How Can Kids Become Fluent In Digital Technology?

What do we mean by fluency? To be considered fluent in a language, you must learn how to read, write, and express yourself efficiently. Being fluent in digital technology is no different; you must learn to read, write, and create with the computer. Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab created Scratch to allow kids to do just that. Scratch takes the difficulty of learning digital technology and makes it simpler and fun through creative projects. These projects provide kids with the skills they need to develop a deeper level of fluency with digital technology.

What is Scratch?

Scratch is a programming language with an online community where children can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation with people from all over the world. As children create with Scratch, they learn to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically. The following are some reasons why students should learn to code with Scratch
‍

1. Learn mathematical and computational ideas

As kids create in Scratch, they understand essential mathematical concepts such as coordinates, numbers, and variables in a meaningful and motivating context. In the classroom, kids usually feel little personal connection to the material. However, with Scratch, they immediately engage in the material’s concepts in fun ways. They control the speed of a racing car or track the score in the game they’ve created. Thus, their very own games teach them core computational concepts, such as iteration and conditionals, in an entertaining and educational context.

2. Develop essential skills for the 21st-century

As kids immerse themselves in Scratch projects, they learn about the development process used for project creation in various industries. The steps in the development process are:

Conceiving an idea
Considering the feasibility of an idea
Creating a working prototype
Experimenting and fine-tuning the prototype
Receiving feedback and making revisions
Publishing the final product

The Scratch project-development process combines many of the 21st-century learning skills critical to a child’s future success: thinking creatively, communicating clearly, analyzing systematically, collaborating effectively, designing iteratively, and continuous learning. Although not every Scratch kid will become a professional programmer, Scratch would benefit every future professional no matter what field they take. Learning Scratch also helps kids be more expressive, develop their reasoning skills, and improve their understanding of new technologies.
At Wiz Kid , we understand the value of a program like Scratch. Thus, we have crafted a world-class Scratch program to build those core technological and personal skills essential for future success while keeping kids enthusiastically engaged in the projects they’ve developed. Throughout the week, kids will participate in fun community-building games and team-based projects designed to build collaboration skills and create an uplifting camp environment.