iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

On January 2, our group at the MIT Media Lab introduced a new generation of Scratch, called Scratch 3.0. Much has changed since we introduced the first generation of our Scratch programming language and online community, back in 2007.

Back then, most K-12 educators saw computer programming as a narrow technical skill, too difficult for most elementary and middle-school students, and useful only for students planning to become professional programmers. Graphical programming languages were generally seen as toys or gimmicks, not appropriate for educational applications.

Fast forward to 2019, and the perceptions and activities around computer science education have changed dramatically. There is a growing recognition of the value of introducing coding to all students. Organizations like code.org and CS4All have been successful in promoting the integration of computer science into state curriculum standards.

Every day, we’re amazed and delighted by the incredible diversity of games, stories, and animations that children create and share with Scratch. This August, we’ll be launching a new generation of Scratch, called Scratch 3.0, that aims to expand how kids can create and share, and how educators can support student learning with Scratch. This new version will include new images, new support materials, and new programming capabilities — and it runs on a wider variety of devices (including tablets).

Earlier this summer I shared the news that Scratch 3.0 would be available in a beta form in August. August is still a couple of hours away, but Scratch 3.0 is actually available now. I just went to the Scratch 3.0 beta site and it is live. You can try the new Scratch online editor right now!