I assume you're reading this book because you want to learn how to create interactive stories, animations, and games using Scratch, or you want to learn Scratch so that you can teach someone else how to program. It matters not whether your classroom is in a middle school, a home school environment, an after-school workshop, or a weekend coding project with your son or daughter. We are all teachers. That's the perspective of this book. You'll learn how to create projects using Scratch so that you can teach someone else, but no programming knowledge is expected.
In this chapter, we will:
Review what Scratch is and how we can use it
Learn more about the types of projects we will create in this book
Explore an example project from the Scratch website and review the project editor
Whether you're 8 or 80, the Scratch programming language provides a beginner-friendly computer programming environment that enables you to create digital projects. Success with Scratch comes quickly. You won't find any quirky syntax to learn, and you won't make any typing mistakes that prevent your program from running.
Creating a project in Scratch is as easy as snapping the color-coded blocks together. This environment allows us to see the positive results quickly. In addition to this, Scratch helps turn passive users into creators.
You'll find comfort in Scratch's building-block approach to create animations, games, and stories. After using Scratch, programming will make sense. It will seem easy. It will bring a smile to your face, and you'll be able to cope with technical concepts in the future.