Community Review of Scratch | Common Sense Education

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Teacher Review for Scratch

Juan S.
Classroom teacher
Roman Catholic High School
Philadelphia, United States

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My Rating

Classroom feedback

My Students Liked It Yes

My Students Learned Yes

I Would Recommend It Yes

Setup Time 5-15 minutes

Great for Creation
Further application
Individual
Knowledge gain
Practice
Small group
Student-driven work
Whole class

Great with Advanced learners
ELL
General
Special needs

How I Use It

There are many different ways to use Scratch. I have had experience using it in my library's after-school program. Kids were grouped by school grade (4-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and then on the first session were shown how to use Scratch (20-30 min) by a more experienced user (a teen usually). After that, they would work on projects on their own, or with the help of our teen assistants. I also know Scratch has been used for tech summer camp, you can call it Game Design or Computer Programming camp, etc.

My Take

Scratch is both a downloadable media-rich programming software and an active community of young gamers and game developers. Created and hosted by MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten Group, Scratch allows first-time programmers to create and share animation, games, and other interactive media. I know that Scratch was created for children ages 8 to 18 from disadvantaged communities, especially in urban settings. Thus, after trying it with my inner-city youth, I can say it is highly accessible and has a simple user interface, ability to mix different types of media. Also, I loved the fact that it is very appealing for all genders and ethnic backgrounds.

Great, engaging tool for after-school program or club

Classroom feedback

How I Use It

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