Learning the 
           Scratch Language
      •  Scratch (scrăch) n. An 
         interpreted dynamic visual 
         programming language
          – Teach programming 
             concepts to youth by 
             enabling them to create 
             games, animations, 
             videos, and music
          – Create and animate 
             characters that dance, 
             sing, and interact with 
             each other
       Before the 
        Creating 
      Can Begin…
     There is some research (program outcomes) 
        you need to know, and then… 
      some important sites and buttons on the 
      Scratch Program that you need to know…
      The Scratch Skill-
      Building Set
      •  Information & Communications Skills 
          – Information & Media Literacy
          – Communication
      •  Thinking & Problem Solving Skills 
          – Critical Thinking, Systems Thinking
          – Problem Identification, formulation, solution
          – Creativity & Intellectual Curiosity
      •  Interpersonal & Self Directional Skills
          – Interpersonal & Collaborative Skills 
          – Self-Direction 
          – Accountability & Adaptability 
          – Social Responsibility  
      •  Reference: http://llk.media.mit.edu/projects/scratch/papers/Scratch-
         21stCenturySkills.pdf 
   The Scratch Community
  • Low floor / High ceiling / Wide Walls
  • In a world of social media and participatory 
   online learning
  • Share, mash, learn from others
  • For youth & educators 
  • New Members, Beginners,                   
   Advanced, & more
  • Talk in the forums 
  • Share yours & check out                                 
   other’s work
      What Makes An 
      Educational Game
       •  Animation is good, game is better
       •  Play - how we teach our culture, share tools
       •  “Humanity's most serious activities belong to the realm of 
          make-believe. Culture comes from play.” -- J Huizinga 
       •  What is fun for one person can be tedious for another
       •  “A game is a system in which players engage in an 
          artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a 
          quantifiable outcome.” – Salen & Zimmerman 
       •  Games are a disruptive medium:  possibility spaces
       •  Gaming process and sharing knowledge is more 
          important than getting a high score
       •  Game playing alone is often not a learning event, but 
          contributes to learning. Reflection following game play is 
          where the learning takes place: identifying strategies, 
          rules, the system