Scratch 2.0

It's here, the new Scratch 2.0. You don't have to download it as a software and save on your pc, you can use it directly from the internet. If you are logged in, it will save your projects as you work. So it's Scratch on the cloud. I still don't think that you can use it on your smart device. And that is a question that I get asked about from the kids. Not many kids have access to the family computer, but they all have access to a smart device.

There are some cool new features. Go have a look and sus it out. And, yes, they will be working on a stand alone versions for your computer with the new features.



   
 

Kilcash Pupils Upload 90 Codes in One Week!

I had the pleasure of teaching in Kilcash national school, co Tipperary. I taught the 4th, 5th and 6th (multigrade class) all of last week. 

I showed the kids Scratch, made some codes for them, showed them the resources you can get online, and showed them how to upload their codes to the MIT site. Within ONE week those amazing kids have uploaded over NINETY codes.

They know that I may not be back to teach them and yet they are still uploading codes.

They are coding rock stars!Have a look at their MIT profile.

If they keep up this good work then I will be able to contact LERO (The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre) and get certs for them.

How to Make it in the future...

It was inevitable; bound to happen so it was. 'Twas only ever a question of time....we are being replaced by computers. How do we survive in this new world? Learn how to programme the computer - of course.


I will be teaching a five day course about Scratch (coding software) in Kilkenny Education Centre July 2nd to 6th. There are only two places left, if you are interested then google Kilkenny Education Centre and email 'em.


The below is an update from LERO (The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre)


'Scratch Training:
In conjunction with CoderDojo Athlone, Clare McInerney will run an introductory Scratch workshop in Athlone IT on Saturday July 7th from 9:30 to 3:00pm (for adults). Places are available for this event. For more details and to register for this free event click here.

Taken from Silicon Republic(Left to right) Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn, TD, Harriett Walsh of Alexandra College, Clare McInerney, education and outreach officer for Lero and Jim Friars, CEO of the Irish Computer Society

Scratch as Gaeilge:
LERO are delighted to announce that Rory McGann PDST and Íde Ruaidh have made an Irish version of the Scratch interface available.  Instructions for the update to use the Irish Scratch interface are  available here.


We are really excited about having an Irish version of the interface - thanks Rory - and we hope many of the gaelscoileanna will enjoy this.


Scratch Competition Photos:
We finally uploaded the Scratch competition 2012 photos. Please see here.'

Do You Read? Books and Computers.....

I have been able to start teaching Scratch in the school I'm subbing in. The impact it has had is amazing.

I managed to get three pupils a Scratch cert, after they did some extensive work. I uploaded a few of their games onto my MIT profile and put the rest onto the schools MIT profile.

The name of the children's book that I am writing, gif made  in Scratch

Anyway, you know that I love children's books? Well...I always ask the pupils about the book's they are reading. Most of the time...they tell me that they don't bother with books.

And why don't they bother? 'Because,' they tell me, 'school book's are boring so library books must be boring too.' Now, I gotta admit that...yeah...a lot of school book's are boring!


I tell them of all the cool kids books that I have read, and slowly...oh so slowly they become more interested.

So, I combined my two loves; Scratch computer programming and books, to make this game.

The game will start when you open the page.

To reset the game then click on the green button.

Use ALL of the arrow keys .

To find out what the letters spell; press the space key.

(This little game took me three hours of messing about, but it was fun!)


Learn more about this project

Mitch Resnick & Natalie Rusk of MIT -Scratch

I found this on South Dublin Libraries. But it's a school night and I am baseded all the way down in Tipp.....so I will miss it. If you attend can you please let me know how you get on. 


"April 23, 2012 South Dublin Libraries in association with ITT Dublin Tallaght and LERO (The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre) are delighted to welcome Mitch Resnick & Natalie Rusk of MIT Media Lab What are people creating and learning with Scratch?


Tuesday May 1st 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. County Library, Town Centre, Tallaght Scratch is a visual programming language that makes it easy to create interactive stories, animations, games, music and art and share these creations on the web.

Mitch Resnick is LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research & head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts) Natalie Rusk is Research Specialist in the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Laboratory developing creative learning technologies. Spaces for this exciting event are limited. If interested in attending, please ensure that you book online now by clicking signup below.

For more information click here  Directions to the County Library are available here. ITT Dublin, Tallaght, celebrating 20 years serving South Dublin, Ireland and the world."

The Poetry of Sctach Programming (Numeracy in Primary with NCTE/Lero)

I am delighted to share that I have been invited to attend the Scratch programming and Numeracy in Senior Primary Classes (NCTE/Lero) program on the 29th and 30th of May 2012.

I just LOVE computer programming, it reminds me of watching American 80's movies where the kids and adults rock out with mad computer games and computers in general. I got my first computer way back in 2008.


