Piper,
a leading STEAM education startup delivers PiperCode Spanish in a free
update to the Piper Computer Kit. Providing multilingual coding support
and resources, PiperCode Spanish addresses the current gaps in access
and equity to STEAM education. PiperCode is project-based learning
software that teaches coding in Google’s Blockly
environment and now provides multilingual support. PiperCode Spanish
enables wider access to STEAM and Computer Science education.
“At STEM.org,
we always take into consideration accessibility when products are
submitted for authentication, and PiperCode Spanish addresses the needs
of a growing audience of STEAM learners which distinguishes it from
other kits on the market and which helped it achieve a perfect score
during our evaluation process,” said Andrew B. Raupp founder of STEM.org
Educational Research.
Equal access to STEAM learning opportunities is critical to avoid
underrepresentation in the workforce. As a continuation of Piper’s
mission to create greater access to STEAM and Computer Science education
opportunities, PiperCode expands to offer multilingual learning.
Addressing the critical need for STEAM education English language
learners (ELL) resources, Piper chose to provide PiperCode Spanish as
its first offering. ELL’s and those who are learning a second language
or Dual language learners (DLL) can explore computational thinking,
increased comprehension and build stronger connections in both language
and coding with PiperCode Spanish.
“The population of English learners in public schools has grown to
almost 4.6 million students nationwide,” said Jose Vasquez, STEM Program
Manager, Porterville Unified School District. “It’s exciting to see
Piper addressing the needs of the traditionally underserved ELL students
with their launch of PiperCode Spanish, helping close the equity and
access gap for STEAM Education.”
What is PiperCode Spanish?
-
Gives students hands-on learning for programming electronics such as
LED lights, buzzers and games and includes 11 different coding
projects that get progressively more challenging. -
Demystifies coding by teaching programming with tangible physical
objects like electronics and hardware in a collaborative, engaging and
motivating game-based learning environment. -
Is a free update and available by download from the Piper Computer Kit
home screen. New Piper Computer Kits include PiperCode Spanish upgrade
already integrated. -
Removes learning barriers and fosters creative problem-solving skills
that build confidence through discovery and play. -
Balanced hybrid of augmented text-based and visual programming
languages and powered by a customized version of Google’s open source
programming language, Blockly.
“Piper’s mission is to empower students and educators with better access
to STEAM learning. When we designed the hands-on Piper experience,
equity was part of our vision,” said Melissa Belardi, Head of Education,
Piper. “If we can change the life of just one student through our
dynamic, engaging and student-centered Computer Science and STEAM
programs, we will be doing our job.”
About Piper
Piper,
Inc., founded in 2014 is an award-winning STEAM edtech startup
committed to providing the highest quality STEAM education opportunities
for learners and classrooms around the globe. Located in San Francisco,
CA, Piper creates student-centered, hands-on learning experiences backed
by the most current pedagogy. Piper supports educators with an easy to
implement curriculum for teaching STEAM that is standards-aligned along
with professional development ensuring successful classroom
implementations. Piper builds confidence in STEAM education through
project-based learning, spreads digital fluency to students of all
backgrounds and inspires the inventors of tomorrow.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190508005951/en/