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Scratch Glossaries

Several times this summer, Learning Technologies teachers have explored making a "Scratch Book" or "Scratch Glossary" as part of the ever popular Design a Computer Game class.

 Several times this summer, Learning Technologies teachers have explored making a "Scratch Book" or "Scratch Glossary" as part of the ever popular Design a Computer Game class. The books have gone through several iterations, and aims to help students remember and take notes on different important scripts throughout the week. Here is some reflection on the process from LTC Teacher Oanh Vu:

 

Before Class
1. Made copies of each script for each student, like "how to make characters move with arrow keys script".
2. Cut each script out.
3. Made blank notebooks for the students to paste the scripts into.

During Class
4. Introduced the notebooks as an important way to keep track of all the things we learned.  We told the students that if they couldn't remember how to do something or didn't understand, that they should first consult their books, then a neighbor, then us. We also reminded them that after this class they could continue to make games at home, but Pat and I wouldn't be there, so the notebooks would help them instead. 

5. After we demonstrated a specific script, we gave the students the script for that action and  told the students that they had to paste the script into the book and label it or take any notes before they could begin their game again.  This step forced the students to reflect and process what they just learned n their own words.

6.  At the end of the week we asked for the students feedback on the Scratch books.  The students honestly thought that the books were helpful.  They said that sometimes they forgot how to do something, so the books were a good reminder. One student said that he was glad he had the book because he was going to go home and make games, and the book would help him in case he forgot.  Another girl, said that she would probably lose the book, but that was okay because she could just download games off the Scratch website and look at the scripts. 

After Class
7. Pat and I thought the Scratch book was a valuable tool.   This week we're teaching another Design a Computer Game class and we're having the students make Scratch books again.  This time however, we punched a hole in each script page, and they attached it to a key ring.  Pasting the scripts into their books seemed like a tedious and messy process.  

 

Images: 
Comments
Peter Kirschmann
Member

 I added this post, along with a PDF of one of the books and a video flipping through one of the books on Media Mashup. You can check it out here: http://mediamashup.ning.com/resouces/scratch-books

Damien Kee
Member

 Any chance of a photo of one of the books?  Would love to see what the students had made.

Karen Brennan
Member

I'm a big fan of the "Scratch book"/"design notebook" concept and your post gave me: (1) an idea for a way of using it that I hadn't used it before (giving scripts to include in the book, I love that!), and (2) a solution to a problem I'd been having (the messiness of glue/tape for adding pages, I'm loving the ring idea!).

Thanks so much for posting this!

K