Ignite Presentation for Scratch Conference 2018 at the Media Lab, MIT, Cambridge, Boston, USA. Classic Ignite is 20 slides auto-advancing at 15 seconds each.

1. CTwins: Does Computational Thinking
win when Coding twins are born?
CTwins team:Elizabeth Oldham1 , Pamela Cowan2, Richard Millwood1, Glenn
Strong1, Nina Bresnihan1, Mags Amond1, Lisa Hegarty1
1Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin 2Queens University Belfast
Using the REMIX feature in Scratch to
develop cooperative programming pairs
24/07/18 - Ignite - CTWINS - Mags Amond & Richard Millwood
@magsamond @richardmillwood
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2. Back to the future?
Marty, we’ll need specialist
teachers of Computer
Science - but maybe
all teachers should use
computational thinking….
How can we
help them to
engage, Doc?
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3. CTwins - ‘Coding Twins’ or
‘Computational Thinking Wins’
Computational Thinking relevant
for Computer Science, but also
cross-disciplinary
A collaboration to increase
teachers’ confidence to tackle
further CPD in Computational
Thinking through programming
(coding) in pairs
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4. D To build lasting
professional relationships
between educators from
the north and south of
Ireland
Objectives of the CTwins project
A To develop
new practical
exercises in
computational
thinking for the
professional
development of
educators
B To improve
confidence in
educators using
these exercises
with support
C To create and
disseminate this model of
peer and mentor support
for educators packaged in
a toolkit ready for other
CPD providers to use
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5. Method
Research objectives
● Examination of
effect on confidence
● Improvement in the design
of the professional development ‘package’
Action research
● Two cycles (first cycle a “pilot”)
Mixed methods
● Pre and post surveys, focus groups, online community posts
Measured constructs
● Confidence - L. Fisher et al (2016)
● Grit - A.L. Duckworth et al (2007)
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6. Make a plan
Find your twin and
get creative
Online community
for support when
you need it
Project launch
● Introductory “lecture”, introducing Scratch and suggesting
possible artefacts to be designed….
○ First cycle: aiming for adult aesthetic outcomes as a
strategy for personal engagement
○ Second cycle: recognising that professional matters
are also appealing
● Then twins work together...
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7. scratch.mit.edu
A Register with
Scratch
B Create
this program
C Review and
share it in Scratch
AND with your
twin via Edmodo
D Plan, by
reading your
twin’s shared
project and
discussing
E Act: Remix
your twins project
and do more!
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8. Act
Review
Plan
1. Read your twin’s
review
2. Run the project to
see what it does
3. Look at the program
4. Point out features
that work well
5. Ask questions
6. Agree the next step
7. Remix the project
8. Share your remix
9. Do the next step
10. Stop!
11. How good was your
remix?
12. What did you actually
do?
13. How did it work?
14. What do you feel?
15. Hand over to your twin
Each week, taking turns
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9. 1. Read your twin’s notesPlan
Their review should be
in the ‘Notes and
Credits’ section on the
Scratch project page.
Your twin should send you the
URL for their Scratch project -
use the URL to have a look.
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10. 2. Run the project and look at the program codePlan
Click the
green flag to
run the
project.
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Click the ‘See
inside’ button to
view the program
code, sprites and
costumes

11. 3. Point out features that work wellPlan
Send a message to your twin in
Edmodo with the things you like
about their work and the things
that worked well.
4. Ask questions
Ask questions in Edmodo,
inviting your twin to explain
anything you find unclear in their
work.
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12. 5. Agree the next stepPlan
Consider what you’d like to do to take
the project to the next stage and
discuss in Edmodo with your Twin.
You could also seek advice from the
facilitator or an expert.
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13. 6. Remix the projectAct
Click the ‘Remix’
button when
looking ‘inside’
the project.
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14. 7. Share your remixAct
Click the ‘Share’ button.
Then copy the URL of your
project and include it in a
message in Edmodo to your
twin.
Then they will be able to see
what you are doing and
help.
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15. 8. Do the next stepAct
… or
making
new
sprites…
… or creating
new
costumes for
the sprites…
Start work
on adding to
or changing
the Scripts…
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16. 9. Stop!Act
Knowing when to
stop is a critical
disposition - it is
possible to keep on
polishing forever!
So set a time limit and
hand over.
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17. Review
Click on ‘See project page’ and add your review to
the ‘Notes and Credits’ - make notes against the
following headings:
11. How good was your
remix?
12. What did you actually
do?
13. How did it work?
14. What do you feel?
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Hand over to your twin
Send a message in Edmodo to
your twin to say that it is their
turn!

18. Launch
Exhibit
Act
Review
Plan
Act
Review
Plan
Act
Review
Plan
Feb 4 Feb 11 Feb 18 Feb 25 Mar 4 Mar 11 Mar 18 Mar 25 Apr 1
Plan for maximum of
9 weekly cycles in
reality
First twin,
first week
Second twin,
second week
Process overview
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19. Exhibition
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21. CTwins: Does Computational Thinking
win when Coding twins are born?
CTwins team:Elizabeth Oldham1 , Pamela Cowan2, Richard Millwood1, Glenn
Strong1, Nina Bresnihan1, Mags Amond1, Lisa Hegarty1
1Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin 2Queens University Belfast
Using the REMIX feature in Scratch to
develop cooperative programming pairs
24/07/18 - Ignite - CTWINS - Mags Amond & Richard Millwood
@magsamond @richardmillwood
21

22. sample project, for the curious...
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