Robots Help K-5 Students Learn About Coding Through Core Subjects
Robot creator Wonder
Workshop has made Dash, Dot and Blocky,
three robots that can be programmed with four different apps to respond
to
motion, sound and expressions. Accompanying the robots is a
standards-aligned
curriculum supplement intended to make coding instruction more
approachable for
teachers of students in grades K-5.
The 21 classroom-tested lesson plans Wonder Workshop
has just
released are meant to be a supplement to instruction in core subject
areas like
math, science and English language arts (ELA). They are available
through a
teachers' portal that Wonder World hopes teachers will use to
collaborate with
one another as well.
"Teachers often find it hard to take class time to
teach
coding unless the lesson plans align directly to the required
standards," said
Michelle Eckstein, a technology teacher at Peak
to Peak Charter School in
Lafayette, CO. "Using Blocky and Dash and Dot, teachers are empowered
to
bring coding skills into their classroom while addressing Common Core
math or
ELA standards."
With the portal, educators can test out, rate and
provide
feedback on existing lessons, as well as create new ones. The portal
features
an interactive school map that will help educators learn about
colleagues at
nearby schools who are also using Dash and Dot to teach their students
about
coding.
Wonder Workshop launched Dash and Dot in December
and 300
schools are already using the robots in their classrooms.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.