Scratching the Itch

[Choosy]

Like many young boys, my three sons have already decided on their future career paths - of course they are going to be video game designers! So I recently asked them what they plan to do in order to prepare for their careers. The answer? “Play as many video games as possible!” While I agree that one must do research in their chosen field, I fail to see how playing video games 10 hours a day is going to give them exposure to this possible career choice. And, as my husband pointed out, playing the games qualifies one as a “user”, not a designer or developer!

So this summer our goal was to find information and tools we could use to delve into the world of video game design. We stumbled upon a great (free) product created by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. The product, named “SCRATCH”, is “a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art — and share your creations on the web. Scratch is 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.”

It took *me* a little while to figure out exactly how to use the program, but my Lego enthusiasts were programming in no time. This is because the SCRATCH interface resembles building blocks that kids “snap” together. As with most products used by homeschoolers, the age recommendation (8+) is a general guideline. My 6 year old was able to make some cool creations in just a few steps, while my 13 year old delved into more complicated concepts.

While our main goal was to focus on game design, there are many other uses for this product. Students can create a variety of animated stories (great for those creative writing skills), interesting artwork, and even music compositions. It’s a very versatile product!

The part my children like best is the online web gallery, where children can share games and animations they have created and give each other feedback. They love hearing what other SCRATCH users think about their creations, and they even enjoy posting feedback for each other on the site! (Note: while most of the games and animations are child-friendly there are a few that contain weapon use. As with any online forum, parents should teach their children basic internet safety, and monitor their children’s use of a resource until they are comfortable that the content is appropriate for their family.)

If you’re interested in using SCRATCH but want a little extra help, Richard Baldwin, a professor of Computer information Technology and Computer Science at Austin Community College, has created a free online SCRATCH tutorial for homeschool students and their parents. Or try this step-by-step tutorial.

If you would like more information on using SCRATCH for educational purposes, this wiki provides information on educational uses, what students will learn, lesson plans and outlines, curriculum integration ideas, and additional resources.

So, did SCRATCH scratch the my children’s itch to become game developers? Maybe. In my next blog entry I’ll tell you about the other tools we’ve used on our quest to become game designers!

In the meantime, let me know what your family thinks about SCRATCH! If your children have never used it before, let them play around with it a bit, and then tell us about their first impressions. If your children are already SCRATCH pros, we’d love to hear about your experiences, too, as well as any tips you may have for new users.

Jennifer

ChoosyHomeschooler.com

http://www.cafemom.com/group/102477