Scratch

Books and project cards have quite different uses.

I think that Scratch really needs a reference manual in which the exact details of how things are supposed to work, together with examples, is needed for more advanced programmers.  For beginners, an organized tutorial, with projects of gradually increasing sophistication would be useful.  Adding in well-written examples of commonly used elements (like side scrolling, firing projectiles, gravity, walking, ....) would make it a useful resource for intermediate-level Scratch programmers.

We've been using Scratch in community libraries and really love the Scratch cards. We've been talking about books as well as it seems that the cards are terrific just-in-time help and are a great way to begin and to play with program blocks that you haven't yet tried. The cards are a perfect way to get started and then are great for our youth mentors to help new users. But once you've done a card ( and looked at the Scrathr site) you'll want to know how to go about developing something more complex..

So we're thinking hard about something between the cards and the books.

(But before that - It would be great if we could have a way to propose and as a community vet new scratch cards that could be published on the site. It would also be nice if there could be a local scratcher template that we could download and use to make community cards for our own...

- As we've thought about books we've kept thinking about mini-books or sets of books that have short themes - like rpg scratch game book, scratch geometry books, scratch music books - that way the community of interest could drive the theme.

- With mini-books educators could collaborate with learners to work together on books relevant to their own interests- we would just need an organize structure that could turn into a book template

Couple other thoughts:

- Extended cards seem like a very good idea ( the cards don't show how to do something really dependent on multiple sprites and multiple scripts... )

-We've played with placemats as an idea where we can take scripts and graphically show them connected and  flowing from on sprite to another.

Tri-fold sheets or pamphlets seem interesting. Where you can have an interesting idea broken out over the three panels then possibly other idea examples on the back

How long would a book like this be?

campsec wrote:

I have 3-4 groups of Scratchers per week and when it's only me and 8 8yr olds all working on Scratch at the same time it can get a little hectic.  I am thinking about writing a book about teaching Scratch and was wondering if anyone else was working on one?

I want the book to help the kids and not detract from the fun of just getting in there and doing it.  Some of them can figure everything out on their own but many need help. 

Please let me know if you are already writing a book or any ideas you would like to see included.

Scott  campsec on Scratch

I am currently incorporating Scratch into a set of online programming tutorials aimed specifically at homeschool students and their parents.  The tutorials will begin with Scratch, progress through Alice, and end up with Java.  Most of the Alice and Java material is already written and published online, and I am now concentrating on the Scratch material.  See http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocHomeSchool.htm

Dick Baldwin
Free Alice tutorials:  http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocalice.htm
Free Scratch tutorials:  http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocHomeSchool.htm
Free Java/C#, etc. tutorials:  http://www.dickbaldwin.com/toc.htm

I am a high school teacher - grades 9-12 using scratch with approx 60 students this year.
I have been writing lesson/labs trying to tell them how it works and then having them do it.

My goal this summer is to layout a complete school year syllabus starting with intro labs to to each menu and expanding as they go.

Big projects my students have made this year are

Animated rock Paper Scissor - player versus Computer
Christmas Pacman
Etch A Sketch deluxe
Who Wants to be A Millonaire.

About 70 pages of handouts - some very detailed - mainly lab with some lesson teaching in them.

this summer- writing the lessons / powerpoints/ and quizzes.

Estimating my finished work will be around 180 pages or so.

Louis
Andrews High School

It is nice to write a book about Scratch but it will also take much of your time. And do you think it will be more fun rather than have a Scratch cards? i think using cards will have more interaction between you and the students that way they will learn while having fun.