Why do Scratchers Scratch?

why do scratchers ?

Several years ago, the Scratch Team posted a question, ‘Why do you use Scratch?’ and invited youth to create projects and share them online. Since then, thousands of members in the Scratch community have shared projects expressing, in their own ways, the reasons they like to Scratch.

What is Scratch? Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) is a free programming language and an online community where young people around the world can create their own interactive games, stories, animations, and anything else that they imagine — then share their creations with one another online. Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten research group, led by Mitchel Resnick, at MIT Media Lab.

What is this book about? This book is a collection of short personal stories shared by young creators on the Scratch website (also known as ‘Scratchers’). These wonderful, inspiring, and diverse stories are a tiny fraction of those shared by Scratchers from around the world in the form of projects titled Why I Scratch . Reading this book will give you a glimpse into the minds of young creators in the Scratch online community. Through their colorful and playful stories, you can see ‘powerful ideas’ at play.

A personal note... I believe that, in one way or another, we all aspire to be Scratchers in life! Scratchers see themselves as creators, inventors, and collaborators. They can make anything that they imagine. They are always experimenting with new ideas and possibilities. They learn from one another and inspire one another. They are welcoming, appreciative, kind, and grateful. I compiled this book to celebrate and communicate the wonderful Scratch spirit through children’s own voices and their personal creative expression. I hope their stories (with cats, and unicorns, and pancakes) serve as an inspiration to keep the Scratcher inside all of us alive forever. Here’s to supporting young people around the world to keep imagining, creating, and sharing! Read on and Scratch on… Shruti Dhariwal Graduate Student | Lifelong Kindergarten Group | MIT Media Lab

>This book includes examples of Scratch projects created by 22 young people in the Scratch online community, expressing the reasons why they Scratch. For each, you’ll first see a page about the Scratcher, including their username and online profile icon. That’s followed by screenshots from the ‘Why I Scratch’ project that they designed and coded.

@cooljewels Scratcher from United States Joined in January 2016 Examples of Scratch projects created by @cooljewels >Why I Scratch































@ErnieParke Scratcher from United States Joined in December 2010 Examples of Scratch projects created by @ErnieParke >Why I Scratch











@78960_2 Scratcher from United States Joined in November 2015 Examples of Scratch projects created by @78960_2 >Why I Scratch















@Yllie Scratcher from Sweden Joined in February 2011 Examples of Scratch projects created by @Yllie >Why I Scratch







@cyborgcupcake14 Scratcher from United Kingdom Joined in May 2015 Examples of Scratch projects created by @cyborgcupcake14 >Why I Scratch











@WinteryLoves Scratcher from United States Joined in November 2016 Examples of Scratch projects created by @WinteryLoves >Why I Scratch