Post #1: Programming Languages

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For this project, I created an animated story in Scratch called Magical Fairy using block-based code. At first, I struggled to understand how the blocks were supposed to work together. My fairy wouldn't move, and some blocks were floating around doing nothing. Once I realized that every block had to be connected under the green flag to work properly, everything started to come together. After that, the process became easier and more enjoyable.

In my program, I used motion blocks to make the fairy glide across the screen in a magical pattern. I added looks blocks so she could speak, think, and change costumes with glowing effects. I also used sound effects like fairy dust and magic spells to make the scene more engaging. To complete the animation, I added a forest background that matched the theme. Watching the fairy fly, talk, and sparkle in sync was my favorite part of the project.

Scratch helped me understand the basics of programming logic without needing to memorize code syntax. I learned how motion, control, events, and looks work together to make something interactive. I also learned how programming often involves trial and error. Even small mistakes can stop the program from working, but figuring out the issue helped me feel more confident in my problem-solving skills. Researchers have found that block-based programming environments like Scratch and ALICE improve student engagement, reduce syntax errors, and enhance foundational programming skills (Vinueza-Morales et al., 2025).

Compared to other programming languages I've studied, Scratch was by far the easiest to use. Its drag-and-drop design made it easy to focus on logic and creativity without worrying about errors. For example, high-level languages like Python are more flexible and widely used in cybersecurity, but still require proper spelling and structure. Assembly languages are useful for hardware control but are extremely detailed and hard to read. Machine languages work directly with binary code and are the most complex. Each language has its purpose, but Scratch is a great place to start for beginners.

Visual programming tools like Scratch are invaluable for students or anyone new to coding. I didn't feel overwhelmed by technical details. Instead, I was able to focus on building something that worked and looked good. This experience gave me a solid introduction to how programs run and how logical steps are combined to produce specific outcomes. According to research, students who used flipped-classroom methods with visual programming environments demonstrated improved learning outcomes and confidence when compared to traditional coding methods (Alrubaie et al., 2023).

If you're curious, you can check out my project here:

View Magical Fairy on Scratch

 

References

Alrubaie, M., Alnoor, A., & Abbas, S. (2023). The Effects of Flipped Classroom on Learning Achievement in Block-Based Programming Education. IEEE. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10111237

Vinueza-Morales, M., Cárdenas-Cobo, J., Cabezas-Quinto, J., & Vidal-Silva, C. (2025). Applying the Block-Based Programming Language ALICE for Developing Programming Competencies in University Students. IEEE. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10857329

 

Comments

  1. Ladyy BrownMay 14, 2025 at 6:21 PM

    Very interesting how you have learned so much about programming languages

    ReplyDelete

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