About me
I am a teacher of computer technology and recently became a technology integration specialist. I love technology, and have ever since I wrote my first script back in 1988. I had thought about it, but I never got into programming...except for playing around with scripts and small databases.
I am new to Scratch. I work at a school for special needs students where I taught GameMaker programming (using the book GameMaker's Assistant) to a few students for the last 2 years. But I think it was a bit over some of their heads. I think Scratch looks a little more user friendly, easier to jump right into, and will make a good introduction to the other program. So I will use Scratch to give my students the basics of computational skills.
I am also taking classes online for a Masters in Technology Education. So time is limited. I hope I can keep up with this workshop too.
My first project - Step by Step
Since I'm new at this, I started with the Step by Step. Here is my very first Scratch project:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10619359/
6/3/13
10 Blocks
We used these 10 blocks to create a script. This was pretty easy
I will use this as an introduction activity next year.
My project is here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10637861/#player
My 'About Me' project
This was harder than I expected, but I think I made it that way. I just kept finding pictures to add. It took me a while to figure out how to program more than one sprite, but I finally figured it out. I think I might have missed a lesson...
I just watched Eric's demo and went from there. I think I will have to modify this quite a bit for my learners, but I think they will get it, once they see how it works.
Click on the picture to the right to go to my project.
Cindy 6/6/13
Debug it!
Debug1.1 - Need the green flag. Pretty easy. http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10774200/
Debug 1.2 - Needed a go to location on the left side I added a block after the green flag block http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10774247/
Debug 1.3 - I knew that he had to change location on the y axis, so I added a block to change Y by 50. But still nothing, so I guessed that there needed to be a wait time between rotation changes. This is computational thinking... you don't always see what's happening, unless you program it to show each movement http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10774365/
Debug 1.4 - This was easy! I had to try one other block first then
I saw the rotation style left-right block and thought that had to
be it! And it was!
Debug 1.5 - Another easy one. Just put the play
sound inside the repeat box.
My Reflections at the end of Week 1
Week 2
Project 1: Busy week, but I finally got the Make a Block project done. I guess it would come in handy for a generic movement, but mine were all specific to each character. http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10798630/
Project 2: I like Broadcasting! It helps you control the timing between sprites' actions or dialog. Much faster than counting seconds over and over! I wish I knew about it when I did my characters project (Project 1 above) I think broadcasting works well when sprites are interacting. I would use the wait block when it is just one sprite.http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10933505/#player I even added a joke!
Project 3: Backgrounds, I already did this in week 1 in my about me project so I added one scene I forgot to include. http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10648648/#player
Project 4: I missed doing the first one - remixing, actually the one I started for that became my Make a Block project just because it made sense.
Debug it! 2
Debug 1: I knew I needed to add the define Meow blocks, which I knew, but i didn't think to add the meow sound to him, had to get some help from another Workshop attendee.
Debug 2: I had to think about this, but eventually realized the variable of 10 needed to be changed to answer
Debug 3: Added wait after each command and reorg the broadcast with each name as read.
Debug 4: There was no Broadcast!
I love these activities, will try them out with my students once they get started programming!
Week 2 Reflection
I'm going to have to find more hours in the day! What was I thinking? I am taking an online class in a graduate program as well, so I am burning my candle at both ends!
Last week was graduation at school, which I was involved in planning and executing, plus trying to get a student through her unfinished work so she could graduate! Whew.
And we start back to school in July, extended school year for July-Aug! But I am loving this, so I don't want to give up!
But there aren't any more hours in the day, I am already getting less than 6 hours of sleep, sometimes less than 5!
I hope that this workshop will be accessible after it is over, so I can go back and review what I missed.
Week 3
The Game: I almost gave up after spending 5+ hours trying to get the sprites to swim correctly, and then when the scene change didn't work. But then looked at it the next day and the fix jumped out at me! (I forgot to attach part of the script to the main script in the forever block!) Of course, I didn't do the exercises first.
Lessons learned:
1. Simple mistakes are hard to find!
2. A pair of fresh eyes the next day
helps!
3. Don't give up!
"Under the Sea"
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10944912/#player
Week 3 Reflection
Project Overview Cindy Medeiros
Project problem/exploration/question statement:
What can I do in a short period of time? I was planning to do a curriculum for teaching scratch, but I don't have time right now, although I will need one soon (as summer session at school has already started, but there are plenty of curriculums online). But I was inspired by a Scratch project by Mr. McG called Follow My Song: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/10937281 which reminded me of some iPad apps I use with my visually impaired special needs kids. So I have decided to try to curate and create a collection of Scratch games (which is why it is so great that Scratch is a community) that my kids could play on the IWB (Interactive White Board), since my first instinct of playing them on the iPad is not a possibility.
Workshop project format: Hmm, where will I collect these? Maybe in a Studio? That would work as I can access the studio from my computer that is attached to the white board.
Workshop project needs: The curation part should not take too much time to get started. Whether I can make some to contribute will be the challenge. I will also try to get my Scratch students to make some, but that won't be for a while.
Workshop project plan
I would like to have this started by the 13th, at least have the studio set up and a good variety of games assembled. It will be an ongoing project to curate the games
Workshop project keywords: sped, IWB, visual impaired
Week 4 Reflection
Is it over already?? I haven't yet begun to program! Or plan...(I was at a digital curriculum conference for 3 days last week)
I feel like I am running
to catch the bus
but it's speeding up!
Week 5
New project plan, see page 13. I just rewrote it.
See next page for project details.
My favorite resources:
Scratch Cards! http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support/Scratch_Cards
Project Details
Scratch Games for the IWB
I work with low level special needs kids, and some higher levels cognitively but severe physically, so am looking for games that are simple as well as engaging enough for the higher level kids but also easy enough for the lower level ones. (Funny, I am doing a presentation for my curriculum design class on UDL also!)
I want to entice them to use the adaptive mice** and switches to access technology. The Interactive White Board is a great tool for special needs (UDL).
**Even a camera mouse which is moved by head movements - also developed in Boston at BC! And it's free! See http://www.cameramouse.org/about.html or see the video on the next page!
Camera Mouse
Retrieved from: http://www.cameramouse.org
Project Plan
My plan is to curate and create games for use on the IWB and put them into a special studio for easy access. Maybe my Scratch students will help too.
Thanks to Sean McGaughey for
the Inspiration after seeing his
Follow My Song game. His is the
first addition to my studio!
My Studio is here: http://scratch.mit.edu/studios/226551/
Week 6
WeDo with Scratch at CCOW Symposium
Reference/Notes
Starter Projects: http://scratch.mit.edu/info/starter_projects/
Walk through video on making blocks: http://youtu.be/V6lKZwOw2HE
Variables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXq379XkhVw
Reference for effects: http://scratchstuff.wikispaces.com/Sound+Effects%2C+Music+and+Images
Ideas/Reminders
This is not the end...
This is just the beginning!