I have a class of 5/6th graders who used the boards as part of a service project for some kids with severe language and motion disabilities. These kids need bigger buttons than on a keyboard. My students made programs for their "clients" based on the client's interests, then designed a switch for them to run it based on a sensor board.
The Science Museum of Minnesota runs classes where kids make a genie program, like a magic 8 ball. The genie answers yes/no/maybe type questions based on input from a sensor board interface. One student I had did this where he made a soup bowl and spoon as the swtich, then the computer screen had a bowl of alphabet soup that arranged itself into letters for the answer.
They also do a dance-mat project, where the kids run the program by touching a homemade switch with their feet.
Karen
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Hi, Karen,
RE: Circuit board projects. Wow, all three of those are great projects! Are the Science Museum projects ones that you developed, or were they done by museum staff? I never thought about Scratch being used in a museum, before, though it makes perfect sense. As I recall, that museum used to have a Lego Logo hands-on project for kids too.
I also really like the idea of doing service learning projects using technology. That's something we could do in our after-school lab, where we can't predict whose going to show up on a particular day.
Our lab has a Web site at: http://jumpstartlearning.wordpress.com
Many thanks for the suggestions.
Best,
Gary
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Interesting projgram you have going there--grant funding or part of another organization? That part about continuity would be a challenge.
The Science Museum of Minnesota has a Learning Technologies Center <http://www.smm.org/ltc/classes> which runs classes and camps with Scratch, MicroWorlds, Crickets, and other nifty interactive software and gadgets. I've taught a few of the classes in the summer, which is where I learned about Scratch. They've been a Scratch beta test site.
My kids enjoyed the idea of having clients for their software. We did interviews and talked about the process of design based on client needs and interests. It got them focused on making and troubleshooting a specific product. I could imagine kids in an after school program setting up a software development company.
Karen
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RE: Funding. A little bit of both grants and partnerships. Our partners are Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority, Miami University, and the MIddletown Community Foundation. All three partners have been the source of small grant funds in the past.
All the tutors are volunteers, except for several paid Miami student workers.
Best,
Gary
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