Got an Itch for Creative Learning Tools? Scratch It!
October 9, 2007
Imagine a world where school children could develop their own code to produce original content for the web. Now look around you because you are living in that world. Scratch is an application developed by MIT to allow children (of all ages) to create their own interactive games, stories, and other media with the ease of putting blocks together.
Children are exposed to media that was previously inaccessible to those of us who grew up before the internet, so it’s about time that someone put the right tools in their hands to create and not just watch. Not only that, but Scratch is an amazing learning tool. A free download gets you the software to begin creating right away. The web site offers tutorials to get you started, because if you are not used to this sort of interface (I wasn’t) you might need a push.
The program implements “sprites,” which contain far less sugar than the bottled version, and building blocks to allow users to create stories, games, and learning tools. The cartoon “sprites” are merely templates, though, as Scratch is highly customizable, therefore something that will adapt to your learning level.
Scratch offers the perfect way for students and teachers to interact with a medium that might be unfamiliar to either, and therefore learn together. You can also share your content with others, creating a specialized network for kids, teachers, and parents alike. If this technology continues, your 10 year old might be asking for more RAM for his birthday instead of some ridiculous toy robot. –JEREMY S. GRIFFIN
