Going from Bits to Atoms: Programming in Turtle Blocks JS and Personal Fabrication in Youth Maker Projects

Abstract

Software and hardware should be seen as tools in the modern classroom indistinguishable in importance and creative potential as the pencil and paper. Turtle Blocks JS, a Logo-inspired, block-based programming environment that runs in a web browser provides an easy to use microworld in which students may explore geometry, design through iteration, programming and debugging. The designs created in Turtle Blocks can be downloaded as simple vector graphics (SVG) and subsequently processed for 3D printing, transforming the digital design into a tangible, functional tool. Students can use Turtle Blocks in conjunction with a number of fabrication devices, including 3D printers and laser cutters, allowing them to create increasingly complex artifacts. In this paper, I present the work done with Turtle Blocks JS in a summer academy for middle school boys as well as a workshop for 10-13 year olds in a makerspace.