NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM.
Link to Zoom for online sessions will be sent after registration.
Scratch is a programming language that is easy to learn and widely used in schools, clubs, and at home. In this workshop you will use Scratch to learn the basics of computer programming as you develop one or more projects; animated stories, games, drawings, musical creations, and more! We will begin by learning to program in Scratch and move on to how to teach Scratch programming!
The workshop will take place in three phases:
1. An introduction on April 18 from 11:00 am to noon via Zoom
2. A week of independent hands-on project building in Scratch.
3. A summary and sharing session on April 25 from 11:00 am to noon via Zoom
Introduction
We’ll begin with Starter Projects that you can examine and learn from. We will then remix them, gaining the confidence to make changes and add to them so that they become your own. We will spend some time with the learning and teaching resources on the Scratch website, which include tutorials and activity cards, materials and methods easy to implement with your own students.
Scratch is more than a programming language. It is also an online community. We will explore how to navigate this rich environment where you can share projects, exchange ideas, and learn from others. We’ll detail how the Scratch online community will be used during the week of independent project building for sharing, communicating, and getting answers to questions.
You will leave the introductory Zoom session with a list of resources and ideas to guide and support you in your project building during the week to follow.
Project Building
Following the introduction, you will work at your own pace and on your own schedule to create one or more Scratch projects. You will have ample resources in the form of tutorials, activity cards, curriculum guides and sample projects to remix and build upon.
You will be able to share your work in a Scratch Studio where participants can see each other’s projects,, comment on them and ask questions about them.
Summary and Sharing
In the final Zoom session participants will demo their projects, talk about their programming and learning processes, and take questions from fellow workshop participants.
Finally, we’ll talk briefly about next steps after this initial programming experience – extensions of Scratch to include physical computing and robotics, transitions to other programming languages, and additional professional development opportunities. The possibilities are endless!
This workshop is co-sponsored by the Logo Foundation. The Logo Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization devoted to supporting educators, parents, and students in their engagement with creative computing. We do this by providing resources, and by sponsoring workshops, conferences, and online discussion groups and forums.