Teaching Coding in Grades 5-8 with Scratch Encore from edX

This course is designed for elementary and middle-school teachers or parents with no assumption of prior background in either coding or the Scratch programming environment. The course has three main goals: Teach Scratch, teach pedagogical approaches to teaching coding with Scratch, and get teachers intimately familiar with the curriculum Scratch Encore.

During this course, participants will transition between learning Scratch as a learner, going through the Scratch Encore curriculum. This curriculum begins with elementary concepts such as the Scratch development environment, sequence, events, and basic loops. It then moves to intermediate topics that allow programmers to coordinate more complicated actions (intermediate loops and synchronization).

At the same time, we provide explicit instruction on how to run a classroom using Scratch (e.g. entering your students into your classrooms, setting up studios, and grading assignments) as well as pedagogical approaches to teaching Scratch.

By the end of the course, participants should be able to confidently teach Scratch using either Scratch Encore or a different curriculum, or to work on independent projects with their students or children.

What you'll learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Program in Scratch
Demonstrate an understanding of focal computer science content (e.g., event driven programming, iterative and conditional loops, one-way synchronization, and two-way synchronization, decomposition by sequence)
Demonstrate an understanding of the underlying pedagogy and learning strategies used in the Scratch Encore curriculum
Take what you’ve learned back to your classroom and confidently teach coding using the Scratch Encore curriculum

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Intended for educators with no prior knowledge of coding or Scratch

Provides educators with pedagogical approaches to teaching coding with Scratch

Employs a hands-on approach, transitioning participants between learning Scratch and applying it through the Scratch Encore curriculum

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Teaching Coding in Grades 5-8 with Scratch Encore with these activities:

Review programming fundamentals

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Review basic programming concepts like variables, data types, and control flow to strengthen your foundation before starting the course.

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Go through online tutorials on programming basics
Solve coding challenges on platforms like HackerRank or LeetCode

Review basic programming concepts

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Strengthens a foundation of necessary coding and programming knowledge

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Review variables, data types, and operators
Refresh knowledge of conditional statements and loops
Practice writing simple functions and procedures

Review basic computer science concepts

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This activity will refresh your understanding of basic computer science concepts, which will help you to better understand the material in this course.

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Review the following resources: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-computer-science https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/csp https://www.udacity.com/school-of-computer-science

13 other activities

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Follow tutorials to learn Scratch

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This activity will help you to learn the basics of Scratch, which will be essential for success in this course.

Browse courses on Scratch

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Follow the tutorials at https://scratch.mit.edu/learn/
Complete the Scratch tutorial at https://code.org/learn/scratch

Complete Scratch Encore tutorials

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Work through the Scratch Encore tutorials to build a solid understanding of the Scratch programming environment and its key concepts.

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Follow the step-by-step instructions in the Scratch Encore tutorials
Experiment with different blocks and commands to create your own Scratch projects

Join a Scratch coding study group

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Facilitates collaboration, peer learning, and support

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Find or create a study group with other students
Meet regularly to discuss concepts, solve problems, and share ideas
Provide feedback and support to other group members

Complete Scratch coding challenges

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This activity will help you to practice your Scratch coding skills and improve your understanding of the language.

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Complete the challenges at https://scratch.mit.edu/challenges/
Complete the challenges at https://code.org/learn/scratch/game-design

Collaborate on Scratch projects

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Join a study group or collaborate with classmates to work on Scratch projects together, providing feedback and support.

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Find a study group or connect with classmates who share your interests
Choose a Scratch project to work on collaboratively
Divide tasks and work together to complete the project

Complete Scratch Encore exercises

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Provides practice and reinforcement of Scratch concepts and skills

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Work through the Scratch Encore tutorial exercises
Solve additional coding challenges and puzzles

Explore Scratch extensions

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Expand your Scratch knowledge by exploring extensions that add new functionalities and features to the platform.

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Browse the Scratch Extension Library and identify extensions that align with your interests
Follow guided tutorials to learn how to use the extensions and incorporate them into your projects
Experiment with different combinations of extensions to create unique and innovative projects

Create a Scratch project

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Allows students to apply their knowledge and skills to a creative and engaging project

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Design and plan the project
Develop and code the project using Scratch
Test and refine the project

Create a Scratch project

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This activity will allow you to apply your Scratch skills to create something of your own.

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Choose a topic for your project.
Design your project.
Code your project.
Test and debug your project.
Share your project with others.

Design a Scratch curriculum

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Develop a comprehensive Scratch curriculum that outlines lesson plans, activities, and assessments to enhance your teaching skills.

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Identify learning objectives and key concepts to be covered
Create lesson plans that incorporate hands-on activities and projects
Design assessments to evaluate student progress and provide feedback

Volunteer at a coding workshop for students

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Offers teachers the opportunity to gain practical experience and share their knowledge

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Find and contact organizations offering coding workshops
Prepare and plan for the volunteer session
Assist students with Scratch coding and troubleshooting

Develop a lesson plan using Scratch

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Encourages teachers to think critically about how to integrate Scratch into their teaching

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Research and gather resources on teaching coding with Scratch
Design and outline the lesson plan
Create materials and activities for the lesson

Start a Scratch club or group

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This activity will allow you to share your Scratch knowledge with others and help to create a community of learners.

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Find a group of people who are interested in learning Scratch.
Choose a meeting time and place.
Plan your activities.
Promote your group or club.

Career center

Learners who complete Teaching Coding in Grades 5-8 with Scratch Encore will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Computer Science Teacher

With your certification, you will be able to teach grades 5-8 students the fundamentals of programming with MIT's Scratch Encore curriculum, building a foundation for their future success in STEM fields.

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Technology Integration Specialist

With the skills and knowledge from this course, you'll be able to provide technology training and support to teachers and students, empowering them to effectively use coding and computational thinking in the classroom.

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Educational Software Developer

Your expertise in pedagogy and the Scratch coding environment will aid you in designing and developing educational software specifically tailored to engage elementary and middle school students in learning to code.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Software Developer

STEAM Curriculum Developer

This course will help you create and implement standards-aligned STEAM curricula that integrate coding, computer science, and other subjects, fostering creativity and innovation in young learners.

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Instructional Curriculum Coordinator

Your experience working with the Scratch Encore curriculum would enable you to facilitate the development, adoption, and successful implementation of coding and STEM curricula across classrooms or entire school districts.

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CTO

While this course may be more focused on the educational aspect of coding, the understanding of programming that you build from this course will be a solid foundation that you can build upon as you pursue a career as a CTO.

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Web Developer

This educational course on coding and the Scratch programming environment could provide you with a solid foundation in the basics of coding and programming languages.

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Data Scientist

This course will give you a good foundation in programming basics and how to use the Scratch coding environment.

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Software Engineer

This educational course in coding and the Scratch programming environment may help you build the foundation necessary to begin working towards a career as a software engineer.

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Cybersecurity Analyst

This course may be useful in providing you with the basic understanding of coding needed to pursue a career as a cybersecurity analyst.

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Marketing Manager

While this course is not directly marketing-related, it may be helpful for you to develop skills such as creativity and problem-solving, which can be beneficial for those working in marketing.

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Business Analyst

This course may help you to develop skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, which can be useful for a business analyst.

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Graphic designer

While this course is not directly design-related, it can help you to develop skills such as creativity and problem-solving, which can be beneficial for graphic designers.

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Financial Analyst

While this course does not provide direct training in finance, it can help you develop problem-solving and analytical skills that are important in the field of finance.

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Project Manager

This course can help you to develop skills such as planning and organization, which can be beneficial for project managers.

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