Integrating Scratch in the Classroom

This Classroom 2.0 wiki page summarizes ideas for integrating Scratch into classroom curricula that were shared at the Scratch@MIT Conference in 2008.  The page includes lecture notes that urge educators to "imagine Scratch as a vehicle for asking questions, collecting data, or sharing ideas."

 

Big Picture (excerpt)

• Scratch as a new medium for kids to show what they know
• Give kids the tool and get out of the way
• Create needs for the kids to ensure that they want to learn it
• Internalization, deep knowledge in order to apply to a project
• come at the concept using a different perspective
• Integrate with off-computer activities, use computer to simulate the real world
• Skills beyond solving the basic problem--team building, leadership, organization
• Tech teachers don't need to spend lots of time introducing Scratch, kids can take it back to classrooms and use
• Value to what programming in Scratch does in itself, logic and cognitive skills are building blocks to be used in other contexts
• Kids become advocates for themselves, doing the work in Scratch as an option
• Use Scratch in the curriculum to help students think differently, understand better
• Not every will go into computer science/engineering, but everybody can see beauty of programming