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Mondays Don't Like Hugs

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Mondays Don't Like Hugs

Scratch is a free, visual programming language created by the MIT Media Lab, designed to be especially beginner friendly (Create & Learn Team, 2025).  Working on this project allowed me to apply fundamental coding concepts from the course, including loops, conditionals, and variables (CompTIA, 2022; Create & Learn Team, 2025). Scratch’s drag-and-drop, block-based interface made it easy to focus on the logic and creativity of my program without worrying about syntax errors, a key advantage of block coding noted by researchers (Weintrop, 2019). As a result, I was able to implement features like character movement and collision detection in my game with relative ease, reinforcing my understanding of how these coding constructs work in practice.

The process of building the Scratch project was highly engaging and educational. I found that the platform’s visual nature and immediate feedback (seeing my code come to life instantly) kept me motivated to experiment and iterate. This hands-on experience aligns with evidence that learning to code with Scratch is interactive and enjoyable for students. Research has shown that using Scratch can enhance learners’ computational thinking, creativity, and understanding of programming concepts (Fitria, 2025). I experienced this firsthand whenever I encountered a problem in my game. For example, when a character didn’t behave as expected, I had to systematically debug the blocks. This trial-and-error debugging honed my problem-solving skills. In fact, studies indicate that Scratch supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies in young programmers (Fitria, 2025). The project also encouraged me to think creatively; I wasn't just coding to meet assignment requirements, but actively designing a fun, interactive story. This reflects Scratch’s broader educational benefit of helping students “learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively – not just learn to code” (Create & Learn Team, 2025). Although I worked on my game individually, I consulted online examples and the Scratch community forums for ideas. The enormous Scratch community (over 100 million members as of 2025) offers a rich source of inspiration and support for learners (Create & Learn Team, 2025). Seeing projects shared by other users helped me brainstorm new features and reminded me that coding is often a collaborative and shared endeavor.

Throughout the project, I was impressed by how much I learned in a short time. The Scratch environment lowered the barriers to entry so I could concentrate on core programming logic. According to CompTIA (2022), mastering these fundamental concepts provides a strong foundation for any IT career path. I now appreciate why our course emphasized basic coding skills as part of technology literacy. By completing a working game, I also gained confidence in my ability to solve technical problems. This boost in confidence is a noted benefit of project-based coding education – creating animations or games in Scratch has been shown to increase students’ engagement and confidence in their skills (Fitria, 2025). The success of my project was very motivating; it has inspired me to delve deeper into programming. I plan to continue building on this foundation, perhaps by moving from Scratch to text-based languages like Python, knowing that the concepts I learned (such as loops and conditional logic) will transfer directly (Create & Learn Team, 2025).

In conclusion, this Scratch project was a valuable learning experience that reinforced the concepts from my Tech+ coursework and introduced me to creative problem-solving in coding. It demonstrated how beginner-focused tools can make programming accessible and fun while teaching serious computational thinking skills. Moreover, it showed me the importance of persistence and creativity in the development process. Overall, working with Scratch has not only enriched my understanding of programming fundamentals but also prepared me to be an active participant in the digital world (Fitria, 2025). I am confident that the skills and confidence I gained will support my continued growth in technology and coding.

 

Project Link: Mondays Don't Like Hugs

 

References

 

CompTIA. (2022). CertMaster Learn Tech+ (Educational curriculum).

 

Create & Learn Team. (2025, May 15). Is Scratch good for coding? Create & Learncreate-learn.uscreate-learn.us. https://www.create-learn.us/blog/is-scratch-good-for-coding/

 

Fitria, T. N. (2025). Teaching coding using Scratch to elementary students: Exploration of benefits for students. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Elementary Education, 3(1), 1–17researchgate.netresearchgate.net. https://doi.org/10.33830/jciee.v3i1.10719

 

Weintrop, D. (2019, August 1). Block-based programming in computer science education. Communications of the ACMcacm.acm.orgcacm.acm.org. https://cacm.acm.org/opinion/block-based-programming-in-computer-science-education/

 

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