Starting from Scratch

Today we started a new segment on programming. Wow, you say. Can sixth graders really learn to program? They sure can, and already have to a small extent. 

A few weeks ago I stumbled across a suggestion by another computer teacher that a program from MIT was just the thing to teach kids the basics of programming: Scratch. You can download your own free copy at scratch.mit.edu They also have the ability to create a free login id and post your creations on the web to share with the world. 

Of course I would caution that there are kids from all over the world posting things so some content may be a bit questionable (think YouTube). In class, we'll only be working with local versions and not posting to the web. But I encourage you to check it out online. And maybe you just might find a budding programmer in your house.