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Scratch Day: May 16, 2009

Apr 29th, 2009
by pollyalida.
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scratch

Do you know kids who would like to create their own online games, stories, animations and more? Who doesn’t!

Then take a look at Scratch – a wonderful free programming tool “designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design.”

Get a bunch of kids together and join in Scratch Day – “a worldwide network of gatherings, where people will come together to meet other Scratchers, share projects and experiences, and learn more about Scratch.”

I heard about Scratch Day through the March 2009 Games in Libraries podcast.

For some examples, see my earlier post on Scratch.

Scratch: Imagine, Program, Share

Feb 20th, 2009
by pollyalida.
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Scratch, from the MIT Media Lab, is a programming tool “designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design.”

This demo video is all kinds of wonderful. It not only shows the process of designing and creating a game with Scratch, but also illustrates the thinking and learning going on while creating the game. And the narration and flow of the demo video are terrific too. Great job. I yelled hooray at the end!

An Introduction to Scratch Programming with Theo & Kyle -  Feb 19, 2009

There are more than 300,000 projects on the Scratch site! I had fun playing with this one – Mi’s Puzzle Demo

ALSC – Great Technology Programs for Children

Oct 9th, 2008
by pollyalida.
1 comment

If you’re looking for some great children’s programming incorporating technology, visit the Great Technology Programs for Children wiki page.

There are currently about a dozen listings including programs related to reading, storytime, gaming and more. Detailed notes will help you implement similar programs.

Have your own great program? Contribute! This is part of the ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children) Children and Technology Committee’s ChildTech Wiki.