After exploring three Scratch alternatives in my last blog post I have chosen to develop an independent project around the program Stencyl. As I mentioned in my last blog post Stencyl is a program that allows users to create Flash and iOS games without the use of code. I have already completed the first crash course using the provided kit. I have concluded that for use in an upper primary classroom this program would be more feasible for the majority of students when using a provided kit (which included characters, tiles and basic behaviours) as it would takes up far too much time for students to program every little detail. The kits provide users with some basic tools to work with that can then be adapted to suit the user. Free kits can be downloaded from the online store.

Before I begun the second crash course I decided I would create a new scene myself as I had a decent idea of how to do this after creating the very basic scene during my first crash course. A picture of the scene I created as been attached above. I decided I wanted different levels, enemies that were more difficult to get to and a spot where the character would die if they fell through. This required a little bit of testing and redesigning but ended up working well.

I then embarked on the second crash course where the user begins with a blank game and imports all necessary items to make a game similar to Space Invaders. This was a very long process with 93 steps in total. The drag and click blocks used to program the different events, behaviours and collisions were very similar to the blocks use in Scratch. However, there are so many different things that can be created or edited. It is definitely more advanced than Scratch and I had to test my game many times as I went to ensure the events I was creating worked correctly.

I feel that this program is high risk but possibly high reward. Students who have already worked with Scratch would be at an advantage when using Stencyl and I felt that my previous knowledge with Scratch helped me with Stencyl. Stencyl is not a program that could simply be given to upper primary students. Teachers will have to work with the students to introduce them to the program and assist them in completing the crash courses. 

I would suggest that teachers have students make an adaption of a game that already has a tutorial, rather than attempt to create a completely different game as there are a lot of things to program. I would suggest that any teacher who intends on introducing Stencyl in a primary classroom dedicates at least one entire semester (perhaps one hour per week) to allow adequate time for students to get used to the program. Teachers should also become familiar with the program before it is introduced to students as they will almost certainly have to assist students with troubleshooting if their game does not work. 

Stencyl could be used in years 7 and 8 to meet the Digital Technology band level descriptors 'Model processes and objects using structured data', 'Manage the sequence of tasks, the types of processes and the resources needed to develop software that meets user requirements' and 'Develop and modify programs with user interfaces involving branching, repetition or iteration and subprograms in a general-purpose programming language' (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013).

I have spent the past two weeks experimenting with alternatives to Scratch. To begin with I experimented with Google's Scratch alternative, Blocky. Blocky has a very similar interface to Scratch however Blocky appears to be designed for programmers to make simple apps such as a turtle that draws (much like Scratch) and a maze that users must solve. While it was easy to access these apps downloading Blocky was not made easy so I chose not to. I felt that Scratch is more user friendly and felt that Blocky seemed limited. It also lacked the large collection of online projects that Scratch provides. 

I then experimented with the advanced offshoot to Scratch, SNAP! I can see how Snap is more advanced that Scratch - it has more controls, operations and variables. However, I felt that Scratch offered more than enough opportunities for the primary school classroom. Any project that can be created on Scratch can also be created on Snap. I did not feel there would be any use in selecting Snap for my independent project as I would be unlikely to learn anything new.

After experimenting with Blocky and Snap I had concluded that there was no need to introduce multiple programs that were all so similar to students so I decided I would download a program called Stencyl. Stencyl allows users to create iOS and Flash games without code. It is free to design and test on Flash and iOS however it does cost money to publish these games. I knew immediately that this would be a highly motivating program for students as most children have played app games before and many older students would know that there is a lot of money to be made in the world of apps. Stencyl also has its own online community where users can play games made by others and participate in forum discussions. There is also a Blog where the creators of the program are sharing all things Stencyl related, including the exciting news that a Stencyl app called "Impossible Pixel" had become America's second most popular free app, being beaten by the very popular "4 Pics 1 Word". You can read the interview with the app's creator here.

Once Stencyl had loaded I found myself very overwhelmed. There are a lot of features and I had no idea how to use any of them! I eventually found the Stencylpedia, an online wiki with lots of information about how to use the program. I decided that I would complete the 30 minute crash course outlined here. It took nearly exactly the 30 minutes suggested for me to complete the first crash course. I learnt how to add behaviours, set player types and create a scene. 

I feel that this program is very advanced but could be used with assistance in a year 6 or 7 classroom. Some students might need to work in groups. In order to use this in an upper primary classroom teachers should introduce the program to students on an Interactive Whiteboard and then let students have at least two hours to complete the crash course, either independently or in groups. When students complete the first crash course encourage them to go on to complete the second crash course. These crash courses could be used in years 7 and 8 to meet the band level descriptors, ' Model processes and objects using structured data' and 'Develop and modify programs with user interfaces involving branching, repetition or iteration and subprograms in a general-purpose programming language' (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013).

In the past two weeks I have extended on what I have learnt through tutorials and challenges during my first three weeks of learning Scratch by embarking on an individual project. I decided that I would attempt to create a virtual soccer game using Scratch. The end product can be accessed here.

