For our TechEd inquiry, my group decided to explore the idea of passion sparkers for elementary students. We wanted to find fun, easy, accessible, and free resources that any teacher could bring into their classroom to show students that technology isn’t just useful, it can also be creative and exciting.
We broke elementary school into five groups: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, and grade 8. I took on the grade 6/7 group and decided to dive into an online resource called Scratch, a coding platform that uses drag-and-drop blocks to create code. Scratch can be used for everything from music and art to game creation, making it a great tool for introducing students to coding in a way that feels playful rather than intimidating.
Once I got started with Scratch, I was hooked. I followed a YouTube tutorial and created a simple game where my character, the iconic Scratch cat, collects bananas, earning one point per banana. It only took me about 30 minutes to get the hang of the platform and build something I could actually play. Even though my game was super simple, it was incredibly satisfying to see something I made come to life.
For our final project, my team and I decided to create posters that could be displayed in classrooms, hallways, or staff rooms to introduce teachers and students to these resources. We also put together a five-minute video where we screen-recorded ourselves testing out each resource while explaining how it works.
Below you’ll find our posters and video… Maybe one of these tools will spark a passion in you too. Enjoy! 🚀
