During the summer of 2013, NYSCI received a generous donation from CISCO in the form of 2 mobile TelePresence carts and a Cisco TelePresence System Profile 65-inch Dual that is housed in a sound-proof studio. These new pieces of equipment have enabled us with tools necessary to take Virtual Visits to a higher level! Currently we have been developing new curriculum that not only meet state standards but also take full advantage of the features that these tools have to offer.
Our most recently developed Virtual Visit program is entitled Scratch: Intro to Game Programming. In this lesson, participants are taught the core elements of what a game is comprised of. They also learn the basic skills of Scratch, which is a free programming language that allows users the ability to create their own interactive stories, animations, and games! Scratch was developed by M.I.T and has been used as an educational tool in numerous capacities.
During the month of February 2014, the Scratch: Intro to Game Programming VV was prototyped with four 4th/5th grade classes at the St.Agnes Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. The students and educators found the program to be very engaging and are set to book several other Virtual Visits in the near future.
If your interested in booking this program or any other Virtual Visits, please contact anegron@nysci.org. We look forward to virtually connecting to your classroom!