The
MIT Media Lab has
developed a free programming tool called Scratch, which is designed with one clear mission: Keep it simple. The program allows anyone to create his or her own interactive programs without a lick of code. Aimed at children, the software does not require knowledge of computer programming languages such as C or C++. Rather, it uses a building block metaphor in its graphical user interface (GUI), making it accessible to anyone who's comfortable using such basic operating system concepts as folders and windows.
Building a program is as easy as selecting an object or character you get from the built-in menu. You can also use images you've created or even snagged off of the Web. You place the object in the main window, where you can then drag actions and sounds on top of it. But don't take our word for it. Watch the above video to see how to make a cat move across the screen in just a few simple steps.
In many ways, the tool is similar to building with Lego blocks, which is only fitting since one of Scratch's researchers, Professor Mitchel Resnick, invented Lego Mindstorms, an educational robotics toolkit. The name Scratch was inspired by the way DJs take different parts from different places to create something completely new.
The software is for Mac and PC and
available as a free download. A
companion Web site allows kiddies to upload and share their programs. They can also take parts from other people's projects to use in their own.
If you listen closely, you can actually hear the thousands of programmers who are right now telling their kids, "Back in my day, we had to program everything by hand, uphill and in the snow!'
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