Resource Update: Scratch Unit in Spanish
Several of our middle school math courses, including algebra-geometry and CMP, have used Scratch to teach fundamental programming concepts. Sergio González, a math teacher working at the Luis de Camoens school in Ceuta, Spain, recently updated and translated our six day algebra-geometry unit into Spanish, created video tutorials for some of the lessons, and assembled everything into a zipped package that can be imported into a LMS such as Moodle. Here is one of Sergio’s videos, created with Jing and hosted on screencast.com:
The complete unit is now available for download in Spanish and English as a zip file and includes objectives, activities, materials, and homework. In addition, this open access sample class illustrates how Scratch could be presented in Moodle and also includes links to download both versions of the unit:
While the translated Scratch unit might appeal to a relatively narrow audience (e.g. Spanish-language math classrooms), it does illustrate the potential for broader teaching-learning opportunities. Scratch is available in more than 40 languages, and although it is typically introduced in math and/or computer science courses, it could be applied in any content area, including the modern language classroom. Using a LMS to organize and present a Scratch unit simplifies implementing the lessons and further demonstrates the flexibility of tools such as Moodle. Finally, the fact that teachers from different countries can connect, remix, and improve resources speaks to the power of networked learning.
If you have a Scratch project to share, I would encourage you to make note of it here and consider uploading it to the Scratch website; the benefits of such a simple act might surprise you.
