Scratch

I am a parent (and computer programmer) and am helping the teacher at our primary school in Hove (Sussex) with his computer club. Some of his 8 year olds are challenging for him because they scratch at home and I am helping him keep pace with what they need by going in and helping him stay ahead of the kids.
We are trying to create a lesson plan by rearranging the tutorials I have starte documenting d at http://www.redware.com/scracth. We found that the fish! game was probably too complex for 8yo beginners and also that kids do not want to read tutorials.
He wants to get me to help the advanced 8yo directly by helping them with specific programming problems on their own projects. We are beginning to structure an introduction based on the onkey applcation on the redware site.
Yesterday I showed one kid some tricks to get his game working *using colour touching) and he was very confident sayng 'oh yes I have already done that'. Just like the prima donna programmers I used to manage when  was head of It at a growng company !

I've introduced it to y5 pupils in 2 schools (I'm an ICT Technician/ICT TA) by using it to make a traffic light simulator. (And I'm about to do it again in another school on Monday - word has got round between my schools    )

(See my projects at http://scratch.mit.edu/users/SimpleScratch )

We start by having a session on the traffic light sequence (as only some pupils actually know the red, red amber, green sequence)

I have uploaded 3 stages of the project (A,B and C) and the project notes hopefully explain how to simply start off using Scratch to draw a set of lights and then moving on animate them.

I then introduce how to send messages and get them to build a complete pedestrian crossing depending on ability.

I work with 2 pupils/ computer (30 pupil classes) with matched pairs (one good one not so good maybe) so that no-one is left behind with either the class teacher or another TA (I wouldn't want to try a class of 30 with just one adult!)

Depending on progress and the IT equipment working properly (!) this can spread over 2 or 3 lessons.

I did this in one school towards the end of year and then we moved onto playing a selection of the games for a while and then I asked them to modify these games

(My own version of Pong that can be easily modifed into a 2 player version, my own simple Moon lander program- they can alter the landscape or attempt to modify the code if advanced enough, Surf Taco - easily modifiable to change the graphics into whatever they want and Marble Racer - some pupils end up putting things on the track and getting points for running over them! )

regards

Simon
PS what's this conference your talking about?

Last edited by SimpleScratch (2008-01-17 16:10:48)

I use it for KS3 ICT, alongside flowcharts/control stuff, and the kids really engage with it.
I'd love to get a proper SoW together that uses it innovatively.
But I think I met you Friday Jonniet ?

Bob

Thanks, Simon, for letting me know it's another conference. It's interesting to hear your process for introducing Scratch.

WHAT BLOOMIN CONFERENCE IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT        

Are you lot saying your school is going to pay you to swan off to USA to the main Scratch do? 

regards

Simon

Fractal wrote:

Learners remain engaged with Scratch even when they report that they do not fully understand what they are doing.

I'll wholeheartedly agree with this, even when my pupils are completely lost or stuck on something, they will keep going with Scratch. Instead of wandering off on to the internet to find a game to play!

MissO wrote:

I teach at school in Warwickshire, we have also used scratch with KS3 looking at computer control. We have been using scratch within the department to focus on differentiation. Hopefully i will be attending the conference to discuss how we have been using the software. Would be good to get in touch with other teachers using scratch.

Hi Miss O, I work with Jonnie T, who started this thread. We are looking to make a short film about teachers using Scratch in schools for our new Science and Innovation video website - www.ideasforlife.tv. I would be interested to talk more about how you use Scratch as we are keen to get in touch with people in the area (West Midlands + Warwickshire) using the programme in schools.

My email is c.kershaw@mavericktv.co.uk

Thanks, Chris

Hi,

I am a Compuitng Teacher in Glasgow, were I am introducing SCRATCH as an introduction to programming, especially aimed at low level pupils. Scratch is ideal for this as it will maintain pupils attention span and interest which is lacking when using an alternative programming language

I am piloting Scratch with my Year 7 & 8 students in Cumbria - at Samuel King's School (Smallest secondary in England!) It goes very well, and engages all levels of students.
Has anyone managed to get a paid trip scheduled for the MIT conference? I tried but we are too small to afford it (and also have a budget deficit!)

Hello everyone.

I have just introduced Scratch to a Y5/Y6 computer club (I am a parent, not a teacher btw)

They are all really keen to continue working, even though our 4-week block is now over - Looks like I'll have to volunteer for another session :-)

I would be interested in any ideas and suggestions for how to take things further:-
Some of the kids worked really well - Chose their project, stuck at it and took it to a reasonable finish.
Others (The ones who picked it up most quickly, which is interesting) tended to develop something for a week, then start again at the next session with something completely different.  At the end of the block they didn't have a huge amount to show for their efforts, which is a shame.

In the next block, I want to try to encourage them to develop a bit further, but I don't want to be too restrictive - It is a computer club after all, not a lesson.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I would be pleased to hear them.
Many thanks

Last edited by MrSleeman (2008-03-25 19:39:53)

Well done!  I particularly like the project example where older students designed projects for younger student "clients."

Karen

I live in the UK and I love Scratch!    I also have a friend who uses Scratch that lives quite near me, his name is spy2712. Unfortunately, I don't know many other people in the UK who use Scratch, and I haven't seen it being used in UK schools before, but I think that there should be more Scratch Day events in the UK to make Scratch much more popular in the UK. I also think that every junior school in the UK should know about Scratch and that it should be part of the school learning system.