Scratch Advocacy is ready to Rock and Roll
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Vicki Gold
Member
October 16, 2011
The Advocacy Group got off to a slow start but we are ready to Rock and Roll. We have started a monthly Skype meeting to share ideas, successes, new agenda items, and build a common connection. Everyone is invited to join. There is no pressure to actively participate you can just come and listen.
This is Vicki Gold Computer Science teacher from Marshfield High school, and if any of you know me in the past I have had a very hard time introducing Scratch into my school. I am happy to say this year, I have had some successes.
This year we have a new Superintendent. He sends out weekly communications to the school district which includes a link of educational interest. I was able to include the scratch and scratched links to one week’s posting. In addition, there was an mistake in the links, so Scratch was listed in two successive issues.
I now have a physics teacher very interested making a Scratch Einstein game, and younger students wanting to create projects with children from other countries. Later in the year the Special Education Department and I will apply for a grant to write an amazing app for android tablets. The application will be able to be customized by the students using app_inventor. I have a group of young talented programmers waiting in the background jumping for the chance to start.
In my class I have been able to introduce the new Alice beta into my OO class. It is very good, and the students love 3D. Later in the year we will be using Scratch when we begin our Asteroid game.
I know this is just a start of what the group envisions, but after five years of fighting I am very happy with these small steps.
Thank you,
Vicki Gold
More information will follow - Look for Patrice Gans wiki
Yes, help is always needed. This is a new adventure for me. First, I would like to ask for 5 android tablets. Looking online, it is hard to tell which is the best value and the easiest to interface with app-inventor. In addition, many grants are available. Any suggestions on which grant would be most interested in involving tablets, app_inventor/scratch, and special ed kids. At this time, I cannot pin down the amount of money the project will need. In addition to the hardware, we will need to pay the ABA/SPED person for his great app idea. Personally, in the design I am more excited that the kids will get to customize the app for personal expression, fun and for their own needs.
All suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks,
Vicki Gold
If anyone is interested in viewing the wiki please check out http://csadvocacy.wikispaces.com/.
Thank you.
That all sounds great! Please let me know if there are any resources that we could develop that might be helpful.