Google and MIT are joining forces to deliver Scratch Blocks, a new and improved variant of the programming language for children.
The programming language is open on developer preview, and young aspiring coders who took part in this year's I/O Youth event got to test it out.
MIT used its Media Lab to hatch up Scratch in 2007, which was conceived as a visual programming language. The idea behind Scratch was to find an easy way to teach young children the basic knowledge needed for programming and IT aptitudes.
Since its release, Scratch has fueled the talent of over 11 million kids from across the globe. The legion of young programmers crafted worth of 14 million games, stories and animations in the programming language.
The latest generation of Scratch gets a boost of knowledge from Google, as well. One thing that the company can do is send the programming language to multiple devices and platforms. It should be noted that Google loaded Blockly, its proprietary language, into Scratch Blocks.
The Director of MIT's Scratch Team, Mitchel Resnick, pointed out that the updated variant also enables Scratch to run on tinier displays, such as the ones found on tablets and smartphones .
As an increasing number of enterprises are focusing their efforts on kids' products, some of them are taking things further and embedding programmable elements. Resnick is confident that Scratch Blocks could be the "universal programming language across these products."
Through Google's involvement in the project, the programming language's chance for adoption just surged.
Scratch uses shape-based system to replace the rigorous syntax and punctuation of traditional programming. This is what some in the industry call a "Lego approach," as it relies on how logical shapes fit together. The fact that it is intuition-reliant makes it work very well with children, who can rely more on visual clues than on analytical approaches.
Students who were part of this year's I/O Youth met the technology head on. Participants also got several treats, such as demonstrations on how 3D-printing works, tutorials on how to properly animate a character, and a Scratch Blocks demo where Bluetooth Legos could be assembled.
Scratch is only one of the many apps that home-schooled children can use to catch up with their peers. Check out the full list in our coverage.
