Scratch
archived forums
#1 2008-01-15 07:15:20
Disabling Block Groups and Blocks
I'm an ICT Teacher using Scratch with KS2/7-11yo children (and they love it). However, sometimes I think it would be really handy if you had an .ini file that you could modify to enable or disable specific blocks.
For example, when the children first start out they see all these blocks but have no idea how to use them. To save them getting distracted or confused, it would sometimes be handy to be able to disable some of the blocks that aren't relevant, thus emphasising the relevant blocks.
You could expand this into having whole groups disabled, or individual blocks within a group disabled.
Something like:
{This would enable all blocks in the motion group}
MotionGroupEnabled=1
MoveStepsEnabled=1
TurnClockwiseEnabled=1
{etc}
{This would enable the looks group, but prevent changing costumes}
LooksGroupEnabled=1
SwitchCostumeEnabled=0
NextCostumeEnabled=0
SayForTimeEnabled=1
SayEnabled=1
{This would disable the entire group so it doesn't appear}
SoundGroupEnabled=0
This would be especially useful if you could point Scratch to find an .ini file somewhere on the network, so you can change it in one place and that would update all the computers.
I appreciate that sometimes it's great to let children explore and play, but from my experience (been using/teaching Scratch for over 6 months with 300+ children) being able to focus them at the beginning until they get the hang of things would be very helpful.
Would welcome comments from others regarding this as I'm sure there are other things you could put in with this type of file.
Offline
#2 2008-01-15 08:38:53
- Paddle2See
- Scratch Team
- Registered: 2007-10-27
- Posts: 1000+
Re: Disabling Block Groups and Blocks
It would be a good way to balance the desire for more advanced future features such as Arrays, Character Strings and so on that some users want with the desire to keep it simple that other's (such as yourself) want. On the other hand, Scratch is all about sharing and people using a subset of the blocks are going to be exposed to the complete set of blocks when they look at other peoples projects. How would that work, if their development environment had been "trimmed down" ?
Offline
#3 2008-01-15 18:55:54
- kevin_karplus
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2007-04-27
- Posts: 1000+
Re: Disabling Block Groups and Blocks
I've worked with fewer kids, but I've found that the students generally don't even see the blocks other than the ones they know. The distraction they get is not from too many blocks, but from having too much fun editing costumes.
I would find it very frustrating to teach with a restricted set of blocks, because most of my teaching involves answer questions like "I want this guy to do a flip when he touches this guy. How can I do that?" Having the full, rather small suite of Scratch blocks is important for that sort of thing. I wouldn't want to say "Oh, that's too hard for you." or "Wait a couple of weeks until I turn on those features."
Offline
#4 2008-01-16 04:02:21
- SimpleScratch
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2007-05-25
- Posts: 100+
Re: Disabling Block Groups and Blocks
@bob
BRILLIANT IDEA! 
If Scratch took the .ini file as a command line parameter then we could just setup different desktop icons for different year groups.
@Kevin
This wouldn't affect you - it just helps us ones with younger pupils - please stop being so negative with stuff that would help others
Or as the saying goes - don't pour water on someone else's fire
regards
Simon
Offline
#5 2008-01-16 04:14:15
Re: Disabling Block Groups and Blocks
but still Paddle2See's point remains: How would you display downloaded projects (or projects that come with Scratch) in such a trimmed down environment? Would you show all the blocks in a project anyway and just hide them in the template pane? What about 'disabled' blocks in exported / imported sprites? Or would you want to restrict sharing sprites and opening other projects as well?
I'm not working with children myself, but gee, it must be tough these days
Jens Mönig
Offline
#6 2008-01-16 06:00:56
- kevin_karplus
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2007-04-27
- Posts: 1000+
Re: Disabling Block Groups and Blocks
Simon,
I have worked with systems that disable big chunks of the programming system and have "levels" that gradually get more complex (like Lego Mindstorms for Schools). I've not taught large groups of kids, so my experience may not be directly relevant to bobconway's situation, but I've not found that starting with crippled systems helps kids learn.
There may be a difference in pedagogical style or goals, it may be a difference between working with a small group versus working with a large group, or it may be that the kids I've worked with have generally been smarter than average, but I've found it easier to teach kids with a full system rather than limiting their options.
One of the nice things about teaching computer programming, rather than say chemistry, is that making mistakes is not generally dangerous, so it is not necessary to keep kids from experimenting, even when they don't fully understand what they are doing.
Offline