Hello, In the "visual programming" theme, I've just seen that a new 3D and visual (though blocks) version of StarLog is available (a preview version now and a 1.0 this summer): http://education.mit.edu/starlogo-tng/ Some screencasts: http://education.mit.edu/starlogo-tng/tutorial-videos/ It's written in Java :( and the FAQ says this about the licence: ----- *Is StarLogo TNG open source? Can StarLogo TNG be open source?* StarLogo TNG is free for educational use, but it is not currently open source. We are considering an open source license in the future, but internal licensing issues and resources will determine that schedule. The previous version of StarLogo is being released soon under an open source license. ---- And the difference with Scratch: --- What is the difference between Scratch and StarLogo TNG? Both Scratch and StarLogo TNG share a common heritage with LogoBlocks, a tool to create programs for Crickets. The two tools are written from entirely separate code, but we do share ideas. The audiences are different for the two products as well. Scratch is primarily designed as a tool to make computational multimedia projects for kids, targeted at Computer Clubhouses. StarLogo TNG is designed for more formal education environments such as introductory programming classes, or subjects (such as biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) where modeling is an important part of the curriculum. They're both interesting tools, and you should check out Scratch when it becomes available. Scratch is built on Squeak. http://llk.media.mit.edu/projects/#scratch ---- francois