[CALUG] Fwd: Scratch Day 2010 - Let's Make it a Circus!

[Phil Shapiro]

Hi CALUG community,

   My friend Jeff Elkner is helping to organize a Scratch Day event in
Arlington, Virginia, on May 22, 2010. Scratch is the super fun free
programming language for kids that's also a neat animation tool.
Scratch now runs well on Linux, too. See further info in the message
below. Scratch can be downloaded from http://scratch.mit.edu

           Phil Shapiro

Here's an interesting comment I heard recently from Jeff Elkner: "Scratch
is the best educational software on the planet."  Jeff earns a living as a
teacher in the Arlington Public Schools. Last year I nominated Jeff for a
MacArthur Award. He is someone with an unbounded enthusiasm for free
software -- and is a very nice person, too.  See http://tinyurl.com/m62q43



---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Scratch Day 2010 - Let's Make it a Circus!
From:    "Jeff Elkner" <jeff at elkner.net>
Date:    Sun, March 28, 2010 4:23 pm
-------------------

Hi All,

Scratch Day 2010 is Saturday, May 22, 2010.  We already have an event
scheduled at the Arlington Career Center from 1 to 4 pm:

http://day.scratch.mit.edu/event/206

Last year was our first event, and we certainly consider it a success,
but one thing we noticed was that the kids, the very folks for whom
Scratch was created, were a bit bored by all the adult yakity yak that
went on.  We want to learn from that, and make sure that our event
this year is *much* more kid friendly.

Since we have the space, I would like to make a proposal and start a
conversation around the idea of having a "Scratch Circus" - we can run
up to 3 activities simultaneously.  One should be a "Scratch
Playground" where kids can use Scratch and share what they are doing
with each other.  Another should be a "Teaching with Scratch" thing
for teachers interested in learning how to use Scratch in their
classrooms.

This is just a proposal meant to get a conversation started.  If you
have an interest in Scratch and ideas or suggestions for how we can
make this year's Scratch Day a smashingly good time for all, please
join in the conversation.  If you would like to lead a workshop, do a
presentation, or help run a mini session, please let us know.  Also,
feel free to forward this email widely so we can reach as many
Scratchers as possible.

Thanks!

jeff elkner


-- 


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"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens thru gentleness."