Consumers versus Creators, Designers, and Makers: fostering Computational Creativity

Is your family one of consumers or of creators?

This eye-opening video on Computational Creativity, from Professor Karen Brennan, explains why this difference matters so much — and how we, as parents, might begin to change this. Dr. Brennan is an Assistant Professor in the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

One of the keys to becoming a Creative child (and adult) is to learn how to code.

Learning a programming language, especially a visual and kid-friendly one like Scratch, provides children opportunities to make this leap from consumer to creator. Instead of playing others’ games, they can instead create their own programs while expressing their thoughts, beliefs, and feelings in digital environments.

With the knowledge, skills and hands-on activities of programming languages, young learners have a freedom in creating.

Learning a programming language like Scratch can develop creative skills, as a young learner builds projects such as animations and simulations; designs interactive games; or makes a dynamic presentation.