Morielle Gets Inspiration from the Tynker Community!

Featured Maker Morielle, from Maryland, is heading into the sixth grade and really loves to code! At eleven years old, she also loves to sing and dance, and has even been involved in a theater summer camp where she participated in the show Music Man Junior!

Morielle loves math, art, and science class and knows that there are plenty of career opportunities for her because she’s learning how to code. When we sat down to chat with her, she articulated her love for coding!

How did you get introduced to Tynker and how long have you been coding? I was at the house of one of my best friends, and she showed me Tynker and it looked really awesome so I decided to download it. I’ve been doing it for a couple of months so far.

How did you learn how to use Tynker when you were first starting out? I discovered things on my own rather than using the courses, because I was familiar with most of the blocks from Scratch. 

Did you have a favorite course? I didn’t really have a favorite one, I tried the courses only at the beginning and then went to the editor and just started making.

How have your coding skills improved since you started using Tynker? Tynker is really awesome and it’s really easy to code with it! I learned about many different types of blocks and how to use them. I learned about the labeling blocks recently and they’re really awesome, I use them a lot. They’re really helpful!

How did you feel when you found out your project had been featured? I was really, really happy because I worked really hard on the project and it was really fun that people actually paid attention to it! It felt really good.

Where do you get ideas for your projects? Well, for Tynker TV, I actually saw a featured project: Tynker TV 2. I got inspiration from that version. For my project “Ice Cream Maker,” I saw a lot of maker games and was just inspired to make my own. I really like ice cream!  

“Tynker TV”

“Ice Cream Maker”

How do you get inspiration for your projects? Sometimes I look at the community, especially the featured projects and I see one and think about how I can improve it. Other times, an idea just pops into my mind and I decide to make a project about it!

Why do you like to code? I like to code because when I code I feel like the sky’s the limit. I like to use my creativity to create awesome projects!

What do you do with a project when you’re done with it? I usually check for glitches and then I sometimes show it to my family. Then, I publish it and hope for the best! I have a brother, I like to code with him sometimes.  I introduced him to Tynker as well. I like to teach him how to code! It’s really fun to share my knowledge with other people.

What is your favorite project you’ve made so far? I like my featured project: Tynker TV. I also like a project I made called “Ice Cream Maker.” Basically, you select your ice cream flavor, toppings, and cones!   

What are you planning to make next? I’m currently working on Tynker TV 2 because Tynker TV was successful, so I decided to make a second one. I’m also making more “maker” and “dress up” games. They’re fun to me! I also love drawing, so it’s really fun to make them. I like to create my own art!    

What’s your favorite thing you can do in Tynker? I really like the coding blocks! I also really like the editor because it’s really easy to use. I also like the aspect of community in Tynker, that I can share my projects in the community and get attention on them, it’s really awesome! The community also helps me improve them, based on the community. If a project is successful, I try projects similar to that.

How do you think learning to code has prepared you for the future? I believe that the future relies on technology, so it’s a really good skill to have!    

Do you think other kids should try coding? Yeah, definitely! It’s really fun and an awesome life skill to have. It’s also really good for your brain.    

What advice would you give to kids starting out with Tynker? First of all, never give up and always believe in yourself. And to explore the community because you can get really good inspiration from there if you’re just starting. Let your mind go wild!  

We had the chance to speak with Shoshi, Morielle’s mother, and asked about how she felt about her daughter learning how to code. She said, “I think it’s wonderful, she always shares a final project, so it’s always enjoyable and I’m very proud of her!” Shoshi does everything that she can to support Morielle with coding. “Two years ago we bought her a computer, that was the first step.”

Shoshi is fully aware of the impact that technology has on kids these days, especially during the days off school. She said, “I think if they are on the computer anyway, it’s better that they are on Tynker, this way their brain will have really good skills in coding, you never know who will start a company or what they will discover in the future. But computers are definitely the future, and if they like it, it’s even better. If they are doing it for fun it opens so many other things.”

Shoshi believes that her daughter is better prepared for the future: “She is prepared, the school prepares her and also things that come from home, values, and things. My husband and I, we try to teach by speaking and acting—the way we act. That’s the best way to prepare her for the future, give her values.”

We want to thank Morielle and Shoshi for chatting with us!  Happy coding!