Nova Scotia Elementary School Students Learn to Code Through Active Play

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May 03, 2023, 08:39 ET

Unruly Splats expand to 175 schools in Nova Scotia and reach 3.5 million "stomps" among students in grades P-12 across the province

HALIFAX, NS, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning to code doesn't have to happen in front of a computer screen; it can be as collaborative and active as playing games like tag and whack-a-mole! That's how thousands of students across Nova Scotia are now introduced to computer science education with the help of Unruly Splats.

Students at New Minas Elementary won the award for the most stomps in March's Stomp Madness Competition.

Unruly Splats are colorful, durable devices that students stomp on to make them light up, play sounds, and collect points as they create and play games that promote movement and collaboration. To date, students across Nova Scotia have tracked over 3.5 million stomps with Unruly Splats–the equivalent of 600,000 calories burned!

"Being a big fan of movement in the classroom and always trying to find ways to incorporate hands-on-learning with my students, I knew that Unruly Splats were going to be a perfect fit," said Amanda Mangione, a grade 4 and 5 French immersion teacher at Burton Ettinger Elementary in Halifax. "Students learn best when they are having fun! Splats introduce play, exercise, and coding all together to help students cultivate a love for computer science at a young age."

Over the past three years, 175 elementary and middle schools in Nova Scotia have adopted Unruly Splats to turn computer science education upside down by combining coding and active play across subject areas including PE, science, French, and general education.

"Unruly Splats help build confidence and competence in all students by engaging them in the subject matter both physically and mentally," said Nykola Killam, a teacher at Dr. John C Wickwire Academy. "The program inspires students to want to participate in the learning process and teaches important team building skills. It's been particularly fun making connections to schools across the province that also use Unruly Splats through exciting competitions."

Unruly Splats help schools fulfill a range of high priority objectives by offering:

Cross-curricular coding: Rather than squeezing computer science in as a standalone subject, Unruly Splats allow teachers to incorporate coding into any class, including PE, general education, science, and even music!
Teacher training and support: Unruly Splats build on the professional development opportunities provided in Nova Scotia with ideas for creative lesson plans and hands-on training that empower teachers to incorporate STEM into any classroom.
Recess-like play combined with STEM: The games kids build and play with Unruly Splats encourage physical movement, competition, and collaboration in a way that inspires greater engagement.

"Nova Scotia's cross-curricular approach to computer science education is a model for how to introduce coding in a way that breaks down stereotypes and inspires more kids to feel confident in STEM," said Bryanne Leeming, CEO and Founder of Unruly Studios, the maker of Unruly Splats.

To learn more, visit www.unrulysplats.com.

About Unruly Studios

Unruly Studios is the creator of Unruly Splats, the first STEM learning tool that combines coding with active-play. Students build their own games with programmable floor buttons that they can code to light up, make sounds, and collect points when stomped on. Unruly Studios' vision is to create an electronic playground that makes learning more playful, collaborative, and inclusive. The team is made up of experts in cognitive science, toy manufacturing, education, and technology who bring broad industry experience from Scratch, Hasbro, Mattel, Nickelodeon, iRobot, Disney, and MIT Media Lab.

Media Contact:
Charlotte Ward
(530) 563-6860
[email protected]

SOURCE Unruly Studios