My oldest daughter is 13 years old; she has been talking about coding in school for YEARS and FINALLY I understood what she has been talking about! Let me tell you this, coding is a lot of fun! I’m still very new to the concept, and do fully understand how this will help students become computer programmers, but I trust those that know more than I do. If Scratch actually helps children grow up to create technology, rather than just use it, then sign me up, let’s do this thing!
For those that don’t know what Scratch is, it’s a website that allows people to create their own games by clipping together simple sequences/commands for their game. Scratch makes it easy enough that people with the most basic of computer skills can enjoy the activity. Instructional tutorials pop up regularly teaching you the next step; this gives the user a lot of confidence and doesn’t allow for frustration to creep in.
Scratch for Educators:
“Your students can use Scratch to code their own interactive stories, animations, and games. In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively  — essential skills for everyone in today’s society. Educators are integrating Scratch across many different subject areas and age groups.”
As a mother and future teacher, I don’t see any problems trying to get children excited to work with this program. What child wouldn’t enjoy creating their own computer game? This is a prime example of “make learning fun.” Students will think they are playing a game and not even realize the skills they are developing.
If you’re interested in using Scratch in your classroom but you’re not sure where to get started, check out this video below and don’t forget to check out Teachers Pay Teachers as it has lots of great resources for incorporating Scratch into your classroom. Good luck, although you won’t need it cuz you’re going to nail this! It’s THAT easy!