Long talk2 : Greg Benedis-Grab , scratch and physical computing
Channel: iCAP Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
Date: 25/07/2017

Scratch and Physical Computing
Thu Jul 20, 2017
 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
 Lecture room 2

Description
In this discussion, I will first share a design project that I conducted with 11 year old students using Scratch and the Hummingbird Duo platform. The students used computer programming and physical design to define a problem and then develop, ideate and iterate solutions to that problem. In the process they developed their computational understanding through the Scratch platform using variables, conditionals and loops. At the same time they had to coordinate this program with the physical design using cardboard, hot glue, motion sensors, threaded spools, motors and LEDs. I will share the curriculum and learning environment that I created as well as examples of the student work. Then we will engage in a discussion on the connection between design, computational thinking and the four P's framework developed by Mitchel Resnick. The four P's framework includes Projects, Peers, Passion, and Play. The framework is aligned with a social constructivist perspective on learning. It also builds on the work of Papert incorporating his extension of contructivism to constructionism where physical creation is viewed as equally important to and complementary to the building of schema in the brain. It can sometimes be challenging to use this framework in traditional classroom settings because of time constraints and the philosophical underpinnings of most K-12 educational structures. In this discussion we will leverage this classroom example and others that have been implemented by the participants to gain further insight into pedagogical practice, the nature of computational learning in K-12 and Resnick's four P's framework.

Speaker: Greg Benedis-Grab
Adjunct Professor, Hunter College