Programming is a language, it's creative, it's breaking down instructions, it forces you to think for yourself. I often hear pupils wine (both young and old).....'but teacher....my program won't work...why won't it wok..will you fix it?! That is not how one programs, one programs by writing the story behind the image, the instructions behind your characters..by thinking outside the box...by questioning, troubleshooting and creating.

' Programming is a language! Reading a computer program is like reading a short story or a poem, it is about the process of structuring instructions and thinking. So many people cannot think for themselves....they ask me and my response? 'Why do you think it is now working? What do you think would happen if you did x/y/z? How did you break down your instructions? How do you think you could break down your instructions more?


This course is being offered to future Scratch tutors and will specialise in numeracy using Scratch. It is being fun by the NCTE and Lero The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre.

Scratch Resources
There are fantastic resources on the Scratch.ie website and Scratch.MIT site.


I will report back here to share all that I learn, in the meantime you can read below to see what we will be covering.

Course Objectives

Participants will be enabled to:

• Use Scratch programming to support the teaching and learning of the primary maths curriculum covering algebra, number, shape and space, measures and data
• Use Scratch programming to support the development of problem solving skills
• Develop a numeracy project using Scratch
• Develop lesson outlines for classroom use of Scratch
• Describe how Scratch can be used to support other curricular areas
• Develop an e-Learning action plan describing how they will use Scratch to support numeracy development

Course Content

There are 5 modules in this course.
Module 1: Introduction to Scratch programming, websites and resources available
This module covers the basic concepts of Scratch programming and its uses in the primary classroom in particular to support the skills and content of the mathematics curriculum. Participants start to write their first Scratch programme.


Module 2: Scratch Concepts and classroom application
Some of the mathematical Scratch concepts are introduced, including the use of Scratch operators (“round” to round numbers). Discussion on the use of Scratch programming to support number, place value, shape & space takes place.


Module 3: Putting Scratch Concepts Together
In this module participants commence the development of numeracy focused Scratch projects and lesson activities which incorporate images and sounds. The use of Scratch across the curriculum is explored.


Module 4: Scratch Concepts continued
More on Scratch concepts, how they support the mathematics curriculum and how to demonstrate patterns and sequences in an innovative way using Scratch.


Module 5: Planning for effective use of ICT
Participants finalise and share their project and lesson activities for use in the classroom which focus on numeracy development. The application of Scratch across other curricular areas and how to get started with Scratch in the classroom is discussed. Participants are introduced to the e-Learning Action plan as part of the whole school planning process for e-Learning and create an e-Learning action plan for numeracy development.



 I wrote about Scratch before, if you want more information...read it!

Scratch News

I am subbing in a Gaelscoil this week, and I had to edit this post like 5 times. Which is funny cause I only had to write 2 lines!! I noticed that I wrote the sentances in a format of noun then follwed by the verb....that's what I like about Irish; it changes your sentence structure and helps when writing pomes! Yes, I also write pomes....don't think they will ever see the light of day on this blog......I'd be morto to share 'em!!

OK 6th time lucky:


I received this press release from Lero, Ireland. I won't be able to make it so I am depending on those of you who do go to keep me updated!


"Mitch Resnick (LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research and head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab) and Natalie Rusk (Research Specialist in the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Laboratory developing creative learning technologies) are coming to Dublin on May 1st for an event titled:
 
"What are people creating and learning with Scratch? An evening with Mitch Resnick and Natalie Rusk of the MIT Media Lab"
I would like to invite you to attend this event on Tuesday evening May 1st from 6:30-8:30pm at the County Library, Tallaght.  The programme of events  is as follows:

6:30
 
Welcome by Deputy Mayor Cllr. Pamela Kearns of South Dublin County
 
Presentation by  Mitch Resnick - MIT Media Laboratory and Natalie Rusk - MIT Media Laboratory
 
7:15
 
Panel Discussion
 
Mitch Resnick, Natalie Rusk, Stephen Howell – IT Tallaght, Clare McInerney - Lero
 
7:45
 
Open Forum – Questions from the audience.

8.30 Close
 
 
 
 
There is a 45 slot allocated for questions from the audience, so please bring any Scratch questions you may have!  
 
For more details (directions etc…)  and to sign up for this event, please visit this link for more information (space is limited)"

Teaching teachers Twitter and Scratch

Mr. King said, 'the day you get a job from Twitter is the day I will dance in the middle of the street.' Well, good sir, you owe me a dance!

I will be teaching two courses in the Kilkenny Education Centre, one in an introduction to Scratch computer programming and the other Twitter for Education.

Now, before I go on to give you more detail I just want to say one thing; NO! No you do not need to be an IT guru to programme. All you need is to be curious and stubborn, (stubborn to stick with it and troubleshoot till you have your issue resolved.)

