Game App Published

Dream big to inspire the students

Hello,

I borrowed the article title from my previous employers because it inspired me to dream big and inspire my students!

It all started when I was teaching my classes how to make a simple car racing game using Scratch, where the object was to be the first to make it round the track to the finish line, without crashing into the grass at the side of the road, using only the left and right arrow keys. As always, when we finish making a game together, I ask the students to come up with ideas of how we could change the game to make it more interesting or difficult, for example. During one of these lessons, I had the idea to change it from a racing game to a skill game, by making the track thinner and the car faster.

I made the necessary changes and it instantly became a favourite with the students and the staff, so I had to install it everywhere. Everyone became addicted and wanted to be the first one to complete a lap without crashing, which some staff and students eventually did. Then, one support worker s throwaway comment, set me off on a very challenging but rewarding path. He said, Why don t you make it into an app, by which he meant that I should publish it on Android and iOS through the Google Play Store and Apple s App Store.

Making the game in Scratch using drag and drop programming takes about an hour, but unfortunately, it is not possible to publish a game app on iOS or Android, using Scratch. So, I turned to another piece of software called GameMaker Studio that we had been using in school, after finding out it was possible to submit and publish apps using this platform.

The programming/coding involved was at a much higher level than I had previously been used to, so I had to set about learning how to code at a much higher level, using GameMaker Language, which is very similar to the Python that I teach. I soon discovered that learning and using more advanced programming techniques was just the tip of the iceberg. Once I had a working prototype, I start the process of creating a publishable app. At this point I discovered that it was necessary to purchase the ability to create apps for the Google Play Store and Apple s App Store, so I had to explain what I was trying to do, and why, to the senior leadership team, who luckily provided me with the necessary funds.

I then discovered that to publish an iOS app, you would need a Mac of some kind connected to your PC, together with an iOS device. The process of setting up the game to be submitted to the different platforms was probably the most complicated part of the whole process, and I had to pay Google a one off payment, and Apple a yearly payment, for that privilege. So, after returning once more to the senior leadership team, cap in hand, I purchased the necessary devices and licences.

I was eventually able to create a prototype game, and from then on, the students were really involved in testing the app and coming up with ideas for improvement, and they couldn t wait to download the completed game and start competing with their peers, friends and family. The improvements and the work involved were very far-reaching and time consuming, and the whole process took months to complete in my own time. However, I know at least one student, who was inspired to learn more coding, and apply for related college courses, because of my big dream , which is a good start.

So, it`s already been worth all the effort.

Oh, and start learning programming with Python - you won`t regret it.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your big dreams.