Matatalab is a platform full of fun, excitement, and as an educator, potential. Throughout these game you will see how robotics can be used to teach your students not just coding but math, science, art, music, and language as well, and all in ways that are sure to inspire. You will dance with your robot, you will light it up, you will have it navigate tricky situations, you will play games, and you may even bump into some things along the way! That’s okay, bumping into things is a part of learning too. Matatalab is the perfect platform for your early learning students to experience a safe, even fun, place to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and carry on. We call that iteration and it is a critical part of learning.

We iterate by making mistakes, evaluating them, revising our plans, and trying again. We continue to do that until we get it right. The value of this process cannot be understated. Iteration is not just how we learn to code, but how we learn. This constant state of failure and improvement though does not have to be painful. By using Matatalab, you can turn errors into opportunities for students to see not a mistake but a chance to try again. They will learn from these moments and savor their successes.

Also critical in this learning is what educators call “21st Century Skills”. These are a core set of competencies educators believe modern students are going to need to have more than anything. They include Teamwork, Collaboration, Creativity, Imagination, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving. The near future is fraught with complex issues that the current generation of K-8 students are going to have to resolve. The future also is likely to be filled with countless opportunities to, literally, do things that are out of this world. Many educators believe that the primary achievers of the future are going to have to be highly creative collaborators and problem solvers. Thankfully these skills are teachable and this book could be where a life of 21st-century skill use is first experienced.

We certainly live in interesting times. It is often hard to remember that humanity has, in fact, never been more forward-thinking, optimistic, and prepared for what is next than it is now. While our future is full of potential, a bright future is not necessarily assured. Teachers are working harder than ever to prepare students for the unknown. Educators are using amazing tools like Matatalab, and curriculum, like this book to deliver world-class programming and technology education. We are learning that failure is not the end of learning but just the beginning. When we iterate, we take on the challenge of learning from our mistakes, starting again, and getting it right the next time. 21st Century Skills are being developed to ensure our students are prepared for all the problems they will face. By taking this first step, you are meeting those challenges and seeking out those opportunities.

Your efforts will make you a better educator, and your students will thank you for it.