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Starting from scratch with Scratch!

by John Okewole

In commemoration of ScratchDay 2018, let me give educators, parents and education stakeholders some few reasons to engage, encourage, enable and empower young people to code with Scratch.

Recently, I was facilitating with teachers on digital technology integration in schools and I started by asking them this question: Can you do without technology in the classroom? In the audience of over 40 educators, about 85% responded Yes, they can do without technology. Just about 10% said No while the rest were undecided. I then did this - I pointed to the Whiteboard we were projecting on for the workshop and simply asked them that before the Whiteboard, what were they using, they said Chalkboard or Blackboard. Then I asked, what has made the two possible, they responded Technology. With that, they got my message.

Technology is an evolving thing from generation to generation. When the Blackboard was first made, I know the teachers then will wonder, what is this and how do you want us to use it. But by the 20th Century, the Blackboard had become a norm that we take for granted. The irony of life therefore is, technology will continue to drive innovation and we will continue to have new things and new ways to do things. No one, I believe should be tech-resistant but rather should the disposition of "How might we use, learn, adopt, implement etc. this new tech?"

I have gone this long route to simply make a case for coding for youth both in school and at home. I am using Scratch as a platform for this discussion. Learn about Scratch below.