Community reviews for Scratch

Scratch is an introduction to programming that can be used over many grade levels and subject areas. I have found that student interest in gaining mastery is high and that a good deal of collaboration takes place as they share ideas and discover ways to control what happens on the computer screen. Math skills are integrated as students must determine the coordinates to make the sprites move to specific areas of the screen and perform “tasks” developed by the programmer. The final outcome rewards creativity and reflects the students’ ability to plan and problem-solve. I highly recommend Scratch as an example of using technology to satisfy both technology and curriculum goals.

Worthwhile program

This programming tool is great for kids to gain experience with interactive design, or it can provide an opportunity for them to expand their programming and reasoning skills exponentially. For students that don’t naturally jump in and explore things, the initial interface can be frustrating. With a few brief tutorials, many of them jump on board and are excited to create more. On the other hand, for GT students, video game enthusiasts, and graphic artists this program has endless possibilities. The new online version means a download is not required, and has added some new features. I like that it is still free and free of ads. Students say that because it is online it lags if your internet speed is not great. They prefer the download version.

Scratch is a great introduction to computer programming. Students love the graphics and there are an infinite number of activities you can do with your students on Scratch.

Scratch is a basic programming language that should be excellent for visual learners and for tactile learners (since it is almost like assembling something with blocks). I have had students who thoroughly enjoyed it for storytelling. The greatest challenge lies in differentiation. I have used Scratch as a once-weekly computer programming class for the last 3 or 4 years, and my experience has been that about half of the students start in easily and quickly grasp the basic concepts. The other half enjoy drawing pictures but require one-on-one attention a significant part of the time in order to accomplish any programming. Strengths: Scratch promotes problem solving and creativity for those students who develop a facility with the program. Weaknesses: Scratch can be difficult to learn for students that have a difficult time decoding directions.

Requires a mixture of direct instruction and exploration.

Created by the MIT Media Lab, Scratch is a free open source tool that teaches introductory computer programming aimed at kids. Using colorful blocks, students learn the basics of programming by fitting them together and seeing the immediate results of their actions. Within minutes of demonstrating, you can have 1st graders moving their cat across the screen. Through cause and effect, they are able to create stories, games, animations, and more. Scratch promotes problem solving skills, creativity, storytelling, and math skills. There are endless possibilities for the uses of Scratch in the classroom from having students present science concepts in an interactive format, to creating and playing math games, to narrating about a topic they learned in history class. In turn, teachers can create activities for students to learn from such as interactive diagrams and mazes. The website includes an excellent teacher resource called ScratchEd, which includes forums for teachers to share how they have been able to use Scratch to enhance their curriculum.

Scratch is a highly engaging, open-ended, and interactive program that teaches the principles of computer programming in a student-friendly interface. It was created by a collaboration between elementary educators and MIT computer science scholars. Their goal was to create a programming interface that students would enjoy and learn from. They succeeded. Students as young as 3rd grade can create animated stories, and upper graders with help, can create video games. Students arrange color-coded commands in one area, and can see the result immediately in another. The best thing about Scratch is that students can post and share their creations with others. After admiring another student's production, a student can study how it was made and/or borrow and adapt code other students made. The other best thing about Scratch is that it is absolutely free.

I love Scratch as a teaching tool. It is an excellent way to show kids about how computer programming works without having to learn how to code. It is a great tool for creativity--storytelling, games, interactive scenes. Students can program their creations in the same style a programmer would design a program or app. There are many resources and supports at Scratch.com to help teachers and students. Students can share their work online if desired. One concern would be the open discussion and sharing forums may contain topics inappropriate for young children. It is not necessary to use the online components of Scratch, however.

Created by the MIT Media Lab, Scratch is a free and opensource tool that allows students to learn introductory computer programming. Placing a command block and action block together, students can have their character walking across the screen just seconds after opening the program for the first time. By continuing to drag and drop these color coded blocks, they can create codes for games, interactive art, or stories. As soon as they create a code, students can test it to see if it worked or go back and try a different set of instructions. Kids will love it for the gaming element, creativity component, and ease of use. Teachers can incorporate it into the curriculum by having students create projects based around their studies. From creating a quiz game, to an interactive demonstration on how electricity works, to presenting a creative writing piece, there is great learning potential to be had with Scratch.