Focus on: Computing

Starting from
Scratch
No need to fear the cryptic code;
programming is just another
creative medium like clay, finger-
paints or the written word, and

A
should be used to enhance long with other hands-on learning
movements like maker education
learning in all subject areas. and design thinking, computer
Creative Teaching & Learning

Dylan Ryder takes a creative science education has been enjoying

a recent growth in popularity. The groundswell
approach to the new computing has been encouraged by global events like
the Hour of Code, which has brought tens of
curriculum, using the popular millions of people together around the world to
try programming – most for the first time. The
programming tool, Scratch. initiative’s organisers should be congratulated
for inspiring so many students to try something
Volume 5.3

new, and for collecting such a diverse array of

coding options for students to explore.

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 Focus on: Computing
social bliss, methodically racking up line upon
line of esoteric algorithms needs to pass. Kids
should learn the joy of creating with code! They
need to be introduced to computing education
in a way that is rigorous, but still meaningful to
them and their interests. We teachers need to
understand that learning to code is more than
just an economic opportunity, it’s an incredible
medium for students to express themselves
creatively, and indeed to learn.
The wide range of subjects that we
experience in schools are not simple job
training exercises, but in fact rich opportunities
to create, grow, and learn – and I’m here to tell
you that learning to code, or coding to learn,
is no different.

A creative approach to computing

When Mitch Resnick and his Lifelong
Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab
set out to broaden student participation in
computer programming, they sought to
develop an approach that would appeal to
students who hadn’t thought of themselves
as programmers before. They wanted to make
it simple for everyone to program their own
interactive stories, video games, animations
and simulations, and share their projects with
each other, regardless of their age, background,
or interests.1 And so Scratch was born.
As the Scratch community grew, so did the
support for educators. The ScratchEd team,
led by Karen Brennan at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education, recently revised their
Scratch Creative Computing curriculum guide – a
compilation of lessons and activities for using the
Scratch programming language with students.2
The guide explains creative computing more fully:

Creative computing is about creativity.

Computer science and computing-related fields
have long been introduced to young people in
a way that is disconnected from their interests
and values – emphasising technical detail over
Many champions of coding in the classroom creative potential. Creative computing supports
cite the potential economic benefits of learning the development of personal connections
to program – in an increasingly digital culture, to computing, by drawing upon creativity,
Creative Teaching & Learning

the need for skilled programmers is indeed imagination and interests.

growing every day – but while the future career
opportunities for students are large, they won’t Creative computing is about empowerment.
keep our kids coming back for much more than Many young people with access to computers
an hour of code. participate as consumers, rather than designers
If we want to keep them coming back, or creators. Creative computing emphasises
we’re going to have to give them more than the knowledge, practices and fundamental
cold, hard code and insist that they ‘trust us, literacies that young people need to create the
Volume 5.3

it’s for your own good’. The classic image of types of dynamic and interactive computational
computer programmers, self-secluded in anti- media that they enjoy in their daily lives.

25
 Focus on: Computing

Creative computing is about computing. animations, simulations and more. The visual,
Engaging in the creation of computational drag-and-drop approach simplifies the creation
artefacts prepares young people for more than process and deters new learners from making
careers as computer scientists or programmers. syntax errors common in most traditional text-
It supports young people’s development as based programming languages.3 Over 100
computational thinkers – individuals who can code blocks are grouped by colour and shape
draw on computational concepts, practices and according to their function, including categories
perspectives in all aspects of their lives, across for motion, sound, event-handling, data,
disciplines and contexts. mathematical operators, sensing and more.
Users create Scratch projects by adding
The primary goal of this pedagogy is not to on-screen characters, called sprites, and
prepare students for careers as professional then programming their actions by snapping
computer programmers, but rather to develop together code blocks. Figure 1 shows the
students’ abilities to use programming to think code to activate a sprite in a game much like
creatively, mathematically and methodically, ‘Whack-A-Mole’.
while expressing themselves. Let’s think of More than just a digital authoring
programming, not as a cryptic code, but as a environment, Scratch also provides an online
creative medium like clay, finger-paints or the platform for users to share their projects with
written word! the community – creating a rich environment
for peer learning and digital citizenship skills.
What is Scratch? However, if providing online user accounts is a
Scratch is a computer programming language. particular challenge for your school, Scratch is
It utilises visual code blocks that users can also available as a free download for Windows,
snap together on the screen like virtual LEGO Mac OSX and Linux platforms, and a mobile OS
bricks to create interactive stories, games, version is currently in development.
Creative Teaching & Learning
Volume 5.3

Figure 1. Sample Scratch code sequence from ‘Whack-A-Mole’ type game, with computational and mathematical concepts highlighted.

