The project
The "Scratch Jr BCN Tactile" also known as Scratch Jr tangible unplugged, aim to bring all children closer to the possibilities offered by creative computing started in 2007 by the MIT Media Lab team with the creation of Scratch application.

We break screen and vision barriers to create an educational material that will allow everyone to learn computational thinking skills that are so important for today's society.

Calendar
- Start date: May 2021
- Date of 1st prototype: June 2021
- Date of 2nd prototype: 2022
- Date of 3rd prototype: 2022-2023 (forecast) and publication of 3rd prototype designs. AVAILABLE NOW.. 

Targets
- Develop unplugged, tactile and low-cost coding blocks and board to reduce the digital gap for students with specific needs and/or few resources, and for children between 3 and 9 years old to learn the basics of computational thinking without electronic devices or screens.
- Share with Open Source usage rights a truly inclusive, tangible and manipulative didactic material, with a universal purpose and equity (without language or cultural barriers), especially accessible to children with some type of visual impairment and based in the reference application for creative computing, "Scratch Jr".
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Description
"Scratch Jr BCN Tactile" are more than 3D printed tactile and unplugged coding blocks to encourage computational thinking. "Scratch Jr BCN Tactile" is a kit based on the design and creative philosophy of Scratch Jr, the version of Scratch for the little ones. Thanks to them, students will be able to play and learn while developing, in an inclusive approach, the skills so necessary for today's society, such as digital skills, critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork (21st century skills).

Pedagogical pillars
Learning is promoted taking into account the following 5 pedagogical pillars:
- Cognitive: Learning computational thinking, algorithm design, pattern recognition, decomposition and logical thinking. Focusing attention, problem solving and flexible thinking by learning to fac complex tasks and building effective strategies to identify solutions.
- Creative: Solving challenges in an open way, with multiple solutions, and also creating new challenges that are open and adaptable to different environments, interests and cultures. Develop ideas, express them and transform them into reality by creating associations, symbolizing and representing ideas and providing meaningful experiences to others.
- Emotional: Creation of meaningful artistic projects for each other, recognition of emotions. Understand, manage and express emotions by building self-awareness and managing impulses. Stay motivated and confident in the face of difficulties.
- Physical: Spatial orientation, laterality, fine psychomotor skills. Understanding movement and space through the practice of sensory-motor skills.
- Social: Collaboration, communication, and understanding of other people's perspectives through sharing ideas, negotiating rules, and building empathy.

Academic skills
Computational thinking (the basis for coding and robotics) and creativity are promoted, together with digital, artistic, mathematical, and linguistic skills. What's more, with the right projects, we foster competencies like social and civic values. In addition, children with visual impairments and other disabilities will work on specific essential skills.

Future lines
The project also includes as future lines:
- Design reference activities and lesson plans to use in the classrooms.
- Deliver "Scratch Jr BCN Tactile" free of charge to 30 schools in Barcelona, especially those with visually impaired children and schools of high or maximum complexity (underrepresented groups). Also to the Digital Fabrication "Ateneus" (public makerspaces) in the city of Barcelona.
- Raise awareness about education in diversity and inclusion and the need to create resources, applications and spaces accessible to all, disseminating an exemplary project of how to apply new digital manufacturing technologies with an inclusive perspective.
- Promote the Sustainable Development Goals and the values and attitudes of cooperation and social sensitivity, through learning activities about Computational Thinking, coding and using technology with responsibility.
- Connect the tactile blocks with the Scratch Jr application.
If you want to collaborate and join us developing any of these lines or want to be able to test the prototypes with your community in order to improve them, please contact us.

Rights of use
"Scratch Jr BCN Tactile" is an Open Design project, shared under a open license. Both designs and materials can be used, modified and shared under the next requirements:
- Commercial use of any kind is not allowed.
- You must always share them with the same license.
- The original authors must be cited: Sistema THEAD, as well as the other authors and collaborators of the project for the authorship, and Scratch Foundation for the original images and graphic designs.

Authorship
This project is led by:                                                                                 In collaboration with the following organizations: