Are you wondering how your child will fit into this ever-evolving cyber age? Have no fear, the public library system has all the tools needed to help this future generation survive and even thrive.
This past Saturday, Feb. 26, Bloomingdale Regional Library held a Cyber Kids class in which children in grades three to five learned how to use an application programming interface called Scratch. Though the title may seem daunting, Scratch is as easy to use as putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
Created by computer programmers at MIT, Scratch was designed to teach kids, and those adults that are not so computer savvy, the basic skills needed to create their own online animations and games.
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In just a few clicks, class instructor and librarian technical assistant Leslie Hudson had her pupils animating a pixelated cartoon cat bopping to a programmed beat. Derek, a fourth-grader at Lithia Springs Elementry who’s favorite online game is “Bloons Tower Defense," let out an astounded laugh as his cartoon character came to life.
Hudson projected a screen overhead from her computer where she led the kids step by step through Scratch’s interface. For children in this age range, it is tough to capture their attention long enough to sit still at the dinner table, let alone learn how to program computer games. But Scratch has all the basic animation functions such as drawing, motion direction and sound effects arranged in menus that make something so seemingly complex simple and fun.
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Students were guided to drag and drop program commands shaped like puzzle pieces onto a template to bring action to preloaded cartoon characters. These puzzle pieces act similar to a flow chart. Students were able to have their characters change “customs” (move to the next animation frame) as well as follow their mouse icon around their computer screens. A favorite amongst the staff at Bloomingdale Regional is an effect that warps the face of a squirrel at the wave of the mouse.
Hudson also leads a group for kids of middle school age known as the Cyber Creations Club that uses Scratch more extensively. They've been meeting every Monday at 4 p.m. at Bloomingdale Regional for the past few months to create an epic online game that incorporates levels of classic arcade throwbacks such as Pong and Pac-Man.
Knowledge of a programming interface like Scratch also can lead to opportunities for young hackers to develop apps for the Android mobile phone. But, for the Cyber Kids, creating a short frame dancing bat and ballerina animation was enough to have them enthralled for an hour. Yep, Scratch has an app for that.
If you interested in learning how to use Scratch, online tutorials and the program itself are available online at http://scratch.mit.edu. To enroll your child at any of the classes or events offered at Bloomingdale Regional Library, visit its Web site at http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/locations/bdl/ to browse through events, or call (813) 273-3652.
