Support learners to use the thinking & programming skills they learnt in Scratch in the text-based programming language Python. Block-based programming languages like Scratch make it simple to learn and teach programming. But once your students have mastered it, it's time to move on to a text-based programming language such as Python. This online course will show you how.
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You’ll discover how to transfer the programming and thinking skills learnt while using Scratch to Python. You’ll look at how to help your learners develop basic text-based programming skills, understand error messages and debug code.
The course will show you the power of text-based programming and give you the tools to support your students' transition.
What you'll learn
Over the next four weeks, you will:
- Think about why it is worth moving from a block-based programming language to a text-based programming language
- Compare the syntax of Scratch and Python, and turn Scratch programs into Python programs
- Consider the challenges of introducing Python in your classroom, including the different types of errors that can occur, and explore how you can support your learners to create text-based programs
- Explore how Python's built-in functions and standard libraries can make writing programs easier
- Create an action plan for helping your students transition to a text-based language
Syllabus
You will cover:
- Tools to support children’s transition from block-based to text-based programming
- Programming and thinking skills in Scratch
- Basic skills in the Python programming language
- Simple error messages in Python syntax, and how to debug code
- Understanding the power of text-based programming and what you can create with it
