Learning about Scratch
Learning about programming with Scratch.
Programming is one of the most basic and important tasks of most of those known as professions of the future. Many workers, use to program in different programming languages without actually being engineers, programmers, or computer specialists.
That's why I decided to introduce this activity. At first sight, it can seem difficult and challenging, but in fact, Scratch uses a programming language divided by blocks, so children won't have to write any code line as in for example, python.
As it is said in the video, this program is used in ages between 8 and 16 years old, but it is also recommended for younger and older learners because it can develop some digital, logical, mathematical and other skills and key competences.
Here's the video I'm talking about. While watching this video, our students can practice their listening and reading skills just by listening the video and reading its subtitles. After watching the full video (or selecting a couple of fragments with the most relevant information) you can ask your students to answer the following questions in a piece of paper:
- Did you like the video? Why? or Why not?
- Do you think that learn about programming could be useful in your future life?
- What kind of game would you like to create using Scratch?
Then, after the writing is done, you could create a debate about their thoughts, invite them to talk between them and discuss about this tool, what they would like to create etc. This way, we will be practicing the 4 essential skills in a language in a whole lesson.
Also, if you like the idea, you could program a didactic unit based in the use of scratch for a couple of weeks, and create some games or videos to explain about any specific topic.
References:
ZakUaK. (2018, February 21). PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS | HOW to CREATE YOUR FIRST SCRATCH GAME [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdBV-Cy9fNg
Here is a really basic example made by myself of what you can do with Scratch.
Hi Daniel, I think your activity works effectively in an interdisciplinary way on the skills of listening, speaking, writing and reading comprehension. You can see how you address them in:
ResponderEliminar*Listening*: Students listen to the video and focus on understanding the information presented. This helps them to improve their listening comprehension, as they have to extract meaning from the spoken content.
*Speaking*: After watching the video and answering the questions, students can participate in a debate and discussion about what they think about the topic. This gives the opportunity to express their opinions, share ideas and practise their speaking.
*Writing*: Students write their answers to the questions on a piece of paper. This exercise can encourage them to practise their writing skills by expressing their thoughts and ideas in writing.
*Reading*: In reading the subtitles of the video to complement the listening component. Students need to comprehend the written information to fully understand the content of the video. In addition, they engage in reading the written questions and answers, thus improving their reading comprehension skills.
In conclusion, this activity incorporates all four language skills (listening, speaking, writing and reading), the activity offers a holistic approach to language learning and allows learners to practise and develop their competence in all these areas.
I look forward to seeing the other posts and learning more.
Good morning Daniel.
ResponderEliminarFirst of all... Congratulations for your work, how attractive it is to my eyes!
Since I entered your blog, the colours and the presentation have captured my attention and I couldn't help but emphasize your activity on Scratch.
I really recently discovered this tool and I had not stopped to think about the background that you have contributed to it with a debate.
From my point of view and as feedback, I could advise you to complete this activity using Padlet, a shared board where your students can share those questions that you ask them in writing, thus promoting written expression (writing skill), at the same time who recite what is written (speaking skill). Perhaps, you can take advantage of this wonderful gamified tool to get more out of it and work on different skills at the same time.
In addition, I have been able to observe how you highlight the important words or phrases in the explanation that you offer to the students, since that, visually, will make it easier for them to understand the task.
Once again and to conclude, congratulations on your blog and I hope that my comment has served you as feedback if you wish to carry it out in your classroom.
My best wishes!
Sincerely, Andrea.
Thanks for your feedback, Andrea. I'll definetly bear in mind what you said about Padlet for my future students.
EliminarYpu have done a fantastic job introducing the activity of learning programming with Scratch. By utilizing Scratch's block-based programming language, children can easily grasp the concepts without the need to write code lines. This approach makes programming accessible and enjoyable for young learners.
ResponderEliminarThe incorporation of a video for listening and reading practice adds an interactive element to the activity. The accompanying questions stimulate critical thinking and encourage students to reflect on the usefulness of programming in their future lives. The subsequent debate and discussion foster communication skills and provide an opportunity for students to express their ideas and preferences.
Overall, this activity effectively combines language learning with programming skills, creating an engaging and educational experience for the students. Well done to your colleague for designing such a well-rounded activity!