Hello everyone! I’m Rick Rose, and I’m here with Eric, also known as Speak Visually on Scratch. Welcome to our Scratch video update! We’re currently in Paris, France, after attending the Scratch conference in Amsterdam. Behind us, you can see the famous Notre Dame Cathedral!
The Scratch conference is a fantastic event where teachers, developers, and researchers gather to talk about Scratch. They share cool ideas and resources to help everyone learn and create amazing projects. It’s a great place to get inspired!
One of the most exciting parts of the conference was a keynote speech by Linda Lucas. She’s an author who writes fun children’s books about computers and computational thinking. Her stories help kids understand how computers work in a simple and enjoyable way.
Linda’s first book is about a girl named Ruby and her computer. Ruby is unique because she follows instructions exactly as they’re given. For example, when her dad tells her to dress up for school, she does, but she keeps her pajamas on because he didn’t say to take them off! This teaches us that when we give instructions to computers, we need to be very clear and specific.
During the conference, there was a poster session where people showed off their Scratch projects. One project that really stood out was a device that helped someone communicate by blinking. It was an inspiring example of how Scratch can be used in real life!
The Scratch team also showed an early demo of Scratch for tablets, which was super exciting. Imagine creating Scratch projects on a tablet! Another cool project involved using physical Scratch blocks to program actions, making it a hands-on experience.
We met Eric Rosenbaum, one of the creators of Makey Makey, who introduced us to his new project called Beetle Blocks. It’s like Scratch, but for 3D printing! You can write code to create 3D shapes and even print them out. For example, you can make a beetle move around and draw shapes like hexagons. How cool is that?
The new Scratch Design Studio is focusing on custom blocks. If you want to learn more about them, the studio curators have created projects to help you get started. Custom blocks let you create your own commands in Scratch, making your projects even more unique!
Mitch Resnick, one of the key speakers, talked about why coding and Scratch are so important. He shared three big ideas: expressing your voice, thinking creatively, and seeing yourself as a creator who can change the world.
To celebrate this, we asked people at the conference to describe Scratch in three words. It was amazing to hear all the different answers!
That’s all for now. We’ll see you next month with more exciting updates. Keep creating and Scratch on!
Imagine you’re attending the Scratch conference in Paris. Use Scratch to create a story about your experience. Include characters, dialogues, and animations to make it engaging. Share your project with your classmates and explain how you used Scratch to bring your story to life.
Explore Beetle Blocks and try creating a simple 3D shape, like a cube or a pyramid. Experiment with different commands to see how they affect the shape. Once you’re done, present your design to the class and discuss how Beetle Blocks can be used for 3D printing.
Think of a simple task, like making a sandwich or drawing a picture. Write clear and specific instructions for Ruby to follow. Remember, Ruby follows instructions exactly as they’re given, so be precise! Share your instructions with a partner and see if they can complete the task without any confusion.
Learn how to create custom blocks in Scratch by following a tutorial from the Scratch Design Studio. Use custom blocks to simplify a complex project or add a unique feature. Present your project to the class and explain how custom blocks made your project better.
Think about your experiences with Scratch and choose three words that best describe it. Create a poster or a digital presentation to illustrate your words. Share your creation with the class and explain why you chose those words to describe Scratch.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi everyone, I’m Rick Rose, also known as Rick Rose on Scratch. Hi, I’m Eric, also known as Speak Visually on Scratch, and welcome to the Scratch video update! We’re joining you from Paris, France. We took a hop over from the Scratch conference in Amsterdam to film here.
If you’re wondering what the Scratch conference is, it’s an opportunity for teachers, developers, and researchers to come together to talk about Scratch and share different resources and ideas. By the way, that’s Notre Dame Cathedral behind us, right in the center of Paris.
We’re going to show you some clips of our reflections from the experience, starting with the “Love It” section. One of the keynotes at the Scratch conference was delivered by Linda Lucas, an author who created an amazing children’s book. She wanted to introduce young kids to computational thinking in a friendly and fun way. Let’s check it out!
“My name is Linda Lucas. I’m a children’s book author and illustrator, and I write stories about computers and computational thinking. This is my first book about a little girl named Ruby and her best friend, the computer. Ruby is special because when her dad tells her to dress up for school, she does, but she leaves her pajamas on because he didn’t specifically tell her to take them off. When Ruby is told to clean up her toys, she does, but she leaves her pens and papers on the floor because they aren’t toys. This illustrates how, when giving instructions to a computer, you need to be specific and clear.”
One of my favorite moments from the conference was the poster session, where people showcased their projects using Scratch. One project that stood out was a device that allowed a young person to communicate by blinking, which was an inspiring use of Scratch in the real world.
Additionally, the Scratch team is working on Scratch for tablets, and they showcased an early demo. It was exciting to see the potential there! Another interesting project involved using physical Scratch blocks to program actions, allowing for hands-on interaction.
Now, let’s move on to “Things to Try.” We ran into Eric Rosenbaum, co-creator of Makey Makey, who shared his new project called Beetle Blocks.
“Hi, I’m Eric Rosenbaum, former member of the Scratch team and co-inventor of Makey Makey. I’m excited to show you Beetle Blocks, which is like Scratch for 3D printing. You can write code to generate a 3D shape that you can print out. For example, you can make a beetle move around and create shapes like hexagons.”
I also want to highlight the new Scratch Design Studio focused on custom blocks. If you’re not familiar with custom blocks, the Scratch Design Studio curators have created projects to help you learn more about them.
Now, let’s share a message from the Scratch team. One of the keynotes delivered by Mitch Resnick emphasized the importance of coding and Scratch. He discussed three key ideas: expressing your voice, thinking creatively, and seeing yourself as a creator who can shape the world.
In the spirit of voice, we walked around the Scratch conference to hear from participants about how they would describe Scratch in three words.
We’ll end with that, and we’ll see you next month. Scratch on!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.
Scratch – A visual programming language that lets you create games and animations by snapping together code blocks. – Example sentence: In Scratch, I made a fun game where a cat chases a mouse.
Coding – The process of writing instructions for a computer to understand and execute. – Example sentence: We learned the basics of coding by creating a simple website in class.
Computers – Electronic devices that can store, retrieve, and process data to perform various tasks. – Example sentence: Computers help us do homework, play games, and even talk to friends online.
Projects – Activities or tasks that involve creating something new using coding or computer skills. – Example sentence: Our teacher assigned us projects to build our own interactive stories using code.
Blocks – Pieces of code that can be snapped together to create programs, often used in visual programming languages like Scratch. – Example sentence: By connecting different blocks, I made my character jump and spin in the game.
Create – To make something new using imagination and coding skills. – Example sentence: I used my computer to create a digital birthday card for my friend.
Instructions – Commands or steps that tell a computer what to do in a program. – Example sentence: The robot followed the instructions I coded to move forward and turn left.
Design – The process of planning and creating the look and function of a program or website. – Example sentence: I enjoyed the design phase of my project where I chose colors and fonts for my webpage.
Ideas – Thoughts or plans about what to create or how to solve a problem using coding. – Example sentence: I have many ideas for new games I want to code during the summer.
Conference – A meeting where people discuss and share knowledge about computers and coding. – Example sentence: At the coding conference, I learned about new software that makes programming easier.
