Computational Thinking

I chose the Scratch Tutorial "Animating a Character." Within a few minutes, I had my character moving, talking and making sound effects. 


Positives:

I found the tutorial straight forward and easy to follow. I was able to pause, go back and double check the instructions if it went too fast. There are a lot of options to choose from in terms of commands to code. I think this platform offers a lot of potential to older elementary and middle school students to practice computational thinking and coding. 

Negatives:

The text is quite small and for learners who struggle to read, they could find this platform very overwhelming. I considered my current grade 1 students and although they would love creating a cartoon or character, this platform would be too complex for them to use. Even many older students may require quite a bit of support. I wondered if there was a way to change the settings to limit the amount of command choices at the beginning as students are just being introduced to the program.


Scratch Jr.

As I looked into it, I realized that Scratch also has a junior program designed for younger students called Scratch Jr. While the concept remains the same, the platform is less text based and has few options as introduction to coding for younger students.

Positives:

I like how Scratch Jr. has a simplified interface with a limited selection of commands. Additionally, the commands are visual and not text based which is much more accessible for younger students or students who struggle to read. There are still lots of choices of characters, backgrounds, movements and sounds. I think this app could be used to introduce coding to students as young as kindergarten.

Negatives:

Unlike Scratch, the tutorials are not as easy to follow on Scratch Jr. There is an introduction and some sample projects but they are quick visual overviews of the different aspects of the program instead of a step by step tutorial. This could be a deterrent for teachers who are new to coding, curious about Scratch Jr., but don't feel confident using the technology.  



Comments

  1. Navreen KularMay 18, 2023 at 8:42 AM

    Hi Rachel,
    I didn't know that there was a Scratch Jr. I think it would be much more suitable for primary and who need that additional support in following instructions. I found Scratch to be quite complex. While it would be great to use it in class and I'm sure the kids would also catch on quickly, I personally feel that if I am not well versed in it (which would require a bit of time and experimentation on my part), I would not be comfortable teaching it to my class. So I understand when you say that that can be a deterrent to some teachers bringing it into their classrooms.

    ReplyDelete

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