CONVERSATION YOUR LETTERS
YOUR LETTERS Our letters page is a place for you to join our conversation. If you’ve got a comment, a question or an announcement to share, contact us on Twitter via @helloWorld_Edu or using the #HelloWorld hashtag. Alternatively, email us with ‘Teacher Letter’ in the subject line (contact@helloworld.cc).
Vector Grid components in Scratch Dear Hello World, I am an Irish member of the CAS Community (where I have shared resources) and I have begun an online discussion. On 10 June, the research team at Scratch MIT added new vector grid components into Scratch. To see examples; go to scratch.mit.edu and type ‘vector grids’ in the search box. As a result anyone, (children, students, teachers, any adult), can now use Scratch in ways not previously possible, especially in school. This MIT decision followed a short period of discussion between myself (Seamus O’Neill, a retired Irish teacher) and Natalie Rusk, Dir. of Learning Resources and Research MIT (Boston). Scratch is now much better fit-for-purpose as a methodology for constructivist learning, and a tool for teaching Computational Thinking (CT). The grids are the Magic Mix, to make coding easier to ‘get on top of’ for teachers, and to free up valuable teaching time. I have been following the ScratchMaths.org project, which received several million pounds’ funding from EEF in 2014. My desire is to make teachers’ work easier and more rewarding. For me, since retirement, Scratch Maths R&D (and all subject areas) is an enjoyable pastime (backed up by my volunteering as a Code Club mentor and Teacher Tutoring at all levels.) Follow up Conference: On 20 June, before schools closed for Summer, I ran the first ever Irish SCRATCH Conference for teachers (primary, secondary, and further education and adult ed.)ages 8-18 years and upwards. The one-day conference consisted of 3 workshops (each with its own six-page laminated book). Feedback was excellent and 100% of the attendance of 60+ were very pleased with the new component of Scratch. Seamus O’Neill If you’re interested in learning more, you can reach out to Seamus via the website readysteadycode.ie or via CAS Community.
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Article discussion Dear Hello World, While I’m an academic instead of a teacher, I have comments on the latest issue of Hello World. I think the letter section should include discussions of previous articles, not only questions from teachers. In the FAQ section of issue 3, the first FAQ, “How do I introduce my students to coding on a mobile phone?”, suggests ScratchJr as a possibility. I’m nearly certain it only runs on tablets and not on phones. Pocket Code (catrobat.org) is a free app that runs on Android phones, (and an iPhone version is under development), that is a very powerful, yet easy-to-use, programming tool whose interface works well on phones. What is particularly exciting about it is how easy it is to use the phone’s sensors such as tilt, loudness, compass direction, etc. Another question is “I need to teach programming, but I’m not allowed to install anything on the school’s network. What do I do?” The answer is a very good one and mentions the developer tools of the browsers. Chrome’s developer tools provide a complete IDE with local file storage and more. See helloworld.cc/2AP2YxP. Ken Kahn Thanks for getting in touch, Ken!
HELLO WORLD SURVEY Over 1400 Hello World readers recently gave us valuable feedback on how the magazine had performed over the past year. 48% of responders were primary or secondary school teachers, 65% came from the United Kingdom, and 28% were female and 72% male, respectively. When asked how much of the magazine was being read, 71% said: “at least half the content or more”. 65% also said they use content from Hello World “several times a year or more” in their teaching practice, which is great to hear. It’s unsurprising then that ‘lesson plans’ and ‘practical examples for other educators’ are the types of articles that they found the most useful. The top three topics they feel most confident to teach are: visual programming languages such as Scratch, computational thinking, and generalist programming concepts. In future issues, readers asked to see more practical examples for computing project ideas and lesson plans. 78% voted to double the amount of issues of Hello World, from three to six, and a reassuring 91% said they’d be okay with relevant advertising being introduced to the magazine. Thanks to everyone who gave their input!