From Scratch To Python With Future Learn
Written by Sue Gee   
Monday, 12 March 2018

A new course from the Raspberry Pi Foundation opens today on the Future Learn Platform. While primarily aimed at educators working with K-5 (primary school-aged) learners, it will also be of interest to anyone who wants to know how programming concepts translate from block-based to text-based languages.

scratchtopython1

 

Scratch to Python: Moving from Block- to Text-based Programming is a 4-week course requiring 2 hours per week. It is free of charge, but if you want unlimited access to it (as opposed to 6 weeks from when you join) an upgrade is available and this entitles you to  a Certificate of Achievement to prove your success once you're eligible

According to lead educator Marc Scott, block-based languages make it simple to teach and learn  programming, but once you and your students have mastered it it's time to move on to a text-based language

 

 

After showing you the similarities and differences of Scratch and Python, and how the skills learned using one can be applied to the other, the course looks at turning more complex Scratch scripts into Python programs showing how programs can be simplified in a text-based language and providing tips for debugging Python code. Participants will also be encouraged to share ideas for introducing more complex programs to students.

The course then moves on look at different data types in Python and write a script to calculate how old you are in dog years. Finally, you’ll dive deeper into the possibilities of Python by installing and using external Python libraries to perform some amazing tasks.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

  • Transfer programming and thinking skills from Scratch to Python
  • Use fundamental Python programming skills
  • Identify errors in your Python code based on error messages, and debug your scripts
  • Produce tools to support students’ transition from block-based to text-based programming
  • Understand the power of text-based programming and what you can create with it scratchtopython

The course has been designed to help people, specifically K-5 teachers, who have mastered Scratch transfer the programming and thinking skills they have acquired to Python. If you don't come into this category, or are a complete beginner in programming, then look around for another course.

If you are a K-5 teacher not yet familiar with Scratch there's another course from the Raspberry Pi foundation that can be considered as a prequel -  Teaching Programming in Primary Schools.

Another new course Build a Makerspace for Young People also starts today and is, of course, related to Prepare to Run a Code Club which I covered on I Programmer when it launched last November.

More Information

Scratch to Python: Moving from Block- to Text-based Programming 

Transition from Scratch to Python with Future Learn

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Last Updated ( Friday, 04 May 2018 )