To begin with I used a combination of what I learnt while making the racing game and the Pong like game to create the background, sprites (the players and the ball) and player scores. I encountered a challenge early on, I could not get one of the players to face to opposite way when it was moved. Eventually I found the button that allowed me to do this, but it did take some time. The next time consuming component was experimenting to find the best directions for the characters to move in. To begin with I had the characters moving on angles rather than up and down but this ended up proving too awkward during game play. 

When it came to setting the sequences for the ball I ended up struggling more than I expected to. I could not work out how to keep the ball with the player. Eventually I used Google to find Scratch ball game tutorials. I found a similar game where I saw they created a direction variable, I used this information in my own project and found it worked very well. 

During this activity I learnt that while something may seem reasonable simple during the planning process it is often the minor details that can be the most difficult to perfect. I have also learnt the value of sharing Scratch projects and tutorials as it can provide that little bit of needed assistance when it is really needed.

This has many potential applications in the primary school classroom. A good Scratch project for an upper primary school classroom should require higher order thinking and encourage creativity. For the years 5 and 6 a Scratch project would fall under the band descriptors, 'Follow, modify and describe simple algorithms involving sequence of steps, decisions, and repetitions that are represented diagrammatically and in plain English' and 'Design and implement digital solutions using visual programs with user input, branching and iteration' (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013). The first Scratch project/challenge given to students may be to modify an existing project for a specific purpose. As students develop confidence with Scratch they may then embark on individual or group projects where the teacher might either discuss ideas with each group or give the students a basic criteria while still allowing for creativity.

I have just completed my first three weeks worth of learning activities using the program Scratch. I learnt how to draw basic shapes using Scratch, create a virtual Etch-A-Sketch, create a car race and create a game similar to Pong. I then built on the tutorial instructions given to be to create an Etch-A-Sketch that changes it thickness, an adapted car race, a two player game like Pong and a Pong game where the section of the paddle hit would determine how the ball ricocheted. 

Everything I created has been uploaded online and can be accessed here. The projects that begin with Scratch 1, 2 or 3 were completed for my introduction to Scratch.

During these activities I have learnt how to program using a simple click and drag interface. By taking away the separate coding language Scratch makes programming user-friendly. I was able to complete the tutorials reasonably easily. I learnt early on that, where possible, it is best to perform multiple test runs of the program while creating it. By doing this I was able to test if the sequences I was creating actually worked in application. 

I found the extension activities more challenging. During the first week I chose to extend on my Etch-A-Sketch by adding the ability to change the thickness of the line. This required a little bit of problem solving as I had to find the command for thickness but it was not too difficult as the rest of the sequence was very similar to the sequence used to change the colour of the line. In the second week my extension project was adapting the car race so that the car always moves forward and the user can turn left or right, accelerate or decelerate. Making the car continuously move forward was easy, however it took me a while to work out how to change the speed of the car. Through trial, error and continuous testing I succeeded in my extension task while ensuring that my game was challenging yet possible. 

In the third week I chose two of the challenges. First, I chose the challenge of creating a Pong like game where the ball would act differently depending on where on the paddle the ball hits. This challenge proved rather difficult and frustrating as I struggled to keep the three sprites that created the three different parts of the paddle in line. This challenge required a lot of testing and tweaking to perfect. I then went on to create a two player pong game. I found this challenge rather easy as it mostly required me to duplicate the original procedure with only minor adjustments. 

I felt that while I learnt most of my Scratch knowledge originally through the tutorials that these challenges is where I really felt like I experienced growth, an understanding of programming and personal achievement. The challenges tested my problem solving skills and my patience, however, it was worth it in the end. 

After engaging with Scratch I feel that this program has many possible applications within the primary classroom. Scratch could be used to support the Digital Technologies processes and production skills strand of the proposed Technologies learning area of the Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013).  It relates to the sub-strand, 'Specification, algorithms and implementation' for every year level. The band level description for Foundation (Prep) to year two in this sub-strand is '
Follow, describe, represent and play with a sequence of steps and decisions needed to solve simple problems'. Scratch could easily be used to meet this requirement. Students could learn how to program their Sprite to walk, turn and draw. Teachers could challenge their young students by asking them to move their sprite to a particular spot. The band level description for students in years four and five is, 'Define simple problems, and follow and describe the algorithms (sequence of steps and decisions) needed to solve them' (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013). To meet this descriptor teachers could extend on basic Scratch skills by requiring students to draw a particular shape or simple object. Teachers would define the objective, discuss the sequence of steps needed to solve it and allow students to either individually or in groups create their sequence using Scratch.

This blog will be a collection of my reflections regarding my use of Digital Technologies. I will participate in a number of digital activities including activities using a program called Scratch. Scratch is a program that makes programming simple as it does not require coding. 

I am a pre-service teacher, so throughout these activities I will be considering the practical applications of my learning to the classroom. I will also consider how these activities and programs relate to the drafted Technology strand of the Australian Curriculum.