Wonder Workshop Expands Blockly Pro with Python Support

Wonder Workshop, a provider of coding and robotics solutions for K-12 education, has expanded its Blockly Pro coding environment to include Python, enabling students to view the same program in three languages: Blockly, JavaScript, and Python. This update, announced by MORAVIA Education, aligns with the company's mission to inspire the next generation of inventors.

The new feature in Blockly Pro, which was introduced two years ago to support JavaScript, now includes Python, catering to students who are ready to transition to text-based programming. According to Alois Hübl, Managing Director of MORAVIA Consulting, "Evolving Blockly Pro to include Python carries forward the original mission of Wonder Workshop and ensures that the product continues to grow with the students it was built for."

With the addition of Python, students can now see how the blocks they use in Blockly are written as text in Python, facilitating a smoother transition to more advanced coding languages. The three views, Blockly, JavaScript, and Python, are accessible via icons at the top of the screen. Edits made in a text view are reflected in the block stack, providing a seamless learning experience.

In the text views, Python uses colons, indentation, and snake_case, while JavaScript employs braces, camelCase, and the `let` keyword. Variables, loops, conditionals, and functions work consistently across all three views. Even student-defined functions appear in Blockly after being written in text, allowing for a fluid transition between block-based and text-based programming.

The block palette remains open in text mode, with actions, events, control, variables, functions, math, and accessories displayed in the sidebar. Each block shows its text equivalent with a plain-language description of every parameter. For example, the "move distance 25 speed 20" block in the Blockly view appears as `actions.move(distance, speed)` in the Python view, with `distance` defined in centimeters and `speed` in centimeters per second.

Blockly Pro supports both the physical Dash robot and Virtual Dash, which renders the robot in a 3D environment on screen. This allows classes with fewer robots than students to code simultaneously. The programming interface is open to all users, and a Make Wonder subscription adds features such as the ability to save programs, assign Coding Pathways lessons, and a teacher dashboard to track student progress.

The availability of Python in Blockly Pro covers the commands in the block library, including variables, loops, conditionals, and functions. Code written outside this scope, using external libraries or structures not included in the block library, will not run. The feature is designed as a bridge from blocks to text for elementary and middle school classrooms, rather than as a full Python development environment.

MORAVIA Education, the U.S. home of Wonder Workshop's Dash, Primo Toys' Cubetto, and HP Robots Otto, plays a crucial role in bringing these educational tools to K-8 classrooms. With its portfolio of robotics and coding brands, MORAVIA Education supports the growing trend of integrating coding and robotics into primary and secondary education.

This update in Blockly Pro reflects a commitment to providing comprehensive learning tools that cater to different levels of programming proficiency. By offering Python alongside Blockly and JavaScript, Wonder Workshop ensures that students can explore programming languages in a seamless and engaging manner, paving the way for their future endeavors in technology and innovation.