Just Scratch It

Howdy guys,

Whenever I come across something inspiring and thoughtful, I like to share it. In this way it can reach as many people as possible and maybe, just maybe it can also inspire someone else. You know how the chain works, smile at a stranger and they smile to another stranger and boom!! The whole place is smiling…

The YouTube video from the talk.

I recently came across a certain TED Talk. I love watching these talks and it’s amazing how much you can take from someone’s 15 or so minute lecture. So this particular talk that I am talking about is by one Mitch Resnick of MIT media. He was talking about how coding isn't just for computer whizzes but it’s for everyone. And so, in a fun filled demo talk, he demonstrated and outlined the benefits of teaching kids to code. This will enable them to do more than just “read” new technologies – but also create them. Below is the YouTube video from the talk.

I couldn’t agree more! Nowadays we have everyone who is tech savvy: tweeting, texting, whatsapping, hanging out; but how many people can really create something from scratch? And if you ask me, there is more power to creating something than to be proficient at using something that someone else created.

How I wish I could have come across his talk like ten years ago it would have saved me a lot! This is because when I started out, I wasn't a computer whizz. And I chose to start learning with a language that was somewhat chunky hence I found it a bit too complicated and it slowed me down and got me uninterested at some point. But MIT has developed a simpler and fun way to teach kids how to code. It called, SCRATCH!!

What Is Scratch?

Scratch is a programming language and online community where people can create their own interactive stories, games and animations. It is an educational multimedia authoring tool

Who Uses Scratch?

Scratch is designed especially for ages 8 to 16, but it is used by people of all ages whether pupils, teachers or parents. It is available in more than 40 languages. Millions of people are using it to create projects in a wide variety of settings and which they can share with many others around the world.

Kids using Scratch

Learn To Code, Code To Learn:

The ability to code computer programs is an important part of literacy in today’s society. When kids learn to code in scratch, they learn important strategies for solving problems, designing projects and communicating ideas.

For more information on scratch, visit their site. Also get their latest by following them on twitter

And for more Ted Talks, visit their site here.

People, you see, you can just Scratch it!!

Have a wonderful afternoon

#happydays