Unruly Launches Active Play Coding Program for Elementary and Middle Schools

BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Edtech company, Unruly Studios, is bringing their passion for combining physical activity with learning the basics of coding to schools. This Fall, the company launched their one-of-a-kind STEM learning tool and school bundles in schools across the US and Canada.

To encourage kids to be active while they code rather than sitting at a desk, the company created Unruly Splats - super-durable, programmable devices that light up, make sounds, and sense when they are stomped on. Students code Splats using the company's block-coding app on a Chromebook or tablet to create their own games and play them with classmates. Students have created fun-to-play games like radioactive whack-a-mole, animal relay races, and obstacle courses around school desks to name a few.

Bryanne Leeming, CEO of Unruly said, "We originally envisioned Splats as a way for kids to learn to code at home, but since we announced the product earlier this year, we have had an incredible response from schools. We learned that teachers and principals are looking for an affordable, effective STEM tool and their students love the idea of programming games."

While visiting elementary and middle schools, Leeming noticed that coding tools like robots and other STEM products frequently sitting unused on a shelf gathering dust.

Leeming explained, "I talked to over 150 principals who told me that many of their teachers are not experienced in computer programming or have never been trained to teach it. As a result, many STEM tools go underutilized. We realized there was a need for ongoing training and just-in-time support to help teachers integrate coding and STEM into their existing curriculum. To meet this need, we created a school plan that bundles our Splats and block coding app with live online training, lesson plans, support videos, and an online community where teachers can share and learn from each other."

Throughout the development of Unruly Splats and the school plans, Leeming worked closely with Dr. Amon Millner, Olin College professor and co-founder of Scratch, a block-coding language developed at the MIT Media Lab. He played a key role in developing the block-coding system on the Unruly Splats App and provided insights into the needs of educators. Millner also helped create a series of video tutorials for educators using Unruly Splats to familiarize them with the Unruly App and the basics of coding concepts.

Millner explained, "We design our experiences to include physical play at the core of coding with classmates. Kids naturally create their own games on the playground, so we want to bring their creativity and rule-making to learning the fundamentals of code" We also developed a growing library of lesson plans that align with NGSS, CSTA, and PE standards for grades 1-7 to ensure that our offerings add value to a variety of school experiences."

To kick off the launch of their school plans, Unruly is announcing a Twitter sweepstakes contest open to any school teacher or administrator in the US and Canada. They are giving away a 12-Splat 1-Year School Plan valued at $1,200. The contest is held on their twitter account and runs until October 31st, 2019.

Unruly Studios has already seen the contest take off in the first few days. Leeming stated, "It's been great to see enthusiastic entries from teachers and hear their creative ideas for Splats! For example, we have had a ton of excitement from PE teachers who are thrilled to bring Splats to their PE classes."

About Unruly Studios: Unruly Studios is an edtech company that empowers students to learn critical STEM skills through active, social recess-style play! Their flagship product, Unruly Splats, are super-durable, programmable devices that light up, make sounds, and sense when they are stomped on. Splats were designed as an affordable school-wide tool that integrates easily into a variety of elementary and middle school learning spaces, including: STEM, PE, Technology classes, Libraries, After-School Programs, and Makerspaces.

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SOURCE Unruly Studios