BlockyTalky is a programming environment designed to make it easy for novice programmers to make interactive, networked physical computing devices. Kids as young as 10Ìıhave used it to rapidly build a wide range of projects, from networked cat feeders to computer music systems.

Publications

  • Annie Kelly,ÌıLila Finch,ÌıMonica BollesÌı²¹²Ô»åÌıR. Benjamin Shapiro.Ìı2018.Ìı, International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, DOI:ÌıÌı(In press, May, 2018).
  • Annie Kelly,ÌıMonica Bolles, ²¹²Ô»åÌıR. Benjamin Shapiro.Ìı2017.Ìı.ÌıWorkshop at New Interfaces for Musical ExpressionÌı(NIME ’17). (Copenhagen, Denmark, May 15-19, 2017).

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Associated Researchers

annie kelly
Annie Kelly
MS, TMS—Research Master's '19
ATLAS Institute
Photo of Sahana Sadagopan
Sahana Sadagopan
Graduate Student
Photo of Kari Santos
Kari Santos
Community Partner and Alumna • MS, TMS—Information and Communication Technology for Development
ATLAS Institute

In the news

Clement Zheng, Peter Gyory, and Ellen Yi-Luen Do.
2020. Tangible Interfaces with Printed Paper Markers. (to appear) In Proceedings of the 2020 Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS ’20). DOI: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3357236.3395578 (Eindhoven, Netherlands (virtual) – July 6-20, 2020).

Chris Bopp, Lehn M. Benjamin, and Amy Voida.
2019. The Coerciveness of the Primary Key: Infrastructure Problems in Human Services Work. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 3, CSCW, Article 51 (November 2019), 26 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3359153 (Austin, Texas – Nov. 9-13, 2019).

Girl looking up from computer.
Computer Science Education Week: Going Beyond Code

Dec. 6, 2017

The Laboratory for Playful Computation has developed technology that enables middle-school students to quickly create networks, connect devices, invent apps and design wearable technology.

Assistant Professor Ben Shapiro helps three middle-school students learn Blocky Talky.
Computer music as gateway to learning contemporary computer science

Oct. 25, 2017

Middle school students with limited prior programming experience develop interactive, creative, networked technologies.