SchoolYard is a framework of small flash applications designed especially for K-6 students. While most applications require basic skills such as reading and writing, some rely on an audiovisual interface and are designed for younger children.
SchoolYard began as a simple programming tool for children, but it soon adopted the concept of small modular 'agents' – each providing the child with a small set of instructions. The agents expanded rapidly to provide different programmatic instructions and tools for various operations. Eventually, SchoolYard became a framework for any agent that supports its protocols.
SchoolYard provides the children with a closed and monitored environment for their own protection. All communications are logged and on-line protection Mechanisms, both automated and manual, are available.
SchoolYard provides teachers with various tools. It helps them to create assignments defined by a series of goals. It provides them with analytical tools and statistical reports that monitor the childrens' progress and reveal their strengths and weaknesses. The Children can also rely on automatic feedback to direct them to tasks on subjects which require further practice.
Much like a video game, the student must successfully pass 10 levels of difficulty before becoming an "Ace" . Each successive level defines stricter syntactic rules and introduces additional programming concepts.
SchoolYard's agents serve as function libraries. They enable the creation of powerful applications: using the layer cake model, most SchoolYard applications are written in Computish – a special open-source language defining the agent's abilities. Thus, young apprentices acquire the ability to learn from the very code that they are using.
Macromedia Flash was chosen as the Schoolyard 'engine' since many of its features reflects the SchoolYard philosophy – it provides an easily utilized tool that can deftly create online, graphical, multi-platform and sand-boxed applications which adhere to four basic principles: (1) Connectivity, (2) Visuality, (3) Compatibility, and most importantly (4) Security
SchoolYard is an on-going project aimed at creating a world-wide community of children who shall, both individually and collectively, learn about the world, about the people who live in it and about themselves. They shall learn to organize their thoughts and express themselves clearly and they shall learn about computers and communication. And most importantly, they shall be more prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow's world.