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 Focus on: Computing
What does it mean? Scratch terms you need to know

Includes everything needed to create a project. On the left is the

Scratch user interface stage and sprite list, in the centre the blocks palette (filled with
click-and-drag code fragments called ‘blocks’ - see below), and on
the right the scripts/costumes/sounds editors.

Puzzle-piece shapes that snap together to create code. There are 12

Blocks categories of blocks, including motion, looks, sound, pen, control,
sensing, operators and variables.

Sprites Objects that are used to make up Scratch projects. They can be
user-created, uploaded, or found in the sprites library.

Images used to define how a sprite looks. Costumes may be of

Costume these image formats: JPG, BMP, PNG, or GIF. Each sprite as at
least one costume, but can have more – for example, the position
of the arms and legs of a dancing sprite may change as it moves.

The term for the background of the project. It can have scripts,
Stage backdrops and sounds. No sprites can move behind the stage — the
stage is always the back layer.

Backdrop Costumes for the stage. Backdrops are used to change the
appearance of the stage.

A collection or stack of blocks that all interlock with one another.

Script They determine how the sprites interact with each other and the
backdrop.

The block used to start a script – for example, the hat block may
Hat block program a game to begin when the green flag is clicked. Hat blocks
are designed to sit at the top of a script, and no block can be placed
on top of them.

Green flag A button that, when clicked, will start all scripts in that project that
are hatted with the ‘When Green Flag Clicked’ block.

Stop sign A button that, when clicked, stops the running project immediately.

Allows others to view your projects, look inside them and remix
Project sharing them. To share your project, click the ‘share’ button in the orange
bar above the project screen. Sharing a project shares it with users
all over the world, so avoid including any personal information.
Creative Teaching & Learning

Notes that accompany a shared project, explaining to others what

Project notes the project is about and how to use it. They appear to the right of a
shared project’s webpage.

Find more information on using Scratch here: wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_Wiki_Home.

Volume 5.3

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 Focus on: Computing

A sample Scratch project: An animated birthday card with code blocks connected in sequence to make the cat sprite say ‘Happy Birthday!’
while dancing back and forth.

How can Scratch be used across The potential for integrating Scratch into your
the curriculum? own subject-specific curriculum is endless. A
Though even top-tier universities are employing quick visit to the Scratch website will provide a
Scratch as part of their introductory computer window into the thousands of things that people
science courses for first-time programmers,4 are creating and learning. You’ll find young
it’s important to note that Scratch is not merely scientists making interactive cell models
useful for teaching programming alone. Scratch and animations of the water cycle. Readers
is designed to be a practical tool for students are making word study apps to prepare
to create meaningful products that are both themselves for vocabulary quizzes at school.
personal and educational.5 Writers are making animated summaries
of their favourite books, and even crafting
projects based on their own fan fiction. Student
musicians are building virtual drum kits and
electronic instruments never before seen.
Budding mathematicians are creating complex
fractal drawings and coding video games
with sophisticated variable sets and Boolean
Creative Teaching & Learning

expressions to keep score. Artists are carefully

crafting tutorials for the community on how to
draw, paint and create in the digital environment.
More importantly you’ll find a community of
educators and users that is ready to help you
dive in and learn as you go. The ScratchEd
website is a robust portal for Scratch educators
to check-in, find resources such as sample
Volume 5.3

lesson plans, project ideas, videos and tutorials,

join discussion forums and support peers.

28
 Focus on: Computing
I personally recommend downloading a free
copy of the Creative Computing Scratch
curriculum guide from the ScratchEd team.
The guide is a collection of activities, ideas,
and assessment strategies for introducing
Scratch into your curriculum – regardless of
your educational context, background, skill level
or previous experience with programming. Its
most recent revision from 2014 is outstanding, Download all
not only for the quality of its content, but also three lesson
because it is an open-source document and plans and their
shared freely under a Creative Commons resources
license. here!
To that end, I will leave you with three of
my own introductory Scratch activities in
the style of the Scratch curriculum guide to
References
try out with your pupils today. Each includes
a lesson guide for educators and an activity 1. Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernández, A., Rusk,
handout for learners. The activities can be N., Eastmond, E., Brennan, K., Millner, A., Rosenbaum,
completed in about 30 minutes each, and will E., Silver, J., Silverman, B. and Kafai, Y. (2009) Scratch:
give children the opportunity to experience Programming for All. Communications of the ACM, 52(11),
creative computing for themselves. So try it for pp 60-67. Available at: web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/
yourself, and let’s teach kids to code! Scratch-CACM-final.pdf [Accessed 03/02/2015].
2. Brennan, K., Balch, C. and Chung, M. (2014) Creative
Dylan Ryder is an Educational Computing: Scratch Curriculum Guide. Licensed Under CC
Technologist at The School at Columbia BY SA 4.0. Available at: scratched.gse.harvard.edu/guide/
University, an independent K-8 school in [Accessed 03/02/2015].
New York City. 3. Brennan, K. (2013) Learning Computing through Creating
and Connecting. Computer, 46(9), pp 52-59.
4. Malan, D.J. and Henry, H. (2007) Scratch for Budding
Computer Scientists. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 39(1), pp 223-
Resources for 227.
creative computing 5. Lamb, A. and Johnson, L. (2011). Scratch: Computer
Programming for 21st Century Learners. Teacher Librarian,
Creative Computing: Scratch 38(4), pp 64-68.
Curriculum Guide, by Karen
Brennan, Christian Balch, and
Michelle Chung. Free to download,
and available as an educator’s guide
(pdf), student workbook (pdf), and an Knowledge trails
editable powerpoint for remixing and
1. Getting started with the new computing curriculum – In
translating. this article and free training video, Chris Thomas explores the
basics of programming and two tools that will make teaching
Scratch Programming in Easy it a lot simpler – Scratch and LEGO Wedo.
Steps, by Sean McManus. www.teachingtimes.com/articles/training-video-free-
new-computing-curriculum

