Blackbird Announces First Ever Educational Version of JavaScript

First Educational Version of a Programming Language Enables Middle School Code Education - Bridging the Middle School Gap

News provided by

Blackbird

May 12, 2021, 08:07 ET

PORTLAND, Ore., May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbird today announced the official release of the world's first educational version of JavaScript. Blackbird's Educational Version of JavaScript, for the first time, makes it feasible for middle school students and teachers to learn to code – and forms the foundation of Blackbird's online system for middle school-focused code education.

"Traditionally, code teaching systems use unmodified programming languages. These are engineering tools, and are very unfriendly to beginners," said Ness Blackbird, cofounder of Blackbird. "Our educational version of JavaScript enables middle school students and teachers to learn real-world coding skills in a supportive, educational environment – all while having fun making their own games and animations."

"Not every student will grow up to be a software developer, but knowing how computers 'think' and how to logically solve a problem by breaking it down into steps, are skills that every student is going to need in the modern workforce," said Gordon Arnold, computer science professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. "Educational versions of programming languages, such as Blackbird's, seek to address this need by providing an environment where students can learn the coding concepts in a simple way, with immediate constructive feedback, enabling them to learn at a student-appropriate pace, and in an enjoyable manner."

Now in use in middle schools and coding academies throughout the country, Blackbird was built from the ground up to address the middle school gap in coding education – in a fun and engaging platform that can be administered by non-technical and technically trained teachers, instructors and parents. Blackbird's curriculum guides students through coding lessons aligned with standards identified in the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards for Math and English – as well as the Computer Science Teachers Association Computer Science standards. Blackbird's integrated LMS enables instructors to easily track student progress, review code and make direct comments.

Blackbird Educational JavaScript:

First educational version of a standard programming language
Fully functional version of JavaScript optimized for education rather than engineering
Built-in explanations provide real-time help for student mistakes, replacing cryptic error messages
Includes friendly debugger to help students track down and fix mistakes
Makes it possible for middle-school students to learn coding

Blackbird Education Platform:

Bridges the middle school CS gap between graphical teaching for elementary students and engineering tools in high school classes
Can be administered by all instructors and parents – regardless of technical expertise
Integrated Learning Management System (LMS)
Certified Pedagogical Quality
First three stages (42 lessons) provided for free
Aligned to Common Core, Next Generation Science and CSTA Learning Standards

Pricing and Availability:
The Blackbird education platform is now open for students, parents and instructors. Blackbird begins with a free, foundational section with additional advanced lessons available through a simple and affordable pricing structure that includes full support and professional development. For more information, visit Blackbird on the web at https://www.BlackbirdCode.com.

SOURCE Blackbird