Watch Keynote on Demand

At the Opening Keynote of our Spring International STEAM Summit, we were thrilled to have our very own Bryan Miller, Senior Director Global Strategic Outreach, announce several exciting new developments that have been in the works at Wonder Workshop.

We have been working hard to bring you new, innovative features that will meet your needs and enhance your ability to teach students important lessons in coding, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

In case you missed it, here’s what Bryan announced!

• We are excited to introduce Blockly Pro to Class Connect subscribers! We are releasing this Blockly Pro web-app in BETA in the next few weeks. Blockly Pro will enable students to program Dash using text-based coding so that students can transition from Blockly to Javascript. If you are familiar with the Cue app, many of the features of Blockly Pro will be familiar to you.

Are you a Class Connect subscriber interested in experiencing Blockly Pro for yourself? Share your interest here: https://forms.gle/bG78CW59HtwPTe8A7

Be First to Access Blockly Pro

• Coding Pathways, our online, multimedia coding lessons, will add levels A-C of the code.org standards. We currently offer Coding Pathways for levels D-F, so this addition will complete the program.

• In time for Back-to-School, we will introduce a new FREE tier of Class Connect, called Class Connect Basic. It will provide all teachers access to Class Connect so that a teacher can create and manage a classroom of up to 35 students who maintain their own progress through the Blockly Puzzles that teachers can monitor. Other features of Class Connect will be available with a paid subscription.

• Read Aloud support, which is already available for Blockly Puzzles, is coming to Coding Pathways, as well as all Math activities in Class Connect. Now, pre-readers will have the support they need to take advantage of all of the learning tools inside of Class Connect, by clicking on a Read-Aloud toggle when they need it.

• Our suite of online professional courses will be updated and improved in time for Back to School. The upgraded courses will include all of the new features we are introducing in Class Connect and Blockly.

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WEBINAR DETAILS

 

About

With so much great content and so many choices, it can be hard to know where to begin! Join us for this webinar where we will map out the flow for implementing a vibrant coding and robotics program that meets kids where they are and takes them on an engaging journey.

By starting with 1:1 student access to Virtual Dash & Blockly puzzles, moving through our Coding Pathways online lessons, and transitioning to hands-on learning with physical Dash robots, your students will experience a holistic approach to achieving coding literacy.

 

When

Wed, March 22, 2023 · 3:00 PM (EDT)

Register

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WEBINAR DETAILS

 

About

Teaching coding is about to get a whole lot easier! Our Class Connect platform for teachers enables you to turbocharge Blockly for your students by unlocking Coding Pathways and our Virtual Dash Robot inside. In this webinar you will learn how these tools enable your students to learn coding and robotics skills by following onscreen instruction and completing in-app challenges and activities! Now students can work at their own pace, and be totally hands-on and minds-on while they learn important coding skills!

 

When

Wed, Aug 24, 2022 · 3:00 PM (EDT)

 Add to calendar

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Teaching Coding and Robotics is about to get a whole lot easier. Join us in this webinar where we will share how Virtual-Dash and Class Connect are the perfect partners in the classroom. Then we will explore how to expand your program to a 1:1 virtual robot learning environment by allowing students to tackle coding challenges with ease. These online tools will expand your coding and robotics program to reach ALL students! You will also get a sneak peak into our new curriculum called Coding Pathways.

Watch on Demand

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For this year’s Hour of Code, Wonder Workshop held a very special, student-facing 1-hour webinar with Bryan L. Miller, Senior Director of Global Strategic Outreach at Wonder Workshop. Bryan led over 10,000 students through a lesson all about robot sensors, and utilized Dash’s Neighborhood, Wonder Workshop’s virtual robot simulator, where students were able to further test out the sensors in the virtual platform.

“Dash’s Neighborhood brings the magic of  our physical Dash robot to screens of students, no matter where they are in the world. This truly allows children to bring coding and furthermore, robotics, to where students learn, any time, anywhere,” say’s Bryan. He goes on to share, “this is especially important in today’s world, where students don’t have the access of learning tools, as they do while being in school, or under non pandemic conditions. Now, all students can learn this week for free, as we have unlocked Dash’s Neighborhood available to all students for CS Ed Week.”

Dash’s Neighborhood is a subscription-based service, a part of Class Connect, Wonder Workshops’s coding-focused learning management system. Throughout Computer Science Education Week, from December 7-11, students can play on Dash’s Neighborhood for free, with no sign-up process. To gain access to Dash’s Neighborhood for your students, and playback of the student-facing lesson, you can sign up below and you will be emailed information.

View Recording

Click on the videos below to view some additional Q&A responses from the Wonder Workshop team that weren’t answered live on air.

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Wonder Workshop would like to share the following opportunity to our educator community:

Opportunity for Early Childhood Technology (ECT) Graduate Certificate

Learn from past Wonder Workshop EdWeb webinar presenters Amanda Sullivan this fall for the online seminar on Technological Tools for Playful Learning and Angie Kalthoff in the online seminar in Designing Educational and Technological Environments for Children in the spring of 2020. 

