Last week, we were excited to be joined by Tim Tomaso from the Wonder Workshop Coding Development team to put on a webinar for educators interested in using the virtual Dash program in remote and hybrid learning. For those who may not know, the Wonder Workshop team has gone above and beyond to ensure that their coding and robotics tools (or, at least, digital variations of them) remain available to students who might be learning from home. The availability of the Dash's Neighborhood platform allows kids to explore coding concepts and create authentic programs online just like they would with the physical Dash Robot.
We had educators in the audience from all around the country and even a few international appearances. As you'd expect, Tim’s presentation was great and audience participation was great to see as well. There were many insightful questions as teachers were thinking up new and creative ways to use technology in remote learning. In the broadcast, Tim covered the virtual Dash from its coding perspective, which is the important side of things. He also talked a lot about Wonder Workshop’s Class Connect service, which is subscription based. However, it adds access to classroom management tools and Dash’s Neighborhood.
We won’t spoil it all but Tim talked about accessing Wonder Workshop's Class Connect, which is free in 2020. Typically, it comes in the Wonder Workshop packs, which you can access on our store, and teachers can choose one, two, or three years of Class Connect. All they need is the account to set up their classes, creating an individual profile for each student. Also, in Class Connect, there's access to the Blockly editor, so kids can create programs with their virtual Dash. Teachers can also view which CS challenges students complete, where they left off, and where they might get tripped up, making it incredibly valuable especially in distance learning.
It was a great webinar and fantastic way of connecting with teachers throughout our community. We thank Tim for hosting and hope you'll watch the recording for more about using the Dash in coding instruction. To find our list of Wonder Workshop offerings, which are also viable for remote and hybrid STEAM, explore our store. And, follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more STEM, remote learning, and other interesting educational content for teachers!