The Course
Dive into the vibrant world of Scratch and discover how it revolutionizes how we can teach! Coding is revolutionizing our world, and education is no different! This course will teach you how to use Scratch, how to teach Scratch, and our ultimate goal - to teach with Scratch! This course provides a comprehensive walkthrough of Scratch’s intuitive, block-based programming environment.
Learn how to code by crafting animations, games, and simulations while gaining the pedagogical skills to effectively integrate coding and digital interactive media into your classroom. Whether you're helping students code their first sprite or guiding them through complex projects, we've got you covered with best practices and classroom-proven strategies.
But it's not just about learning the ropes; it’s about weaving Scratch into the fabric of your educational approach to create a dynamic learning atmosphere. Embrace the full potential of Scratch as you learn to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, assess student projects, and encourage critical thinking. By the end of this course, you will become a Scratch empowered teacher, holding the key to unlocking your students' creativity and computational thinking skills — valuable tools that they can carry with them well beyond the classroom walls. Make the digital leap and watch your students thrive with a creativity-based approach to learning and growth that will prepare them for an increasingly tech-driven world!
What you will learn
When I put together this course, I envisioned a pathway that would smoothly take you from curious (and maybe a little scared) beginner to confident creator in the world of coding with Scratch. My aim was to craft each lesson not only to be accessible and engaging but also to provide you with a scaffolding of skills to help you work toward understanding computer science at a deep level. You'll find that everything is organized in a way that feels natural, so you're never overwhelmed, and each step forward feels like a small victory. Plus, the beauty of this course is in its flexibility—allowing you to learn and experiment at your own pace. Trust me, by the end, you'll be amazed at how much you've learned, what you're able to produce and how well you can understand and explain coding!
Curriculum
- What Is It - What the Course Covers (4:10)
- Who Am I - Meet the Instructor/Designer (5:27)
- Who Is It For - Who the Course Serves (4:39)
- Why Is It Needed - Why You & Your School District Need this Course (6:02)
- Course Structure - The Flow and Components of the Course (10:03)
- Course Philosophy - Our Goals and Methods for the Course (7:39)
- Section 1 Preview (6:19)
- 001 - The Scratch Website at a Glimpse (20:56)
- 002 - The Scratch Editor at a Glimpse (18:32)
- 003 - Block Coding Basics: Events & Actions (11:08)
- 004 - Block Coding Basics: Animation Basics (18:06)
- 005 - Block Coding Basics: Arrow Key Movement (17:24)
- 006 - Block Coding Basics: Facing & Direction (14:30)
- 007 - Block Coding Basics: Collisions & Graphic Effects (18:05)
- 008 - Block Coding Basics: Variables & Counters (16:19)
- 009 - Block Coding Basics: Text & Sound Outputs (19:16)
- 010 - Scratch Basics: User Accounts (21:41)
- 011 - Digital Art Basics: The Scratch Art Editor (37:28)
- 012 - Digital Art Basics: Vector Art (24:24)
- 013 - Digital Art Basics: Pixel Art (24:06)
- 014 - Scratch Basics: The Stage (14:36)
- 015 - Scratch Basics: The Code Tab (22:42)
- 016 - Scratch Basics: The Costumes Tab (21:29)
- 017 - Scratch Basics: The Sounds Tab (16:55)
- 018 - Scratch Concepts: Sprites Vs The Stage (16:55)
- 019 - Scratch Concepts: Working with Multiple Sprites (20:40)
- 020 - Scratch Basics: The Backpack (13:47)
- 021 - Scratch Extensions: Pen Tool Intro (17:46)
- 022 - Scratch Extensions: Pen Tool Stamping (20:27)
- 023 - Scratch Extensions: Pen Tool Line Art (19:32)
- 024 - Scratch Basics: Remixing (20:29)
- 025 - Scratch Basics: Teacher Accounts (14:03)
- 026 - Scratch Basics: Scratch Forums (12:25)
- Section 2 Preview (4:50)
- 027 - Widgets: Intro (5:07)
- 028 - Widgets: Key Is Pressed Movement (11:07)
- 029 - Widgets: Tank Movement (7:11)
- 030 - Widgets: Countdown Rocket (14:27)
- 031 - Widgets: Seeker Objects (15:28)
- 032 - Widgets: Fade Transitions (14:59)
- 033 - Widgets: Dice-based Automaton (20:37)
- 034 - Widgets: Fortune Cookie (16:27)
- 035 - Widgets: About Clones (15:46)
- 036 - Widgets: Clone Bubble Wrap (23:53)
- 037 - Widgets: Dice Roll Ranges (25:13)
- 038 - Widgets: Jukebox (15:32)
- 039 - Widgets: Scene Switching (13:55)
- 040 - Widgets: Menu Button (16:32)
- 041 - Widgets: Pop-ups (11:19)
- 042 - Widgets: Sparkle Wand (19:52)
- 043 - Widgets: Starfield (31:00)
- 044 - Widgets: Clone Typing (30:26)
- 045 - Widgets: Smoke Bomb (29:26)
- 046 - Widgets: Binary Tree (29:10)
- 047 - Widgets: Clone Jitsu (33:19)
- Section 3 Preview (7:44)
- 048 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Intro (7:12)