Interested in learning more about early childhood technologies like Dash and Dot, Scratch JR and more? Consider joining the Tufts Early Childhood Technology (ECT) program, directed by Prof. Marina Umaschi Bers. Online classes make learning flexible for busy professionals and parents. To join ECT this September, apply by August, 1st, 2019. All students receive a robotics kit! 

Early Application Promotion: Submit your completed application for ECT by July 26th and receive a FREE copy of Dr. Amanda Sullivan’s new book Breaking the STEM Stereotype: Reaching Girls in Early Childhood. In the book, you’ll learn how to boost girls confidence & interest in STEM with hands-on activities and developmentally appropriate technologies. 

Questions? Contact Angie Kalthoff, the ECT Program Manager at: angela.kalthoff@tufts.edu

The post Engaging Beyond the Webinar – “Getting Started with Robotics in the K-8 Classroom” appeared first on Wonder Workshop - US.

Meet Angie

My name is Angie Kalthoff and I am currently a Technology Integrationist in St. Cloud, Minnesota. I began my teaching career as an English as a Second Language teacher in an elementary setting in 2008. Over the past seven years, I have worked with educators and students as a coach, co-teacher, curriculum designer, and professional development facilitator. I love designing approaches for integrating technology and computer science in the classroom and sharing them with other educators!

I believe that all kids should have a chance to learn with a playful approach and see the connection to what they are learning and the world they live in. I see coding as a skill that encourages collaboration, communication, communication, and creativity. My curiosity was piqued with coding, which led to wanting to learn more about Computer Science (CS). Then CS led me to dig into computational thinking. As I continue to learn, I am excited to see what I will learn about next. I am excited to share CS education with other educators through my role as a Computer Science Fundamentals facilitator with Code.org and as a CIRCL Educators’ Educator.

Meet Ann

My name is Ann Bartel and I am the Technology Integrator for Chilton School District.  This new role comes after teaching Physical Education (gym class!) for 30 years. After being bitten by the technology bug by using “Spell check” on an Apple 2e computer, I was inspired to use technology to make teaching easier. While sharing this philosophy with co-teachers I obtained obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Marian University.  I often describe myself as a poster child for “yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks.”

I believe technology in the classroom should support great teaching & learning and should empower digital learners by providing resources that will allow them to become digital citizens, leaders, and creative individuals.

Any educator can introduce coding and robotics to their students with the right tools and resources. Not sure where to begin? In this webinar, we will share recommendations for technology, classroom strategies and lessons, as well as integration ideas that made our students curious, passionate, and successful with these new skills.

Reserve your spot in the webinar today.

Find more resources for getting started.

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Our Stories

Meet Kim

My name is Kim Collazo and I have a passion for integrating the engineering design process and STEM activities into my students’ daily lives! A classroom teacher for more than twenty-five years, I have always looked for ways for my students to leverage technology to create rather than just consume. Four years ago I joined our team of Digital Integration Facilitators, and became immersed in the outstanding robotics and engineering program that our county provides for students Pre-K to 12th grade.

At Robbins Elementary, I teach STEM classes to all of our Pre-K through 5th grade students. I create engineering and coding lessons, co-teach, and provide professional development to help teachers seamlessly integrate various technology into the curriculum. We continue to convert our old computer lab into a wonderful STEM lab filled with robots, Virtual Reality, 3D printing, and other hands-on tools that help us address the curriculum and prepare our students for the future.

Our population is diverse and many of our students are just learning English. In addition to seeking the best ways to meet the needs of all students, I have always been interested in changing the perceptions and opportunities for our girls when it comes to STEM. I am dedicated to creating programs and activities that are helping all of our students, but especially our girls, develop the self-assuredness that they can become anything they want to be!

Meet Amanda

My name is Amanda Sullivan and I’m passionate about designing technologies and STEM curriculum for young children. I’m the Associate Director of the Early Childhood Technology program at Tufts University, where I work with educators from around the world on how to teach technology and engineering in developmentally appropriate and playful ways. I’m also a post-doctoral researcher at the Devtech Research Group, where I investigate gender differences in children’s experiences with robotics. In my new book, Breaking the STEM Stereotype: Reaching Girls in Early Childhood I discuss how to boost girls’ confidence and interest in STEM.

My research is inspired by my own childhood. Growing up, I heard things like, “your brother is better at math because he’s a boy.” I remember sweaty palms and anxiety in my STEM classes. I never learned about female engineers or scientists. It wasn’t until adulthood that I discovered I could code, solder, and assemble robots- who knew?! More importantly, I gained confidence in myself and realized (for the first time) I was able to master technical skills. Nobody should wait as long as I did for that realization! I want girls – and all children –  to be encouraged to pursue any passion and to believe in their ability to succeed.

Join the Conversation

Beginning in kindergarten, educators can ensure that children of any gender or background are given equal access to STEM. Not sure where to start? In this webinar we will share curriculum and research-based tips to transform your teaching. We’ll discuss new technologies and teaching strategies (including no-tech approaches!) that will inspire, excite, and engage the next generation of female scientists and engineers.

Watch this edWebinar on demand!

Find more resources for inspiring STEM learning.

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