Squeak is a language and media authoring environment that is free and which runs on all major computing platforms.  It has a number of different entry points, suited to a range of different users, from very young children right up to serious computer programmers. 

Squeak has been described as an 'idea processor'; just as a word processor is a tool for working with words, Squeak is a tool for working with ideas.  It gives students a tool to explore their intuitions and create models and simulations to test out their theories.  Squeak projects can amplify learning that is already going on in the classroom, or in life in general. 

This site has been created to introduce users to the Etoy component of Squeak, which is designed for beginners or younger children.  It is particularly suited to primary and middle school age students.  Etoys is pre-installed on the XO laptops which are being rolled out as part of the One Laptop per Child Project. 

The official site for EToys is http://www.squeakland.org  Spend time exploring the site, as you will also find background information about the underlying philosophies of Squeak, tutorials, examples, project ideas, classroom activities and more.

Getting EToys

Download and follow the instructions to install from http://www.squeakland.org

 

This page has been produced by Margaret Meijers.  Questions or feedback may be directed by email to mmeijers at ictmindtools.net

 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.
Attribution should include the statement: "This has been adapted from a resource originally created by Margaret Meijers at http://ictmindtools.net"