- 049 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Potato Art (10:20)
- 050 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Mouse Seeking Movement (9:28)
- 051 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Green Bean Bounce (11:42)
- 052 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Bean Waves (11:21)
- 053 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Bean Fall (7:01)
- 054 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Potato Lives (14:53)
- 055 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Turkey Art (12:38)
- 056 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Turkey Chase (13:44)
- 057 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Sweet Potato (15:58)
- 058 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Gravy Gen (9:53)
- 059 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Gravy Time (11:57)
- 060 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Title Screen (20:11)
- 061 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Backdrop Art (15:41)
- 062 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Help Screen (21:34)
- 063 - Project 1 Dodge Potato: Game Over Screen (18:38)
- 064 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Intro (8:29)
- 065 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Board Grid (17:24)
- 066 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Dice Rolls (17:41)
- 067 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Player1 Start (8:30)
- 068 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Basic Movement (16:39)
- 069 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Step Movement (8:51)
- 070 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Ladders (13:12)
- 071 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Snakes (7:48)
- 072 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Testing Tiles (14:22)
- 073 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Player Wins (12:01)
- 074 - Project 2 Snakes & Ladders: Player2 (11:06)
- 075 - Project 3 Pacperson: Intro (9:37)
- 076 - Project 3 Pacperson: Backdrop Setup (19:00)
- 077 - Project 3 Pacperson: Maze Building (19:42)
- 078 - Project 3 Pacperson: Dot Populating (13:50)
- 079 - Project 3 Pacperson: Player1 Art (17:48)
- 080 - Project 3 Pacperson: Player1 Move (10:26)
- 081 - Project 3 Pacperson: Wall Collisions (8:38)
- 082 - Project 3 Pacperson: Dot Eating (13:32)
- 083 - Project 3 Pacperson: New Level (7:22)
- 084 - Project 3 Pacperson: Pause (8:16)
- 085 - Project 3 Pacperson: Player2 Copy (9:10)
- 086 - Project 3 Pacperson: Score (24:43)
- 087 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Intro (11:21)
- 088 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Art (9:27)
- 089 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Seeding (9:25)
- 090 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Growth (9:48)
- 091 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Starts (16:06)
- 092 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Spawning (14:54)
- 093 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Fish Duplicate (16:32)
- 094 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Fish Movement (16:38)
- 095 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Predation (15:46)
- 096 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Plant Death (9:49)
- 097 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Shark (14:43)
- 098 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Fish Predation (13:30)
- 099 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Shark Eating (12:36)
- 100 - Project 4 Ocean Biome: Variables (12:08)
- Section 4 Preview (6:17)
- 101 - CS Concepts: Intro (10:16)
- 102 - CS Concepts: Algorithms (8:04)
- 103 - CS Concepts: Loops (6:56)
- 104 - CS Concepts: Events (7:43)
- 105 - CS Concepts: Concurrency (8:29)
- 106 - CS Concepts: Variables (14:52)
- 107 - CS Concepts: Conditionals (11:44)
- 108 - CS Concepts: Control Structures (10:53)
- 109 - CS Concepts: Functions (11:32)
- 110 - CS Concepts: Parameters (14:00)
- 111 - CS Concepts: Data Types (12:30)
- 112 - CS Concepts: Data Referencing (14:48)
- 113 - CS Concepts: Input-Process-Output Model (10:59)
- 114 - CS Concepts: Data Structures (16:58)
- 115 - CS Concepts: Object/Property Model (8:35)
- 116 - Computational Thinking: Intro (9:13)
- 117 - Computational Thinking: Decomposition (8:22)
- 118 - Computational Thinking: Pattern Recognition (12:32)
- 119 - Computational Thinking: Abstraction (11:55)
- 120 - Computational Thinking: Algorithms (9:57)
- 121 - Computational Thinking: Evaluation (8:48)
- 122 - Computational Thinking: Models & Simulations (16:44)
- 123 - Design Thinking: Intro (6:41)
- 124 - Design Thinking: Empathize (15:17)
- 125 - Design Thinking: Define (13:32)
- 126 - Design Thinking: Ideate (12:59)
- 127 - Design Thinking: Prototype (10:21)
- 128 - Design Thinking: Testing (11:13)
- 129 - Design Thinking: Revise (15:22)
- 130 - Game Development: Intro (16:08)
- 131 - Game Development: Ideas (18:03)
