Storyboard

an idea: Software storyboarding as a way for kids in deployments to interact with the outside world. Kids storyboard the kind of software they would like to have. Get it accessible on a wiki or some such. Perhaps some filtering process for proposals. eg, best n -> wiki. Outside world can then contribute by converting boards to code. Or by creating frameworks which make the coding kid accessible. Opportunity to creatively collaborate with the world, and get tangible payoff. A back-and-forth between kids and programmers, interesting to both groups.

Game creation seems a big motivating factor for kids learning how to program. Pre-programmers might still storyboard, and older kids implement. Some motivated teachers get 2 classes together, younger and older, to make some game or some improvement to their olpc's. In some ways, kids may not be able to spec what they want. Game design as a professional activity. But it seems likely they might be able to describe what problem domains have their interest, and that those may be novel, things an outsider, distant, might never have thought of. Gathering this might be part of a more general mechanism for children giving feedback on, and rating, activities.

While one could storyboard with Write, Paint, and Record, it could be easier with tailored software. As with Cartoon Builder and Comic Maker.

See also

• Cambridge Science Festival 2008
• Cartoon Builder and Comic Maker