Journal 8 Coding (and Consulting) Kid-style with Scratch By Dian Schaffauser

Thus far, this is the most exciting article I have read for this class. It discusses Scratch, a programming language developed by a research lab at MIT. It allows children to act as programmers and create interactive stories, animations and games to share with others online. Just like adult programmers working to develop software and other technology, children using this programming language have to problem-solve to fix program bugs and set design goals for their projects.

The article describes how a teacher taught her fifth and sixth grade students to use Scratch and then asked each of them to design and develop a game for young students with developmental disabilities. The special needs of the younger children were considered during the game design stage. After the games were developed, the class visited the special needs children and taught them how to use the games. The teacher then asked her class to write a reflection on their experience. This was a great way to show students how they can apply a skill they learned in the classroom to a real world setting. They not only learned how to use the programming language, but also had the satisfaction of seeing their creation be used to brighten the lives of other children. Also, the children had the opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills while teaching the developmentally disabled children how to use the program. These leadership skills will likely come in handy throughout their professional and educational careers.

Question: How might I use Scratch in my own classroom?

Time restraints may not allow me to use Scratch to the extent that this teacher did. It is my hope that I could develop a very similar program where my kids can develop their games and then teach them to younger students. If time does not allow for this endeavor (due to constraints put on me by the No Child Left Behind Act and standardized testing) perhaps I can have the children make their games and write reflections on their thought process behind the project- for example what they did to solve bugs in the program, how they approached the design stage of the project, etc.

Question: The teacher discussed in the article used the game making option of Scratch. What other things can I have my students do with it?

I can have my students use it to create a story. Perhaps they could use the stories to explain a concept that we might be studying. I think this option would get them really excited- nobody likes Power Point Presentations so much- they can be so boring some times.