Future Elementary Education Teachers Explore More Tech Tools!

My group chose: Scratch as our exploration-o-the-day last week in tech lab.

Here is what I created with the support of my group (Ashley, Sarah, and Ashlee):



Here is a screen shot of what the program looks like:

In the Elementary Ed. side of class, we were supposed to explore new avenues to engage students in problem solving in the classroom. The music ed. students figured out how to play the piano with real bananas. I created this to make an online version of what they did and I wanted to explore how to create a Scratch. Enjoy, even if it's weird and the notes aren't right...

My group brainstormed the educational possibilities and enhancements that this program could bring to our future classrooms:

• It's very challenging. Through my exploration, I believe that this site is well designed to practice problem solving skills. Students can follow the tutorial to learn how to use the program and then created their own!
• It teaches patience, which is definitely part of problem solving and learning in general. The student must realize that their "failures" or set backs towards the creation of their projects are simply ways that they can learn from and navigate towards their desired goal however long it takes. 
• It can have content application base, too. There are already programs created that are geared towards specific topics that others have created. I know our group looked at potential math lesson and science lesson enhancements.
• It even has the potential to enhance student's content area by having them create stories or games that they and their peers can play based on a lesson the students are learning.

I'm sure there are many more application and skill gaining ways to use this website in the classroom. For more information, they have an educators section that is designed to bring those ideas of using problem solving into the classroom.

Good luck as you explore this program so your students can explore it to!