Learn to Program with Scratch:

Creative Teaching & Learning

2. Making mathematics phenomenal: The case for

A Visual Introduction to programming – David Pratt of the IOE looks at the
Programming with Games, Art, benefits of incorporating programming into the wider maths
Science and Math, by Majed Marji. curriculum.
library.teachingtimes.com/articles/
makingmathsphenomenal
Super Scratch Programming
Adventure!, by the LEAD Project. 3. Microworlds – Nick Packard describes what happened when
he introduced his pupils to Logo, a computer programming
ScratchEd Website: scratched.gse. language for schools.
Volume 5.3

library.teachingtimes.com/articles/microworlds
harvard.edu

29
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Volume 5.3 Creative Teaching & Learning Focus on: Computing
BOOM, SNAP, CLAP
HOW CAN YOU USE CODE TO CREATE
SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS?

In this activity, you will build your own music-

inspired Scratch project by pairing sprites with
sounds to design interactive instruments based
on the hand game Boom, Snap, Clap.

!
START HERE

! Create three sprites using the paint editor: one

for each sound – boom, snap & clap
! Add sound and event blocks.
! Experiment with ways to make your sprites pop
visually!

FEELING
STUCK? Y THESE THIN
GS…
THAT’S OK! TR
FINISHED?

! Import or record your own sounds or experiment with the + Add your project to the Boom, Snap, Clap
Sounds editor. Studio: http://scratch.mit.edu/studios/856112
! Try out other in the Looks and Sounds palette. + Challenge yourself to more! Add another
! Try brainstorming with a neighbor! instrument and sound.
+ Help a neighbor!
 Volume 5.3 Creative Teaching & Learning
Focus on: Computing

31
CLICK-AND-TAG
CAN YOU CREATE A SPACE FOR EVERYONE
TO LEAVE THEIR MARK?

In this project, you will make a virtual canvas

for others to paint their own digital art!

START HERE

! Choose a backdrop from the library for your project’s

stage.
! Paint a new sprite; one without a costume.
! Program the sprite to draw only if you click
and drag.
! Spray away!

THINGS TO TRY

! Explore options to change to color of your drawing.

! Add a new sequence that plays spray-can sounds as you
paint.
! Can you make the spray pen thicker as you click-and-hold?
! Right-click the Stage to save an image of your artwork.

BLOCKS TO PLAY WITH FINISHED?

+ Add your project to the Click-And-Tag

Studio:
http://scratch.mit.edu/studios/855000
+ Share your project with a neighbor and
give each other feedback on your code
and your artwork.
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Volume 5.3 Creative Teaching & Learning Focus on: Computing
SHARK BYTES
HOW CAN YOU USE SCRATCH TO BUILD AN
INTERACTIVE GAME?

In this project, you will create a game. This

game includes interactions between sprites,
score and levels. It’s a classic chase game
where you help the shark catch the fish, but
avoid the starfish.
!
START HERE

! Create three sprites: one for the player to control

(shark) one to catch (fish) and one to avoid !
(starfish)
! Make your shark sprite interactive.
! Bring your computer-controlled characters to
life!
!
This controls the fish – if the shark is near
it swims away.

THINGS TO TRY

! How do you add difficulty to your game?

Creating different levels, using a timer, or
!
keeping score are a few examples of things This controls the shark – if touching the
you could do. fish or starfish, the game ends.
! Use the make a variable block to keep score! !
This controls the starfish – it swims around
the stage semi-randomly.

BLOCKS TO PLAY WITH FINISHED?

+ Add your project to the Shark Bytes

Studio: http://scratch.mit.edu/
studios/855882
+ Help a neighbor!