Scratch Day 2009

[Jennifer]

Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu) is a cool software tool that allows
anyone to create animation, interactive stories, computer game
projects and more. It designed and developed by the Lifelong
Kindergarten Lab at MIT, and has a strong international community of
followers. The Scratch website has hundreds of thousands of projects
uploaded, any of which can be downloaded, remixed and uploaded. There
are discussion forums and lots of support for novice users.

Libraries have started to use Scratch as the basis for technology
programming for youth. In the Minneapolis area we've been using it for
almost three years with much success and the Hennepin County Library
is implementing an IMLS Nation of Leaders Demonstration grant that
brings the project to a set of five national partners. We're learning
a lot about what works and what doesn't.

And now you have a chance to become involved in the Scratch-in-
Libraries movement! We've had success with Scratch with kids as young
as 8 as well as with adults --

MIT is sponsoring Scratch Day on May 16 2009. You can sign up and get
more information at the website: http://day.scratch.mit.edu/. Various
organizations are pulling together Scratch events across the globe.
And libraries have been especially invited to participate, the
Scratch Team recognizes the important role libraries play in informal
(and formal) learning and appreciates the technological infrastructure
that our buildings support.

If you or any of your staff is interested in participating, here are
your next steps:
Create an account on the Scratch Day site. http://day.scratch.mit.edu/
to get updated information from the Scratch Day Team. The site will
include resources for developing programs.
If you use Facebook, join the group Scratch On as another way to stay
in touch with the project.
Email me that you’re interested and would like to be on my
distribution list- we planto develop a couple of lesson plans that
can guide your program/workshop.
Start working with your IT department to get Scratch installed on your
computer and those in your computer lab http://scratch.mit.edu
Open up Scratch and get a feel for it; visit the Scratch website and
look at some of the projects and galleries.

Please don’t hestitate to contact me you'd like to talk over what
might work for you and your library.

Thanks for your time, and please feel free to forward this message to
others who may be interested.

Jen

Jennifer Nelson
Web Services and Training
Hennepin County Library
12601 Ridgedale Drive
Minnetonka, MN 55305
mailto:jrne...@hclb.org