Course Details see below, to book a place on the course go to the Kilkenny Education Centre.

Introduction to Scratch (Tues 28 Feb)

Course Content

Module 1- Introduction to Scratch, layout of the graphical user interface (stage, sprite, background), create and manage multiple forms of media to create your own sprite and background), ending with the creation of an animation in Sprite.

Module 2- Exploring the process of coding a game ending with the creation of a basic game in Scratch.

Module 3- Combining the animation and game to create a more complex game.

Overview:

This course aims to develop the basic computer programming skills apply these skills to creating an animation and game. Become familiar with the Scratch layout. Create an animation and game and become familiar with the programming tools. Become familiar with troubleshooting skills in fixing programming issues. Use useful Internet sites for learning and sharing Scratch. Using your own resources (images, music, voice) to create your own game and animation. Using troubleshooting skills to resolve issues. Scratch can be used to create teacher resources (you can even create quizzes (advanced)), pupils  can create their own games or you can show your pupils.

Twitter for Education (Tue 21 Feb)

For Primary and Post Primary Teachers

Module 1- Introducing the layout of Twitter, setting up an account, following educators/classes, sending a tweet. Discovering the power of using lists in Twitter, intruding the pupils to hastags for education, discover the Tweetdeck/Hootsuit Twitter apps Vs the internet site.

Module 2- Using Twitter for specific subjects eg - Creating a multimedia tweets, designing a background, tweeting a book review, subject facts, asking questions, conducting polls/surveys, Twitter pen-pal, sharing class information with parents.

Module 3- How to set up your account to be private and the importance of monitoring of what you tweet. As social media becomes more popular so do Tweet-ups, we will discuss the safety issues of using social media and how to encourage safe tweeting.

Overview:

This course aims to develop your ICT skills in the filed of social media, harnessing Twitter for educational purposes. We will go over the layout, Twitter apps, how to use Twitter in the classroom/subjects/connect with pupils off-site and the local community in a safe way. Other examples of what we will be covering are: Tweet about upcoming due dates or assignments. Provide the class with a running news feed. Create a list. Coordinate assignments. Track a hash tag. Connect with the community. Follow the issues. Write a story or poem. Ask questions. Set up a foreign language news stream. Role play. Take and share notes. Connect classrooms/ pen-pals. Engage parents. Facilitate research. Track the government. Write reviews. Post supplementary materials. Design a background. Compare religions. Take a poll. Go on a scavenger hunt. Track weather patterns. Create a character. Create a progressive poem. Post math puzzles. Create an online art gallery. Join #EdChatIE

For both courses:

Course Duration: 2.5 hours

Target Audience:

Both Primary and Post Primary teachers with any computer knowledge are welcome.

Pre-requisites: A sense of curiosity and a love of learning is the main pre-requisite. Computer programming is not difficult, you are just breaking down the instructions to minute levels and the computer will follow.

Places limited so book early!

Random thought from editor:

You know something.....life sure is funny! I hated doing that degree in Information Technology and telecommunications, I swore  that I would never, ever use it. Well having that degree got me my first job, it got me in the door of teacher training college and now it is getting me teacher jobs! The best thing I ever did.....was a degree in IT. I am no IT guru, but I sure am stubborn and can trouble shoot till the codded cows come home.....which make me the best IT teacher, like, ever!

Scratch competition 2012

It's a new year, it's a new day for you and coding! Lero, supported by the Irish Computer Society, are running a Scratch computer programming course. It is open to primary and secondary school students.

I have posted about Scratch before here -  games, Scratch fun, and MIT p/f.

The students use Scratch, a graphical programming open-source language to make animations and games.



“This is our third year running the Irish Scratch competition and we are looking forward to seeing Scratch project submissions for 2012,” said Clare McInerney, education and outreach officer at Lero.
“Last year, a Scratch implementation of ‘Space Wars’ received first prize in the junior section. In ‘Space Wars’, space invaders shoot at a spaceship and this in turn shoots back.
“’Mem your mind,’ based on the brain training model, received first prize in the gaming category. Judges were impressed by the professionalism and high-spec production ready software of this project,” she said.


One hundred and fifty teachers took part in Scratch training this year to allow them to teach the programme to students. I was one of them, and now; now I teach it.


Students can register for the competition online and entries can be submitted by 12.03.12. The finals will be held on 19 May.

You call yourself a teacher?

I have graduated, I now have my teacher number but I  still an internal question;
'You call yourself a teacher?'

My answer; 'ahh yeah!'


Da Inter-aa-net

I found out about Hibernia on the Internet, I got all of my lesson ideas on the Internet, I downloaded Scratch computer programming from the Internet, I found out about a free Scratch course...you guessed it from the Internet and then I blogged about it....on the Internet. (See here and here for the posts.)

