Developer of Popular Educational Robots Introduces K-5 Coding Curriculum

SAN ANTONIO, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonder Workshop, creators of iconic Dash & Dot robots, now used in over 12,000 elementary schools to support creative problem solving, coding, and robotics, today released the Learn to Code Curriculum, designed to provide K-5 educators with resources that support the introduction of coding and robotics through project-based learning.

According to recent research from Gallup and Google, a majority of parents, teachers, and principals  expect elementary schools to offer access to computer science experiences for young learners. Wonder Workshop's new Learn to Code Curriculum, released at the 2017 ISTE Conference, is designed to enable educators that may lack familiarity with coding to integrate basic computer science principles and robotics into their classroom, through engaging project-based curriculum and resources.

"Wonder Workshops engaging approach to coding and robotics helps my students develop the fundamental skills of collaboration, problem solving, and persistence through engaging, hands-on activities that enhance lessons in all subjects", said Tiffany Hogg, a first grade teacher in Fredericksburg, PA. "Coding and robotics can be present intimidating subject matter–I found Dash & Dot remarkably easy-to-use. I'm excited to see Wonder Workshop continue to make coding and robotics accessible to any teacher or student."

The Learn to Code Curriculum includes a comprehensive scope and sequence, covering six fundamental coding concepts across six coding levels, with 24 lesson plans and 72 student-facing Challenge Cards. Developed in response to educator demand, the curriculum meets CSTA, ISTE-S, and Common Core State Standard and is aligned with Code.org's Computer Science Fundamentals series.

"We are inspired by the number of educators who have introduced Dash & Dot into their classrooms. The K-5 Learn to Code Curriculum is the first in a series of new tools and resources Wonder Workshop is releasing as part of our ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of educators," said Vikas Gupta, CEO and co-founder of Wonder Workshop. "Our new tools and educator resources are designed to make it easy for even more educators to infuse coding and robotics into their classroom through project-based learning."

Dash & Dot are programmable robots that, with a magic mix of robust hardware and sophisticated software, encourage interest in computer science for students as young as five years old. Now used in over 12,000 elementary classrooms worldwide, form the basis for the fast-growing Wonder League Robotics Competition, which drew more than 20,000 participants from 52 countries last year. The third annual Wonder League Robotics Competition is expanding to allow for more participation. The competition will kick off in September 2017 and run through mid-February 2018. A new invitational round will take place in March and April 2018.

At ISTE, Wonder Workshop also released a series of education bundles which combine the curriculum, robots, and accessories educators need to get the most out of Dash & Dot in their classroom. Recently released software includes new programs aligned to the Learn to Code Curriculum, as well as interface updates that make it easier to use in the classroom.

About Wonder Workshop
Based in San Mateo, CA, Wonder Workshop was founded in 2012 by Vikas Gupta, Saurabh Gupta and Mikal Greaves, inventors, designers, programmers and parents with the mission to make coding a new creative tool that is accessible for children from age five and beyond. Wonder Workshop launched Dash & Dot in December 2014 and within its first month, delivered more than $3.5M in robots to 37 countries. Dash & Dot are award-winning, hands-on learning tools that teach K-5 students creative problem solving, coding and robotics. Designed for teachers to use alongside classroom-tested, state standards-aligned curriculum built by fellow educators, Dash & Dot encourage interest in STEM fields at formative ages and across gender lines. The company has currently raised $15.9 million in funding from Madrona Venture Group, CRV, WI Harper, Google Ventures, Bright Success Capital, Maven Ventures, Vikas Gupta, Reza Hussein and Jeff Schox. For more information, visit http://www.makewonder.com.

SOURCE Wonder Workshop

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