Scratch

SCRATCH in SCHOOL: GREAT SUCCESS
The Ciencias y Artes Patagonia (CAPat) Scratch team  are pleased to report that the introduction of Scratch into computing classes of a Patagonia secondary school has met with great success. 

Arriving at the Chubut Provincial School 736 “Aviadores de Malvinas�  in Puerto Madryn. at 0730 hrs  last Wednesday (27 June),  computing teacher Patricia Williams transferred using a pen drive, the Scratch software onto each of the schools fifteen  computers. 

In her subsequent classes later that morning, two of 15 year olds and one of  17 year olds,  the silence of  the pupil`s concentration was deafening!  All were totally absorbed, including some pupils  who often have little interest in formal learning.  Afterwards, some of the  small number of pupils who have computers at home, made pen drive copies of the software.

News of the success, soon spread through the school.  Teachers from other subjects such as biology could immediately see the attraction and the potential usefulness of Scratch  in their own areas.   

Thanks to the strong support of the Head Teacher Diana Deledda, it is anticipated that by July 6 some 150  Patagionia pupils will  have been introduced to Scratch.

A number of suggestions for improvements to the software particularly for those in Spanish speaking countries have already emerged and will be forwarded soon.