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Following up on last weekÕs revelation that the Internet is not actually destroying the brains of all of the children who touch computers, I thought it was worth taking time to look at some of the great software out there for kids of all ages to spend some time with and explore. The fact is that most kids are quite comfortable with computers, but only for the things that they are used to using them for. Kids often think they can control technology, but really they can download music from services such as Limewire and use instant messenger programs to stay in touch with the kids they have just spent their entire day with at school. This is normal, but with all of the stuff that is online (especially all of the free stuff), kids can be doing a lot of creative things online. Here are a few of my favourite picks: Scratch: This is the largest, most popular free program for kids that you can download and spend hours and hours with. Created and supported by MIT in the US, Scratch lets kids design their own characters and backgrounds and then completely animate them, creating everything from movies to comic strips to game shows. The greatest thing about Scratch is the community that has gathered around it. Wisely, MIT has created what they call ÒYouTube for Scratch,Ó where users can upload their creations and allow other users to view them. There is also a full set of moderated discussion boards where kids spend a lot of time teaching other kids how to do certain things using this software. You can also download the creations made by other people, using them as a base to remix them completely into something else. Phun: This is my favourite program. Designed as a concept around someone in ScandinaviaÕs masterÕs thesis, Phun allows you to build almost anything you can imagine from all the sorts of blocks you can draw. You can then attach them together using springs and pins, and turn other things to liquid. Once you have built some creation, you can then animate it all, unleashing the fun and the chaos. Rewind the scene, reset the parts, change a few things and then let it all happen again. Called a physics engine, Phun is also building a community of users and has discussion boards online that are only starting out since the product has only recently been bought by a larger software company. Atmosphir: This is the most recent addition to these types of programs and one that IÕve only started playing with. Atmosphir lets your kids create their own video games, building entire levels out of blocks they are provided with. Build a structure, lay down a background, choose some death defying things for your character to do and soon you can be sharing your creations with others around the world. Atmosphir falls in line with the other two pieces of software mentioned above. It is powerful, it is fun, and it is free. The Internet has long been accused of being a time-sucking swamp and a place that simply destroys the minds of all children who encounter it. While this is as true of it as anything else, there is a real opportunity using resources that are available at absolutely no cost for kids to become involved with a global community of people who are doing very creative things. Software like these three (and there are many more of them emerging each week, these three are just my favourites) are being called Òstruggleware.Ó There are pieces of software that really require kids to be creative, to solve problems, to become involved in designing things that are new and different. Creativity is becoming increasingly important as a form of problem solving. Many companies and employers are listing creativity and problem-solving abilities very highly on their lists when they are searching for new employees. These kinds of software allow kids to get involved in things, learn new skills, and be involved with people from all over the world at no cost at all. You canÕt beat that. ([email protected]) Tech Notes runs Mondays.
