Itchy & Scratchy

Scratch is a new programming tool that allows users to 'create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web' (mres, 2009). Originally designed for ages 8 and above, nearly all ages can use this innovative technology in some form or another. It was designed for young students to learn and become familiar with 21st century learning skills. Howard Rhiengold distinguishes some 21st century literacy's or skills which I have been able to relate to Scratch itself.



1) Attention - Scratch engages students by the freedom of what their multiple characters can do.



2) Participation - each student is responsible for how their interactive stories turn out, this in turn encourages students to try their hardest and work in a positive environment.



3) Collaboration - students are able to share their Scratch inventions on the web for other peers and other students to view.



4) Network Savvy - once students are familiar with Scratch their skills and understandings will enable them to help others and use the tool to help with other Learning Areas.



5) Critical Consumption - students will need to learn to sift through the useless information and discover personal relevance to what they are doing.



Scratch has some positive points:

-allows for creativity

-learning important mathematical ideas

-computational ideas

-interactive

-fun

-reason

-work collaboratively



Scratch has some negative issues as well:

-time consuming

-hard to work out

-does it cater for all developers?

-is Gardner's Multiple Intelligences accounted for?

-not user friendly