Summer Institute Session Archive
Scratch Board and S4A
June 04 2013 [Archived]
Add a sensor board to your Scratch programming activities!
Intro to Programming with Scratch
June 04 2013 [Archived]
Scratch is a graphical programming language with a drag-and-drop design interface developed at MIT. With rich support for multimedia and a robust online community, Scratch is a wonderful tool for introducing students to programming while developing creative thinking, systematic reasoning, and collaboration.
The official Scratch 2.0 page is here:
And Scratch 1.4 version (the non-online version) used in the presentation can be downloaded here:
http://scratch.mit.edu/scratch_1.4/
Scratch is also very modifiable, allowing new features to be added. Some of the best known Scratch mods are:
Snap/BYOB adds additional blocks, the ability to build your own blocks, and enables communication between Snap applications using a local network:
http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Snap_(Scratch_Modification)
A variant of the Snap mod is BirdBrain Snap v0.2, which can control Finch and Hummingbird robots:
http://www.finchrobot.com/software/birdbrain-snap-v02-alpha
Enchanting is a Scratch Mod that allows you to program LEGO Mindstorm roboots:
http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Enchanting_(Scratch_Modification)
Many more Scratch mods can be found on the Scratch wiki:
http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Zing!_(Scratch_Modification)
Presentation of Module Ideas
June 15 2012 [Archived]
Watch the archived videoINSIGHT Teachers and Fellows present the ideas they have developed over the two-week summer institute.
Laser Light Security Grid
June 14 2012 [Archived]
Watch the archived videoFormer INSIGHT Fellow Scott Bell leads a hands-on actiivty about laser light, where participants try to build and then foil a laser security grid.