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Helping Students Learn Coding with Scratch Jr. and PBS Kids Scratch Jr.

By Shelly Fryer @sfryer

www.shellyfryer.com

29 November 2017

classroom.shellyfryer.com/workshops/scratchjr

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3rd Grade Teacher

In September to November 2017, I taught an 8 week after-school class for 2nd - 4th graders on coding with PBS Scratch Jr.

In September 2016 and September 2017, I taught Saturday Scratch Jr. Workshops for Kids through The Div @thedivorg

classroom.shellyfryer.com/workshops/scratchjr

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Outline for Today:

  1. Why do this?
  2. Listen to the Students (explaining what they built with code and learned)
  3. How: Suggestions for skill building and projects

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classroom.shellyfryer.com/workshops/scratchjr

Access these slides and all referenced resources!

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What are Scratch Jr. and PBS Scratch Jr.?

www.scratchjr.org

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What are Scratch Jr. and PBS Scratch Jr.?

pbskids.org/learn/scratchjr/

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Why I love teaching students coding with Scratch Jr...

  • Student engagement
  • Self-directed creation (not “mad lib coding”)
  • More complexity
  • Introduces vocabulary
  • Explain what you’ve created

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Why I love teaching students coding with Scratch Jr...

  • Starting with zero coding experience: Laying the foundation with basic building blocks
  • Students are the CREATORS!

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=78e-KG_lDRA

safeYouTube.net/w/uypc

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  • Skill and ease navigating within the app (resetting code, using vocabulary)
  • Originality and Creativity
  • Connections to his own interests, passions, and experiences
  • Ability to explain his code and how he copies code

Did you notice?

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“Low Bar - High Ceiling”

h/t Mitch Resnik @mres

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECkrAfnMP7c

safeYouTube.net/w/Wypc

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  • Builds “coding a conversation” skills
  • Sending and receiving messages
  • Great language arts activity: Learning about beginning, middle & end of a story

Did you notice?

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“Integrating coding across the curriculum”

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwArKbWDDsU

safeYouTube.net/w/rzpc

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  • Movement, multiple backgrounds, conversation
  • Story has beginning, middle and an end
  • How she went beyond the basic lesson
  • “Hard fun”

Did you notice?

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Asking students to “read their code” and explain their thinking is essential!

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How: Skill Building & Projects

sites.google.com/site/divjrscratch/home/september-2017

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Check out “How To” on the startup screen

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The “Blocks Guide” explains different types of blocks

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Motion

Blocks

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Looks

Blocks

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Sound

Blocks

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Control

Blocks

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End

Blocks

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Build vocabulary:

characters, stage, green flag, pages, blocks, etc.

www.scratchjr.org/learn/interface

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Tap the “light bulb” for Story Starters

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Recommended Skill Progression and Project Sequence

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sites.google.com/site/divjrscratch/home/september-2017

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sites.google.com/site/divjrscratch/home/september-2017

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sites.google.com/site/divjrscratch/home/september-2017

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sites.google.com/site/divjrscratch/home/september-2017

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Provide time for students to explore and create in the Scratch Jr. “Paint Editor”

www.scratchjr.org/learn/paint

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sites.google.com/site/divjrscratch/home/september-2017

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXAA9AZtcK0

safeYouTube.net/w/s0pc

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  • How he read his code like reading a paragraph
  • How proud he was of the complexity of his code
  • This project took time!
  • His coding skills translate to other apps

Did you notice?

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Lots of Additional Resources!

www.scratchjr.org/teach/activities

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Lots of Additional Resources!

pbskids.org/learn/scratchjr/

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You can do this!

Your students will help & will LOVE coding with

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Helping Students Learn Coding with Scratch Jr. and PBS Kids Scratch Jr.

By Shelly Fryer @sfryer

www.shellyfryer.com

29 November 2017

classroom.shellyfryer.com/workshops/scratchjr