- 132 - Game Development: Details (25:05)
- 133 - Game Development: Implementation (25:00)
- Section 5 Preview (8:45)
- 134 - ClassroomTechniques: Intro (18:22)
- 135 - ClassroomTechniques: Reveal Styles (16:40)
- 136 - ClassroomTechniques: Direct Instruction (9:33)
- 137 - ClassroomTechniques: Starter Projects (11:38)
- 138 - ClassroomTechniques: Challenge Project (16:31)
- 139 - ClassroomTechniques: Remix Challenge (12:16)
- 140 - ClassroomTechniques: In-Classroom Remix (13:02)
- 141 - ClassroomTechniques: Problem Solvers (10:17)
- 142 - ClassroomTechniques: Project Guidelines (12:10)
- 143 - ClassroomTechniques: Design Thinking (12:24)
- 144 - ClassroomTechniques: Free Form Creation (12:50)
- 145 - ClassroomTechniques: Peer Analysis (17:21)
- 146 - ClassroomTechniques: Solo Work (8:56)
- 147 - ClassroomTechniques: Pairs Work (13:22)
- 148 - ClassroomTechniques: -Group Work (23:28)
- 149 - ClassroomTechniques: No Code Design (14:53)
- 150 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Intro (6:27)
- 151 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Player Dynamics (9:34)
- 152 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Control Schemes (10:06)
- 153 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: End Games (10:16)
- 154 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Surprises (11:45)
- 155 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Customization (11:15)
- 156 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Progression Systems (12:47)
- 157 - Challenges, Twists & Extensions: Game Balance (15:22)
- 158 - Special Considerations: Intro (5:13)
- 159 - Special Considerations: Tablet Computers (10:18)
- 160 - Special Considerations: Disability Accessibility (11:10)
- 161 - Special Considerations: Language Barriers (13:28)
- 162 - Special Considerations: Move Limits (13:20)
- 163 - Special Considerations: -Size Limits (13:33)
- 164 - Special Considerations: Clone Limits (11:43)
- 165 - Special Considerations: Pen Tool Limits (12:11)
- 166 - Special Considerations: Text Displays (14:16)
- 167 - Material Evaluation: Intro (8:42)
- 168 - Material Evaluation: Relevance (18:09)
- 169 - Material Evaluation: Scaffolding (13:43)
- 170 - Material Evaluation: Individuation (19:42)
- 171 - Material Evaluation: Structure (17:13)
- 172 - Student Evaluation: Intro (20:27)
- 173 - Student Evaluation: Aim (18:07)
- 174 - Student Evaluation: Execution (21:41)
- 175 - Student Evaluation: Alterations (14:09)
- 176 - Student Evaluation: Learning (20:10)
- 177 - Student Evaluation: Code Evaluation (23:47)
- 178 - Student Evaluation: Other Evaluation Methods (23:38)
Your instructor
As the author of The Teacher's Guide To Scratch book series, you can trust I don't just know coding, I know how to teach it too. The series was published internationally by Routledge, a world leader in educational publishing, in 2024. They provide not only a zero-to-hero learning path for teachers to teach them how to code, but includes countless tips, tricks and insights on how to teach coding.
The book series, along with my online courses, are the distilled wisdom of over 7 years of doing coding education nation-wide. I've taught in classrooms, libraries, science centres and more across Canada to students from ages 6 to 70. With over 20,000 students and 2000 teachers taught how to code I've honed my skills, seen every mistake possible, and come up with best practices to handle just about anything. Teaching coding became a passion of mine as I saw people discover the wonder and beauty of creative coding to express themselves, and understand the universe.
Before I started teaching coding, I of course had to learn it myself! I taught myself to code starting at age 12 and, while I definitely took some career detours, I never stopped. I've done professional web development, app development and my main passion has been game development. I run Massive Corporation Game Studios producing entertaining and educational games both physical and digital. Having had a career in tech I know the depth and potential that coding can provide and can bring that to inspire, explain, guide and mentor students of all ages.
It's that love and deep connection, not just to coding, but to digital creativity that keeps me fighting to incorporate coding into education. Scratch is the best tool I've found to do it. The books, and this course are all about helping teachers discover it themselves. The books and this course have completely different content, so feel free to check each out. They may have the same goals, but they'll give you different projects to work with and use in your classroom, and both will guide you through understanding the deep and rewarding opportunities that Scratch and coding education can offer.
Accessible
Fun, Engaging and Made to Explain Things Not Just Repeat Them
Integrated
Creative Strategies and Pedagogy for Using Scratch in Classrooms
Creative
Empower Student Creativity not just with Code, but Digital Art and Sound too