My point? The Internet, is like,  super important if you call yourself a teacher.

I envy secondary teachers, they have ICT teachers and actual ICT lessons. In primary we have nothing. No ICT subject, we must sneak it into science, or we just use it to kill our pupils from death from PowerPoint overuse.

So, I urge, no, I beg all teachers (especially primary teachers) to get yourself along to a FREE SCRATCH two day course in Dublin.

And guess who is going to be teaching it, why ME of course.

Wanna create a computer game at any age?

Scratch is computer programming for all ages, it is object-oriented programming. Pupils can download the software for free, it is explained; by comparing the activity to building applications by connecting smaller components in the same way a child assembles LEGO bricks.

I went to one of the Scratch course and loved it, it woudl be of great benefit in the classroom.  For more info on where to download it and on classes click here to read my blog post.

Before you go saying, "sure my class woudl be too young," then read about the Montessori  kids who use it here.

I was informed by Clare McInerney of an upcomming  Scratch training sessions.

"These courses are funded by the NCTE and are a joint collaboration between Lero and CESI (the Computer Education Society of Ireland http://www.cesi.ie/). The courses will be tutored mainly by teacher practitioners and are open to both primary and post-primary teachers.

 The course will take place over two Saturdays:
October 1st and  October 15th (Cork dates are October 1st and 22nd).  

The first Saturday will be devoted to getting you up and  running; the second will be "show and tell", troubleshooting and a workshop on setting up local support for each other.


Call to register today at your local education centre
:Limerick:   061-585060 Ext 3 (October 1st and Oct 15th)
Tralee: 066-7195000 (October 1st and Oct 15th)
Dublin West:  01-4528000 (October 1st and Oct 15th)
Carrick-on-Shannon: 071-9620383 (October 1st and Oct 15th)
Sligo: 071-9138700 (October 1st and Oct 15th)
Waterford: 051-311000 (October 1st and Oct 15th)
Cork: 021-4255600 (October 1st and Oct 22nd)

All courses start at 9:30am and finish at 3:30pmMore info on the course is available online at  http://www.scratch.ie/content/scratch-courses-teachers"



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Scratch Fun

            After using my phone’s GPS to find the ICS - I was met by many eager teachers wanting to find out more about Scratch.   Our teachers: Clare from http://www.lero.ie/  and Maureen , a 2^nd level  teacher working in West Cork, both  have been teaching Scratch for years! We started the lesson by having an intro to Scratch, then straight onto coding. We got a great work book, you can but it here    or go to the web site, register and download it for free! It may be a bit too advanced for primary school pupils but it would help you as a teacher to become familiar with Scratch and it would give them ideas of how to implement in class.

Yes, I like to play with Paint! that's me with the pink halo! We are looking at each other projects! What a day! Picture taken by Stephen Howell

We started off by drawing a hexagon:

We then had to draw a circle, square, and then draw two shapes with the one program and then we had to draw the two shapes in loops!

When we were discussing the coding someone said “it’s like making tea, put left hand out, open hand, use fingers to grasp kettle, make a fist around kettle handle, pick up the kettle, turn 190 degrees.....”  the amount of detail you need in coding is the same so it’s like making a cuppa detailing the most minute details – cause the computer is stupid and you have to tell it what to do!

So after a tough morning, we started to mess around with importing projects (prob my FAVE thing about Scratch). We then would change the projects by making a new background, painting a new sprite etc. When my new sprite would not do as he was told...well I was annoyed. So our fabulous teachers were at hand to help, seriously...they told me to right click on my sprite and click on help....which would tell me what the code was meant to be doing:

I messed around with making a cool background with paint. Clare asked me if I was good at art, I just shrugged and said “well, I am a primary school teacher...so likeeeeeee we  are good at everything!” My wry humour was appreciated...so when everyone laughed I joined in – not wanting to ask “how is that funny..It’s true!!) ;-)

We then spent the rest of the day and the next day, looking at games, changing the code, making out own games and of course discussing the benefits of Scratch. This is the first game I made: Good Vs Bad

Here is the project I made with two other teachers: History

We then were lucky to have the legendary Stephen Howell  (Twitter - @saorog)

I feel I can be a tad long winded and would like to make my blog post even cool(!!) so I am doing a writing course  - anyway Stephen summed up Scratch far better than I ever could and in a more succinct manner (just as well I am doing that writing course...watch out Stephen!!)

He said “So much of technology is about consuming,...like the i pad so we need to get across about creating!

We are passionate about Scratch as it is critically important to get across the wonder of making something out of nothing”

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How to use Scratch in class – why with Scratch cards of course - http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support/Scratch_Cards

Great resources http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support

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