Scratchan overview for teachers

by W Hamilton

What is Scratch?

• Software designed to inspire children to learn how to program

• Multimedia focus• It is free to download• Simple to use, lots of examples included and in

online (You Tube style) galleries• Good fun!

When do I use scratch?

• KS3 - used for control, changes to KS3 should still allow us to use Scratch

• KS4 (DiDA) - Multimedia unit, audio, new games unit?

• AS computing initial lessons (limited)• Lunchtime club• End of term activities• G&T sessions

What can it do then?Demo...........• Cat & Ball - simple 1st lesson• Helicopter game - good 2nd lesson• Pong/filtering - More advanced, students need to

think about the logic & maths• Provided projects• Online galleries

Cross curricular use for Scratch

• Science - sensors (hardware board £10) & simulations

• D&T - control• Anywhere that  powerpoinnt is used, but it enables

decisions/simulation - i.e. students can create a story that simulates choices and consequences for a topic or a quiz

What else coud we use?

• Alice, Greenfoot - these are great programs that could follow on from an initial use of scratch

• Flowol - used in lower school• Logo - used in lower school and Maths• Flash - Great, but takes quite a bit of time to do

anything effective

Useful links

• Just "google"  for scratch• http://scratch.mit.edu/ - main website, download,

galleries, help file, forums• http://www.meridianmoodle.com - links, tutorials,

things I've shown you today • waynehamilton@meridian.herts.sch.uk• Alice - http://www.alice.org/• Greenfoot - http://www.greenfoot.org/