Scratch the itch! Exploring computational thinking through Scratch

PLEASE NOTE: This event has been postponed until later in 2019, with a date still to be determined. Registration is not available at this time.

This workshop is about using MIT's Scratch more effectively in the Primary classroom.

• Try examples of real programs that address the Victorian Digital Technologies curriculum for Levels 3-6 and beyond.
• Learn appropriate algorithms and coding challenges to boost Computational Thinking and prepare students for General Purpose Programming.
• Explore opportunities for cross-curricular projects.
• Investigate classroom physical tech like the BBC micro:bit, and other new capabilities in Scratch 3.

Primary teachers have used the Scratch environment to bring visual coding to students for years. With the arrival of the new Scratch 3, now is the time to make the most out of this free environment.

At its best, Scratch fosters Computational Thinking from the most basic to highly sophisticated algorithms. But without some direction on good coding, Scratch can be a "spritefest" of tangled graphics and unpredictable behaviour, impossible to debug.