COE hosts Scratch Day event for educational professionals
Registration for the College of Education’s (COE) Scratch Day event is now open.
Scratch Day, set for Saturday, May 13, is a global network of events aimed to give educational professionals the opportunity to explore Scratch, a free coding platform and online community designed for kids.The event will be held in the Innovation Studio in COE room 3157.
Educational professionals are invited to join instructional technology faculty members Chuck Hodges, Ph.D. and Mete Akcaoglu, Ph.D., for a morning filled with hands-on learning activities centered around Scratch.
“This open house-style event for teachers will focus on sharing and learning about Scratch, a computer coding/programming environment developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and popular in schools around the world,” explained Hodges. “Teachers from all different content areas and grade levels have students using Scratch to create stories, games and animations.”
The event is open to educational professionals who wish to learn more or share knowledge about Scratch and discover how it can enhance learning opportunities for students. Software and coding experience is not necessary, as Scratch provides an easy to learn platform that can be utilized for all ages.
Attendees are asked to bring their own Wi-Fi enabled device (such as laptop or Chromebook) for the event. The Innovation Studio has limited devices available for use as well. Lunch will be provided following the event.
“Attendees can expect to be fully engaged and doing hands-on work, not watching presentations,” said Hodges.
Registration is free, but space is limited. To register for Scratch Day, visit http://goo.gl/niHMLq.
Scratch was developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT and encourages creative thinking and reasoning for students to work individually or collaboratively in groups. Scratch is currently being utilized by students in elementary schools to colleges worldwide. For more information on Scratch, visit https://scratch.mit.edu/.
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 119 degree programs serving 20,673 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
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