I have to admit that the last time I was this impressed by software was when Google Earth launched. :-P
For a while now, I have been looking for a way to teach programming to children or to people who have never programmed before. I recently wrote a post presenting Ruby as a strong candidate because of its simplicity, and even suggested it as a possibility for university courses. But it is still complex, because programming requires understanding several concepts: variables, constants, loops, branches, and others. Beginners also generally have trouble with typing code.
But while searching the web this week, I finally found what I was looking for: Scratch—a programming language that makes it easy to create games, interactive content, music, and artwork, and also lets you share your finished program on the web. It is completely free, and a Portuguese-language version of the commands is already available.
You do not have to type code to program with Scratch. It provides a variety of commands as blocks, similar to the building blocks we know from LEGO.
The task is to drag commands, fit the blocks together, and configure their values until you have the finished program. This speeds up the process and eliminates the possibility of syntax errors.
You can download Scratch here.
But a word of warning: be careful not to get hooked! :)
It is amazing how quickly you can program. It is exciting, simple, fun, and certainly a great way to introduce children and the general public to the world of programming!
I thought of Scratch as something excellent for children’s first contact with programming. However, David M. is using Scratch in introductory courses in computer science at Harvard University.
That is one more option for computer courses throughout Brazil.
Well, it is time for everyone to use Scratch. Have fun!
You can watch a brief introduction here (video in English):