--- title: "Bers: To Welcome Students Back To In-person Learning, Build A Coding ‘playground’ To Boost Their Academic & Social-emotional Skills" description: An equity-focused teacher explains how comics help her navigate difficult conversations about social justice and identity with young students. image: https://www.prp.group/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/The_74_logo.png --- [![Color_PRP Group x Hawke Media Logo-2](https://www.prp.group/hs-fs/hubfs/PRP%20Website/Images/Color_PRP%20Group%20x%20Hawke%20Media%20Logo-2.png?width=5009&height=2484&name=Color_PRP%20Group%20x%20Hawke%20Media%20Logo-2.png "Color_PRP Group x Hawke Media Logo-2")](https://www.prp.group/) [![The Podcast](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/41856616/6158d203-4f17-403e-9a57-0fa1d26c4959.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/41856616/6158d203-4f17-403e-9a57-0fa1d26c4959) [![Connect With Us](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/41856616/b2cbd633-db81-4d16-ad33-cc3973ac6471.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/41856616/b2cbd633-db81-4d16-ad33-cc3973ac6471) ** ** ** [![prp-group-logo-full-color-rgb-864px@300ppi](https://www.prp.group/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/prp-group-logo-full-color-rgb-864px@300ppi.png?width=864&height=180&name=prp-group-logo-full-color-rgb-864px@300ppi.png "prp-group-logo-full-color-rgb-864px@300ppi")](https://www.prp.group/) [![The Podcast](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/41856616/6158d203-4f17-403e-9a57-0fa1d26c4959.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/41856616/6158d203-4f17-403e-9a57-0fa1d26c4959) [![Connect With Us](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/41856616/b2cbd633-db81-4d16-ad33-cc3973ac6471.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/41856616/b2cbd633-db81-4d16-ad33-cc3973ac6471) ** ** ** Search [![prpgroup-white](https://fs.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/2224752/prpgroup-white.svg "prpgroup-white")](https://www.prp.group/) ** ** [![Our Blog](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/41856616/341b4c59-af1b-45f3-be6c-49418a32ccb1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/41856616/341b4c59-af1b-45f3-be6c-49418a32ccb1) [![Connect With Us](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/41856616/b2cbd633-db81-4d16-ad33-cc3973ac6471.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/41856616/b2cbd633-db81-4d16-ad33-cc3973ac6471) [**Education News and Announcements](https://www.prp.group/client-family-news-and-announcements) # Bers: To Welcome Students Back To In-person Learning, Build A Coding ‘playground’ To Boost Their Academic & Social-emotional Skills by [PRP Group](https://www.prp.group/client-family-news-and-announcements/author/prp-group), on 06/18/2021 ![The_74_logo](https://www.prp.group/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/The_74_logo.png?width=189&name=The_74_logo.png) ### An equity-focused teacher explains how comics help her navigate difficult conversations about social justice and identity with young students. As schools across the country return to in-person classes, elementary school teachers face the challenge of helping students get up to speed in both academic and social-emotional skills. Coding offers an opportunity to re-engage children into communities of learning in a holistic way, supporting both a range of STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math — and soft skills. The metaphor at the heart of my book Coding as a Playground can help to explain how. To illustrate the idea of coding as a playground, contrast playgrounds with playpens. A playpen is safe, but very limited. I can put my child in a playpen while I cook and know that she’s going to be okay, but she’s limited in terms of opportunities for learning, discovery, socialization and creativity. Playpens do not offer the same opportunities as playgrounds. Click [here](https://www.the74million.org/article/bers-to-welcome-students-back-to-in-person-learning-build-a-coding-playground-to-boost-their-academic-social-emotional-skills/) to read the full article. Topics:[Education Press](https://www.prp.group/client-family-news-and-announcements/topic/education-press) ### News and Announcements from Education Innovators Our client family includes some of the biggest names in education — and some of Edtech's most exciting innovators. 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