Week 2: Teaching Coding with Scratch

About

In this session, we will explain a few different approaches for teaching and assessing Coding and Computational Thinking, with a focus on approaches for teaching these skills with Scratch.

In the session’s activities, you will learn how to use Scratch Teacher Accounts, which are a special type of Scratch accounts that can help you manage your students’ projects. You will also learn about remixing projects in Scratch and how remixing can be used with Scratch Teacher Accounts to run activities with your students.

Metalanguage

algorithm, computational thinking, computational concept, coding, visual programming, sequences, loops, conditionals, debugging

Materials

Presentations

Activities

Homework

Session Outcomes

Stage 3 NSW Syllabus Outcomes

Science and Technology

Digital Technologies
Outcome How the Outcome is addressed
ST3-3DP-T: defines problems, and designs, modifies and follows algorithms to develop solutions In this session, you will design, modify and follow algorithms (steps of instructions for a computer to follow) during the Remixing Projects with Scratch Teacher Accounts activity.
AITSL Professional Teacher Standards
Standard How the Standard is addressed
2.1.2: Apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities. In this session, you will learn about a variety of approaches for teaching Coding, including projects and puzzles.
3.3.2: Select and use relevant teaching strategies to develop knowledge, skills, problem solving and critical and creative thinking In this session, you will have the opportunity to plan the teaching of Coding through a combination different teaching approaches, such as creative and open-ended projects.
3.4.2: Select and/or create and use a range of resources, including ICT, to engage students in their learning. In this session, you will learn about different resources for teaching Coding, including ‘unplugged’ methods that can be used when you do not have access to a computer lab.
4.5.2: Incorporate strategies to promote the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. In this session, you will learn about how the remixing of projects in Scratch works. We will discuss potential ethical issues of remixing, particularly plagiarism, and how to address this.
6.2.2: Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice, targeted to professional needs and school and/or system priorities. In this session, you will learn about how Coding and Computational Thinking can be incorporated into different areas of the curriculum and STEM.
6.4.2: Undertake professional learning programs designed to address identified student learning needs. In this session, you will be introduced to different teaching approaches. Some of these teaching approaches could be more suitable to students with particular learning needs (for example, teaching students Coding in pairs, rather than individually).
ACARA General Capabilities

Information and Communication Technology Capability

ICT Capability Element How this Element is addressed
Applying social and ethical protocols and practices when using ICT In this session, you will learn about the potential ethical issues that can be encountered when remixing projects in Scratch.
Creating with ICT In this session, you will create and modify digital solutions (which will be Scratch projects)
Communicating with ICT In this session, you will learn how to share projects in Scratch and about how students can communicate with each other through Scratch
Managing and Operating ICT In this session, you will about how programs created on the Scratch website will be available wherever you log in, as Scratch projects are stored on the website and not the computer they are created on.

Critical and Creative Thinking

Creative and Creative Thinking Capability Element How this Element is addressed
Generating ideas, possibilities and actions In this session, you will explore existing projects shared on the Scratch website, remix them and expand on them.
Stage 3 ACARA Digital Technologies Content Descriptors
Content Descriptor How the Descriptor is addressed
ACTDIP019: Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) In this session, you will design, modify and follow algorithms (steps of instructions for a computer to follow) during the Remixing Projects with Scratch Teacher Accounts activity.
ACTDIP020: Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input In this session, you will implement a program in Scratch, a visual programming language, that includes conditionals (branching) and loops (iteration).
ACTDIP022: Plan, create and communicate ideas and information, including collaboratively online, applying agreed ethical, social and technical protocols In this session, you will learn about how remixing in Scratch can be used for collaborative projects and the ethical issues that can be encountered when remixing.