The document describes the Flat Scratch Cat Project, which aims to promote global collaboration through coding. Students in different schools create Scratch projects and share them as chapters of a collaborative story about a traveling cat. The project was launched at a Maker Faire and involved schools in Europe passing the cat between them. The document also provides ideas for future global coding projects, such as code-a-thons, collaborative game challenges, and virtual art galleries. Resources for coding education are listed at the end.

1. Flat Scratch Cat Project
Connecting with coding
Jennifer Fenton, Technology for Learning Coordinator

2. Aims
● Why use coding as a platform
for global collaboration?
● What is Scratch?
● Details of the Flat Scratch Cat
project
● Sharing ideas for other coding
collaborations
Image: ‘Binary’ Public Domain on Pixabay

3. Why code?
Hour of Code
“In fifteen years we’ll be teaching
programming just like reading and
writing...and wondering why we didn’t do it
sooner.”
~Mark Zuckerberg

4. Why code?
● It’s the literacy of the 21st
century
● Helps children understand
and ‘tinker’ with the world
they live in
● Become creators rather
than consumers of
technology
● A collaborative tool ~
globally transferable
Image by Mike Lee on flickr, CC-NC-ND-2.0

5. Why code?
“Code powers our digital world. Every website,
smartphone app, computer programme,
calculator and even microwave relies on code
in order to operate. This makes coders the
architects and builders of the digital age.”
~Anthony Cuthbertson in International Business Times,
August 2014

6. Began with the Hour of Code
● Free tutorials:
http://scratch.mit.edu/hel
p/videos/
● Holiday Cards:
http://scratched.gse.harv
ard.edu/hoc/
● Animate Name:
http://scratch.mit.edu/ma
dewithcode-name
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYZF6oIZtfc

7. Introduction to Scratch
● Accessible for elementary students
● Free!
● Strong community (including other educators
on ScratchEd)
● Online and downloadable version

8. What is Scratch?
● Free, online programming language developed
by MIT
● Create interactive games, stories & animations
● Share creations and ‘remix’ to learn from others

9. Driven by students
● Creation of Coding Club
● Participation in Global Codeathon
● Shared projects at school assemblies
● Students taught peers how to use Scratch
But - felt too internal and insulated. How to
share excitement in a meaningful, more
powerful way?

10. Flat Classroom Project
A Week in the Life - A Flat Classroom Project
http://aweekinthelife12-2.flatclassroomproject.org/
● Formed cross-school/country
student groups for each category
(leisure, school, housing, food…)
● Teacher mentor for each group
● Shared through wiki, Edmodo,
Voicethread (click on example to
left)

11. Merging of ideas
stories
Scratch sharing
Week in the Life
connecting
collaborating
The Flat Scratch Cat Project

12. Project Beginnings
● Tweet Up for
CodeWeek.EU
● Like a Flat Stanley project
(https://www.flatstanley.co
m/)
● Existing ‘Flat Scratch Cat’
project
(http://www.flatscratchcat.c
om/)
● Our Flat Scratch Cat
Project
(https://sites.google.com/sit
e/flatscratchcat/)

13. Flat Scratch Cat Project
● Originally created for
CodeWeek.EU
● Swiss Cat travelling around
Europe
● Each school creating a project that
would become a chapter of a
collaborative story - “The
Adventures of Flat Scratch Cat”

14. MakerFaire to launch CodeWeek.EU
● The project was
launched at a
Maker Faire
● Cat was ‘passed on’
to next school

15. Potential Ideas for future projects
Global Code-a-thon:
● Students participate in coding challenges at
the same time in different locations and use
Skype or Google Hangouts to view each
other
● Have a ‘code-slam’ where students create
something and then share with others
online
● Link to UN International School of Hanoi -
http://globalcodeathon.unishanoi.org/

16. Potential Ideas for future projects
Collaborative Game Challenge:
● Students in different schools
create games and share them in
a Scratch Studio.
● Weekly challenges could be
shared and students can share
these and learn from each other
● Have a virtual ‘Game Fest’ to
conclude the project
Image ‘Video Games’ by G. Singh on Flickr , CC-SA-NC-2.0

17. Potential Ideas for future projects
Virtual Art Gallery:
● Students from different schools create sprites using a
digital drawing tool (or the drawing tool on Scratch)
● Students upload their sprites to a shared gallery
(Scratch Studio) where others can ‘remix’
● Have a virtual showing of the gallery using a live video
conferencing tool to allow students to talk about their
creations.

18. Other ideas?
Use your ‘text tool’ to add any ideas you may
have for global Scratch projects.

19. Resources & Links
Scratch - http://scratch.mit.edu/
ScratchEd - http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/
Flat Scratch Cat Project site - https://sites.google.com/site/flatscratchcat/home
Scratch Lesson Plans by CR 2.0 - http://wiki.classroom20.com/Scratch+Lesson+Plans
Code.org - http://code.org/
Scratch That! - http://www.ihmc.us/groups/techconnect/wiki/dd255/
Computer Science Education Week, Hour of Code Tutorials -
http://csedweek.org/learn
Tynker’s Hour of Code Activities - http://www.tynker.com/hour-of-code/
Global Classroom Project - A site devoted to helping teachers and students connect
http://theglobalclassroomproject.wordpress.com/

20. Contact Details
Jennifer Fenton
Technology for Learning Coordinator
Campus des Nations, International School of Geneva
Twitter @jennysfen
Scratch: jennysfen