The Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab has developed and is freely distributing a software program, Scratch, that can engage students while teaching them to solve problems. Scratch is designed for ages 8 and up to create, develop and share their creations both in the classroom and online. It is an interactive, simple and fun technology tool that teaches basic programming skills while fostering creative thinking and collaborative problem solving skills.
Problem Solving With Scratch
Problem solving with Scratch starts with an idea for a project. The project could be a story, game, animation, musical composition or artwork. Students, also known as “Scratchers,” then imagine what needs to happen and how to make it happen. Then they use the provided libraries of images, code modules, and music or create their own to put together their project.
One of the features of Scratch is that Scratchers have the freedom to choose a variety of ways to create their projects, thus cultivating individual problem solving skills. They can use the provided libraries of images, sounds, backgrounds and code modules to tell their story and animate the images. There is a drawing tool provided with Scratch that children can use to draw their own images. Scratch also permits imported material, so students could scan their own drawings and import their own MP3 files.
Projects that Can be Created Using Scratch
The projects styles available through the Scratch programming environment are endless. Students can use library images to tell a story by animating the characters with drag-and-drop code modules and including individual sounds, cartoon text bubbles, and even a soundtrack in the background. They can create their own artwork with the drawing tool and attach a background sound or soundtrack. Students can also use Scratch to create a simulation or animation for a poem or story read in class.
More advanced students can create more complex programming projects. These Scratchers can use multiple code modules and set up events to turn their project into an interactive game. They can also use the Music Transcriber to create their own musical compositions, complete with abstract or concrete visuals that are timed with the music.
Teaching problem solving with Scratch is a fun and interactive way to engage students with the lesson. It can be used to teach students the fundamentals of programming, or as a technology tool for part of another lesson or even a combination of the two. Students have the ability to imagine, create and then share their projects both in the classroom and online.
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