The following Blog aims to capture my Scratch learning experience over the current university semester, reflecting upon my experiences, lessons I have learnt and applications for the Scratch program. If you have not already been introduced to Scratch, I recommend that you download the free program and have a play!
Phase 1 Reflection
Throughout the first three weeks of the Scratch activities I undertook in various programming actions, from utilising simple commands to move the sprite, to building a race car and track, and finally creating a game of ping pong. This is my first experience with programming, making the activities quite daunting. However, throughout the three weeks the activities were progressive, allowing me to build upon my knowledge from the previous weeks. By the end of week three I came to realise that the process of programming is based on sequencing and patterns, which also forms a part of the mathematics curriculum. After discovering this, it was a case of exploring the different blocks and their functions in order to create a sequence. Even within the challenges I was able to draw upon past activities, along with use a trail and error method, in order to adjust the angle of the Ping Pong ball, add sounds to the race car game and draw polygons.
During the activities I learnt how to drag blocks from the Blocks Palette into the Script area, issuing commands to move the sprite around the screen either using the mouse or the keyboard. From here I began to combine blocks to form a sequence of movements, altering the values of the blocks to move the sprite in different angles and distance.
Within the week two and three activities the difficulty of these tasks increased. I engaged in altering the background, creating my own sprite, and creating commands for this sprite to move around the screen as directed. I thoroughly enjoyed these activities, as I found them engaging, interesting and fun.
Within the Draft Australian Curriculum, programming falls under Specification, Algorithms and Implementation, within the Digital Technologies strand (ACARA, 2013). As early as Foundation, students begin exploring basic programming, with students in Foundation to Year 2 required to collaboratively write and enter simple sets of instructions, for example using simple visual programming, to direct an actual or virtual robot to perform moves in particular directions (ACARA, 2013). These skills are then built upon throughout the years, as by Year 7 and 8 students are required to develop and modify programs with user interfaces involving branching, repetition or iteration and subprograms in a general-purpose programming language (ACARA, 2013).
After undertaking the first Scratch activity in Week 1, it is clear that this program could be used within classrooms to teach students programming and the digital technologies strand. For example, the younger students would be more than capable of putting together simple sequences in order to move the sprite around the screen. As the student progress, they would then be able to introduce more complex sequences. Also, this program could be used to teach or reinforce specific Maths concepts, such as sequencing, patterning, repetition, working with angles and reading coordinates.
Over the next few weeks I am hoping to further explore the Scratch Program, and increase my programming skills.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013). Draft Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Foundation to Year 10. Retrieved fromhttp://consultation.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Static/docs/Technologies/Draft%20Australian%20Curriculum%20Technologies%20-%20February%202013.pdf
Scratch Digital Activities Reflective Blog 