Devtech Research Group

06/17/2025

Summer camp at DevTech is right around the corner!! There are spots left in a couple of the weeks so sign up quick! If your child is curious about programming, engineering, and/or robotics, this is the perfect opportunity for them! We have opportunities for kids from Kindergarten to 7th grade.

To learn more, visit us here: https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/learn-with-us-2/for-children-and-families/

02/12/2025

In honor of ScratchJr's 10th birthday, we are sharing out quick activities that you can do at home or in the classroom! Today's activity will show you how to bring in everyday objects or images to ScratchJr using the paint editor. For any new characters you create, share them here and tag us, or post them to ScratchJr Connect! And don't forget to register for our in-person birthday party on March 16th!

ScratchJr Connect - Project Page: https://www.connect.scratchjr.org/creating-custom-characters/
Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetAnA5euxqve1yb0fFY4w56iTs2JwLqARsB1vXy3ZDr4T7Rw/viewform?usp=sf_link

In this brief tutorial, we will guide you through how to add custom characters into ScratchJr using the paint editor and the camera tool. For safety reasons, ScratchJr does not allow you to import outside images, but you can use the camera! Bring stuffed animals, book characters, everyday objects, o...

01/06/2025

In honor of ScratchJr's 10th birthday, we are sharing out project ideas that you can do at home or in the classroom! Today we are celebrating the new year by creating a Ball Drop Project. Try it out and share creations here (tag us!), or post them to ScratchJr Connect! And don't forget to register for our in-person birthday party on March 16th!

ScratchJr Connect: https://www.connect.scratchjr.org/new-years-card/

Event registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetAnA5euxqve1yb0fFY4w56iTs2JwLqARsB1vXy3ZDr4T7Rw/viewform?usp=sf_link

11/06/2024

Check out BC Heights' latest article on our Smart Playgrounds project and learn how we’re working to promote playful computer science education!

Bers is developing “smart playgrounds” that intend to teach elementary children computational thinking in a hands-on experience unlike any other. One where children can program slides, swings, and games through play, developed especially for children who are often left behind in educational deve...

09/05/2024

Big news! This year is ScratchJr's 10th birthday, and we’d like to celebrate with you!

Please join us on Monday, September 16th from 4-6 PM for a special virtual birthday celebration with the DevTech team and our learning community. Join Professor Marina Bers and our DevTech team to hear about 10 years worth of research, design and development. In this session, you will be introduced to a wide variety of topics including international partnerships, neuroscience studies, new ScratchJr prototypes, curricular resources, free professional development and more!

To register: bit.ly/ScratchJr10th

08/26/2024

With school just around the corner, our Coding Playground Summer Camp has officially wrapped up, but what an amazing two weeks it was! Our campers dove into the world of Coding and Robotics, exploring and playing with ScratchJr and the KIBO Robot.

Check out the photos below to see the young creators in action! Stay tuned for next year’s registration details—we can’t wait to do it all again!

06/26/2024

The Scratch Conference is coming up! On July 24th, two of DevTech's own, Francisca Carocca P. and Jessica Blake-West, will be presenting their work with ScratchJr. See below for the link to register and more information on DevTech's presentations.

https://events.ringcentral.com/events/scratch-conference-2024/registration

Francisca Carocca P. - "The Coding as Another Language Curriculum for ScratchJr Around the World."
Wednesday, July 24, 8:35 - 9:35am ET.

Jessica Blake-West - "Creative Coding Rubric for Early Childhood"
Wednesday, July 24, 8:35 - 9:35am ET.

Get tickets to Scratch Conference 2024: Create Your Own Adventure!, taking place 24/07/2024 to 25/07/2024. RingCentral Events is your source for engaging events and experiences.

03/27/2024

We are thrilled to announce that the Coding as Another Language Curriculum for ScratchJr is now available in Portuguese (Portugal). Thank you, Prof. Maribel Miranda-Pinto from Universidade Aberta (Portugal) and the President of the Arcacomum Association, Prof. Ricardo Loureiro Bigote, Prof. Marlene Gabriela Fernandes, Prof. Fernando Vasques, and Prof. Regina Carvalho for your intricate and fabulous work. You can see the Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade curriculum here -->

https://sites.bc.edu/codingasanotherlanguage/scratchjr-curricula-portuguese/

03/19/2024

We were thrilled to join the Scratch Foundation last week to meet and present to their Scratch Ecosystem partners! The group includes organizations from Vietnam, India, Brazil, Kenya, and more!

02/23/2024

We're thrilled to announce the Coding Playgrounds Summer Camp, a program designed for children entering Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade. If your child is curious about programming and robotics, this is the perfect opportunity for them!

Session 1 (KIBO Robot): July 15th - 19th
Session 2 (ScratchJr): July 22nd - 26th

Link to learn more: https://sites.bc.edu/devtech/learn-with-us/for-children-and-families/

Link to register: https://forms.gle/VcRMNnoHsKJckhtF8

02/19/2024

We are excited to announce that DevTech members will be presenting four papers at AERA's Annual Meeting this year! See the links below to find out more about each presentation.

- International Scaling of the Coding as Another Language Curriculum Through a Research-Practice Partnership in Argentina

https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera24/index.php?program_focus=view_event&selected_box_id=395861&cmd=online_program_direct_link&sub_action=online_program

- Enhancing Computer Science Education for K–2 Students: Insights From a Randomized Controlled Trial

https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera24/index.php?program_focus=view_event&selected_box_id=396250&cmd=online_program_direct_link&sub_action=online_program

- Advancing Early-Grade Reading: A Randomized Controlled Trial Exploring the Effects of Personalized Technology

https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera24/index.php?program_focus=view_session&selected_session_id=2134444&cmd=online_program_direct_link&sub_action=online_program

- Coding as Another Language: Impact on Math and Literacy Achievement in Early Computer Science Education

https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera24/index.php?program_focus=view_event&selected_box_id=395860&cmd=online_program_direct_link&sub_action=online_program

2024 Annual Meeting

02/14/2024

DevTech is working with Uruguay's Plan Ceibal on a project to bring ScratchJr and DevTech's Coding as Another Language curriculum to primary schools around the country! See Prof. Marina Bers below in the Uruguayan press talking about this exciting work -->

1. https://www.teledoce.com/programas/desayunos-informales/segunda-manana/que-es-el-pensamiento-computacional/

2. https://ladiaria.com.uy/educacion/articulo/2024/2/marina-bers-pensamos-en-tecnologias-que-sean-como-plazas-o-parques-de-juegos-donde-los-chicos-puedan-crear-con-otros/

3. https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/los-ninos-pueden-aprender-a-programar-a-partir-de-los-cuatro-anos-dice-experta-en-educacion-202412218420

4. https://www.busqueda.com.uy/Secciones/ANEP-y-Ceibal-avanzan-hacia-universalizar-el-Pensamiento-Computacional-en-Primaria-uc59970