Connect annual subscription, educators also have access to Wonder Workshop's Learn to Code Curriculum, which includes a comprehensive scope and sequence, covering fundamental coding concepts across six coding levels and 36 lesson plans. Developed in response to educator demand, the curriculum meets CSTA, ISTE-S, and Common Core State Standards, and is aligned with Code.org's Computer Science Fundamentals series.
Class Connect was previewed this week at Wonder Workshop's booth (#1847) at ISTE 2019 in Philadelphia and will be available for purchase in August.
For more information on Class Connect, visit www.makewonder.com/classroom.
About Wonder Workshop
Wonder Workshop's mission is to inspire every home and classroom to be a place of innovation – where children, parents, and teachers solve problems of the future using tools created by Wonder Workshop. The company is committed to helping children succeed in the 21st century and developing in-depth experiences that balance fun and learning, promote collaboration, and provide enduring value to both girls and boys at home and in the classroom. Wonder Workshop's award-winning products are used by millions at home and in more than 20,000 schools worldwide, with educators applauding their ease of use and the collaboration they inspire while introducing coding to kids.
SOURCE Wonder Workshop
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