Learning the Language of Computer Programming

By Sarah Scinto

Several Newtown students spent the week of July 9–13 learning the language of Scratch, a computer programming software developed by the MIT Media Lab.

Scratch was developed as an educational initiative, intended to give children access to basic programming knowledge and enable them to create and share interactive games, music, and any other content their creativity could dream up.

Tim McGuire brings this educational initiative to Newtown’s students through a weeklong summer camp, called Scratch Programming, at Reed Intermediate School through Newtown Continuing Education. He said last Wednesday, July11, that Scratch helps make computer code accessible and fun for kids.

“People think [coding] is an impossible thing, but it’s really just a mindset and a way of thinking about different problems,” the instructor said. “This class is an introduction to coding, and they get to make anything that interests them.”

The students took their interests and ran with them, creating animated stories and games using Scratch’s simple interface.

“Mostly I’m working on a shooting range game.” Scratch student Christopher Vogelman said after listing several other projects he was developing, including an underwater game. “This is a really fun class so I can never focus on just one project.”

It is the hands-on aspect of creating an interactive program that has these students hooked. Chris Shaker, another student who spent his week creating a knights vs trolls battle game, said, “I really like making the programs.”

Scratch may be a good starting point for the two other programs Mr McGuire will teach this summer, in Robotics and Stop Motion Animation, also provided through Newtown Continuing Education.