Creative Computing w/ Scratch - An Introductory Workshop

Want to help others create, share, and learn with Scratch? Whether you are totally new to Scratch or just looking for new ideas, join Michelle Chung from the ScratchEd Team from Harvard Graduate School of Education for a special, interactive introduction to Scratch and the latest version of the Creative Computing Curriculum Guide (http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/guide/).

Unlike the Scratch Meetups, this workshop is more structured and will include an overview of the Guide, hands-on activities with Scratch, and discussion of ideas and strategies. This is strongly recommended for any educator who wants a more in-depth introduction to Scratch; you will be able to walk away with tangible sample projects, lesson plan, etc.

Please bring a laptop with you to the workshop (Scratch does not work on tablets).

Please arrive at 9:30am for breakfast. We will start promptly at 10am.

Space is limited, so please only RSVP if you can attend.

Itinerary

• Part 1: Introducing ourselves (15 minutes)
  Depending on the number of participants, we will perform an introductory warm-up activity to help people get to know one another either in a single group or in multiple, smaller groups.
• Part 2: Getting started with Scratch (20 minutes)

Participants will be given hands-on time to explore the Scratch environment and learn about the fundamentals of Scratch. Michelle will present various examples of Scratch being used in K-12 settings.

• Part 3: Designing collaborative narratives with Scratch (60 minutes)

After gaining some familiarity with Scratch in the previous activity, participants will have a larger segment of time to develop storytelling Scratch projects. Participants will work in pairs supported by an accompanying handout. The session will begin with an off-screen exquisite corpse activity that serves as a metaphor for the project.

• Part 4: Sharing and reflecting (30 minutes)

We will share our works-in-progress and reflect on the experience of working with computation as an expressive medium.

• Lunch (30 minutes)
• Part 5: Introducing the Creative Computing guide (20 minutes)

Over lunch, Michelle will present an overview of the Creative Computing curriculum guide.

• Part 6: Discussing next steps (40 minutes)
  Participants will be invited to explore the curriculum guide and discuss next steps in small and large group discussions.