Chapter 1 - Using Scratch Coding for the First Time
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1190482958
Before this project, I hadn’t really thought about how counterintuitive it might seem that I work closely with developers, providing them with coding requirements on a daily basis, yet I’ve never had any real coding experience myself. Aside from this project, my only other encounter with coding was back when I customized my Myspace profile. Of course, that was a completely different kind of experience, so I would consider this my first real attempt at programming.
At first, I found the Scratch platform a bit challenging because there were so many commands, actions, and combinations to figure out. However, as I started working with the blocks and experimenting, I began to feel a bit more comfortable. I wouldn’t call myself an expert just yet as there’s still a lot to learn, but I do feel more confident now and believe I’ll be able to create visuals more easily the next time.
This experience felt like dipping my feet into the ocean of programming. It gave me a small glimpse of the vast possibilities that exist in the world of coding, while also helping me understand just how much work goes into things we often take for granted—like a simple website or a children’s video game. It made me appreciate the behind-the-scenes effort involved in even the most basic digital interactions.
Using Scratch gave me a fun, beginner-friendly, hands-on way to better understand some of the concepts covered in the course textbook. Scratch is clearly designed with young learners in mind, which reflects the ideas in the article Programming for the Next Generation: Transitioning from Traditional Models to Large Language Models in Coding Education for Kids by Zainab Rafique et al. The article discusses how today’s education system emphasizes early exposure to coding. Still, the intuitive and visual design of Scratch makes it a great tool for adults like me who have no prior experience. The way commands are grouped by action type and color-coded helped me understand the logic of programming, spot errors more easily, and make adjustments when things didn’t work as expected. Although the textbook participation activities were also beginner friendly, I believe that creating an interactive program using one of the languages discussed, like a compiled or interpreted language, would have been much more difficult than using Scratch.
The chapters in the textbook, TestOut Corp. (2024), introduced five types of programming languages: Assembly, Compiled, Interpreted, Hybrid, and Query Languages. Each one serves a specific purpose, though some are better suited for certain tasks than others. Assembly languages are ideal for tasks that require speed and direct communication with a processor, such as operating barcode scanners or medical devices. Compiled languages work well for programs that need fast performance, like video games. Interpreted languages are useful for tasks that involve scripts and repetitive actions, such as maintaining a website. Their ability to run one line at a time makes them easier to troubleshoot and update. Hybrid languages combine both compilation and interpretation, which allows them to run efficiently on many systems. A good example would be apps that synchronize across platforms, such as Meta apps. Lastly, query languages are best for retrieving and managing data, especially in databases and reports, similar to how a search engine functions.
Chapters 10.1 and 10.2 cover only the basic concepts of programming languages, but based on that information, it might seem like assembly language is the simplest to understand. However, I personally feel more familiar with interpreted languages like JavaScript. This is mainly because it’s commonly used by the developers I work with, and I’ve had the opportunity to observe their programming process using this language on many occasions.
Overall, this project helped me gain confidence in basic programming concepts while giving me a better understanding of how different types of languages serve different functions in the tech world.
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