In week 4 Teachers continued to share some interesting stories about first experiences with Scratch. The global feeling is positive and some ideas already emerged  from crossing the work with this tool between countries on eTwinning and Comenius programs.

Some examples were shared in order to show that scratch is a STEM tool in the sense programming is a STEM activity, but we can combine all kinds of knowledge with it. So, even if you are telling a story, making a game or preparing presentations, beside all competences linked to the subject, we are always working  math, technology, science (posing questions, trying to anticipate answers, solving problems, reasoning, communicating...). Stories, presentations, games, animations can be about all kind of subjects (poetry, history, geography, foreigner languages... whatever theme you want.

To the question “do we have to specifically use STEM themes, or they emerge always when working with Scratch?”

We seemed to agree that the two perspectives have a place. STEM emerges naturally, but of course it is important to take advantage on that and work STEM trough it.

So, yes, at a time, we can use Scratch and make connections between STEM themes, or, trough connections between other kind of themes, make STEM emerge. There are no rigid ways or paths. Our goals define the strategy we choose.