Agenda & Assignment 1, January 20

CSC 101/IMM 120

Spring 2009

Summary of Class Activities:

After reviewing the course structure, we jump into the Scratch environment.  By the end of the session you should have:

• Knowledge of how to download Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/)
  

• Basic understanding of navigating the Scratch Programming Environment. This is the software you download onto your computer.  It is where you build programs.  In this environment, by January 30 you should know how to:
  • Construct a very simple Scratch program, annotate and saved it
  • Select backgrounds and sprites from existing files
  • Create your own backgrounds and sprites within Scratch
  • Import backgrounds and sprites from elsewhere.
  • Know how to use sound in your programs.
    
    
• Basic understanding of navigating the Scratch Website. This is where you create your gallery, post your work and comment upon the work of others, and make friends.  By January 27 you should have:
  • Created a login name.
  • Created one simple Scratch project and "shared" it with the community.
  • Commented on a classmate’s work after becoming Scratch friends.
  • Logged out and logged in again to the Scratch Website.
  • Explored the menu options (forums help etc.)
  • Found an interesting project in the existing galleries and downloaded it.

HOMEWORK

Reading: 

1. Go to the Scratch site and find every resource you can on Scratch.  Create a personal resource page for yourself of the resources you found that you found useful. 
2. Greenbergs' Processing book: Chapter 1 by January 27.
3. David Malan at Harvard has written a nice article on Scratch as an introduction to programming. It was published at "SIGCSE". Find it on the web. (Ask a friend if you can't find it.)

Assignment 1: (please do this part by Friday, January 23)

Write a program in Scratch and "share" it on the Scratch website.
Add it to the gallery TCNJIICSP09.
Ask to become a Scratch friend to Dr. Wolz (momgeek)
Become Scratch friends with three people in the class who you don't already know.

Assignment 2:

part a: What I learned: Pick one command AND one technique that you want to learn more about. Find a friend who can help you learn a command and another friend who can help you learn a technique. Ask them to write you an experimental project that you can explore. Either through comments on the Scratch site or in person, talk to them about the concept.

Part b: What I taught: Pick one command AND one technique that you are comfortable with. Find a friend in class who would like to learn your technique and another who would like to learn your command. These friends may not be the same as those in part 1. Write experimental projects for them so they can explore your command or technique. Communicate with them through the Scratch site or in person.

Journal Assignment Due:    Tuesday, January 27

Assignment 1: Write a short summary of your work including:

1. Your "Scratch" name.
2. Identify 3 classmates with whom you have become "Scratch friends"
   
3. Identify 3 useful resources on the Scratch site for learning about Scratch.
4. Identify a project on the Scratch site that you found interesting. Download it, study the code and comment in three short paragraphs on (a) why you found it interesting, (b) what parts of the Scratch code you understand - explain how it works, (c) what part of the Scratch code you do not understand.

Assignment 2: Summarize the experience of writing code for others and having others write code for you and the code you created for them.. Make sure you identify the friends, and include the urls to the code they created for you. Address the following Do you now understand the concept taught by others ?Were you able to successfully explain concepts to others?

Assignment 3: What is Scratch? Does your experience match the statement on the Scratch website about the goals of the creators? How does this compare with Dave Malan's description. Do you think you are learning to program. How do you see yourself using Scratch in the remainder of this course? What is your passion? Do you want to create a game, a tutorial, an interactive story?