(Dallas, TX) June 20, 2018 — RoboKind, the creators of robots4autism and Milo, today introduced Jett, the coding and programming robot, along with the robots4STEM curriculum designed to teach all students, including those with disabilities, the skills they need to ignite a lasting interest in STEM. Jett is the younger sibling of RoboKind’s facially expressive robot Milo, and provides all students, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the opportunity to explore STEM, coding, and programming.
The CDC recently announced the number of students identified as on the autism spectrum is rising, and 70–75% of those individuals are either unemployed or underemployed. Jett directly tackles one of the biggest challenges in STEM education for all students, including ASD individuals, and ultimately the workplace: the critical shortage of students who say they want to pursue careers in technology.
“Jett has the power to create neurodiversity in the workplace, which allows for a rich work environment when recognized and accounted for,” said Dr. Gregory Firn, the chief operating officer of RoboKind. “Individuals with ASD often thrive in process-driven, repetitious settings, which aligns with skills needed to learn coding and programming. With Jett, we’re empowering all students to be agents of their own education, and giving a number of traditionally underserved groups the access to coding and STEM that they deserve.”
Jett includes an entire curriculum of ready-made lessons that don’t require teachers to become coders or have any previous experience or background with coding. The project-based, self-paced continuum of learning starts with simple lessons and progresses to complex topics. Students self-direct their learning. They don’t depend on or require interaction with others, which has proven to be successful for students on the autism spectrum because it provides a safe, non-judgmental, and engaging environment. To get started, each student learns visual/block-coding basics through programing their virtual avatar, and when the code on-screen is correct, the student sends the commands to the robot, which executes what it has been told to do.
“As a result of interacting with Jett, users report more girls are interested in signing up for computer science courses at the middle school level, and are starting to picture themselves in STEM careers,” said Firn. “In addition, more students of color are having positive coding and programming experiences, and parents have been impressed with their students’ ability to learn coding and programming so quickly.”
At the ISTE conference on June 25th and 26th, RoboKind will share Jett with the education press at the PR with Panache! Storytelling Suite. To make an appointment, please contact Chris Piehler. Educators can also see Jett in action at booth #2238.
To learn more about Jett, sign up for a free trail and a demo. Also, follow Jett on Twitter or Facebook.
About RoboKind
RoboKind is a Dallas-based company whose mission is to create cost-effective and inclusive education for all. Working closely with the ASD community, RoboKind has developed robots4autism and Milo, the most advanced, facially expressive humanoid robot, who has proven effectiveness in engaging learners with ASD over 80% of the time, as opposed to the 3% for traditional therapy. Milo never gets tired, never gets frustrated, and is always consistent, which is important when teaching through repetition. His friendly demeanor and patience encourages learners with ASD to step out of their shell and gives them the courage to interact with their environment. The company also recently launched a new robot, Jett, along with the accompanying robots4STEM curriculum teaching elementary school students to code even if their teachers don’t know how.
RoboKind is dedicated to opening and creating pathways for all ages and groups so they can thrive in the real world through cost-effective means. To learn more, please visit RoboKind.com and follow Milo on Twitter or Facebook.