<s>
MicroWorlds	B-Language
JR	I-Language
is	O
a	O
computer	B-Application
program	I-Application
using	O
a	O
simplified	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Logo	B-Device
programming	I-Device
language	I-Device
to	O
teach	O
non-readers	O
or	O
early	O
readers	O
to	O
program	O
in	O
Logo	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
first	O
launched	O
in	O
2004	O
by	O
Logo	B-Device
Computer	O
Systems	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
(	O
LCSI	B-Language
)	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
in	O
their	O
original	O
line	O
of	O
MicroWorlds	B-Language
programs	O
,	O
the	O
object	O
on	O
the	O
screen	O
begins	O
as	O
a	O
turtle	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
controlled	O
with	O
basic	O
commands	B-Application
to	O
make	O
it	O
move	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Differing	O
from	O
the	O
Logo	B-Device
syntax	O
developed	O
by	O
Seymour	O
Papert	O
and	O
teams	O
at	O
MIT	O
,	O
MicroWorlds	B-Language
JR	I-Language
uses	O
images	O
to	O
replace	O
the	O
command	O
names	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
selected	O
by	O
the	O
child	O
to	O
create	O
turtle	B-Application
graphics	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
MicroWorlds	B-Language
JR	I-Language
supports	O
constructivism	O
by	O
putting	O
control	O
in	O
the	O
hands	O
of	O
the	O
student	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Working	O
through	O
problems	O
enhances	O
a	O
child	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
see	O
transfer	O
in	O
the	O
knowledge	O
they	O
have	O
acquired	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
creating	O
with	O
Logo	B-Device
much	O
of	O
the	O
learning	O
has	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
'	O
debugging	O
 '	O
the	O
programs	O
to	O
see	O
intended	O
results	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
understanding	O
of	O
what	O
is	O
relevant	O
and	O
efficient	O
in	O
deciphering	O
and	O
creating	O
the	O
code	O
(	O
Skillen	O
,	O
2003	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MicroWorlds	B-Language
JR	I-Language
involves	O
the	O
principles	O
of	O
constructionism	O
that	O
engage	O
young	O
learners	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Logo	B-Device
is	O
a	O
computer	O
programming	O
language	O
that	O
requires	O
the	O
student	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
the	O
turtle	O
(	O
object	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
give	O
it	O
commands	B-Application
to	O
make	O
it	O
move	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
turtle	O
would	O
need	O
to	O
put	O
its	O
pen	O
down	O
,	O
step	O
forward	O
60	O
paces	O
,	O
turn	O
90	O
degrees	O
and	O
then	O
repeat	O
these	O
two	O
commands	B-Application
four	O
times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
procedures	O
can	O
be	O
written	O
whereby	O
students	O
group	O
the	O
commands	B-Application
together	O
and	O
have	O
the	O
actions	O
executed	O
all	O
at	O
once	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Older	O
students	O
might	O
type	O
this	O
command	O
using	O
logo	B-Device
as	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
MicroWorlds	B-Language
JR	I-Language
,	O
the	O
same	O
procedure	O
would	O
be	O
created	O
graphically	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
the	O
Turtle	O
Shapes	O
and	O
Turtle	O
Commands	B-Application
Centre	O
,	O
students	O
can	O
create	O
geometric	O
shapes	O
and	O
designs	O
by	O
executing	O
the	O
pendown	O
command	O
and	O
commanding	O
the	O
turtle	O
to	O
move	O
step	O
by	O
step	O
,	O
or	O
by	O
writing	O
procedures	O
to	O
create	O
shapes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
hatch	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
turtle	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
right-clicking	O
on	O
the	O
turtle	O
they	O
open	O
a	O
backpack	O
in	O
which	O
they	O
store	O
and	O
edit	O
their	O
commands	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alternatively	O
,	O
students	O
can	O
also	O
embed	O
procedures	O
within	O
other	O
procedures	O
thus	O
creating	O
subprocedures	O
,	O
all	O
done	O
with	O
graphic	O
representations	O
of	O
computer	B-Application
code	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Procedures	O
and	O
commands	B-Application
can	O
be	O
created	O
on	O
click	O
,	O
on	O
colour	O
,	O
on	O
touch	O
and	O
on	O
signal	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
the	O
student	O
to	O
create	O
animated	O
,	O
interactive	B-General_Concept
stories	O
or	O
simple	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
textual	O
logo	B-Device
commands	B-Application
are	O
represented	O
iconically	O
using	O
MicroWorlds	B-Language
JR	I-Language
and	O
they	O
are	O
shown	O
in	O
the	O
turtle	O
command	O
centre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
are	O
put	O
together	O
to	O
form	O
commands	B-Application
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
step	O
graphic	O
selects	O
the	O
forward	O
or	O
backward	O
commands	B-Application
which	O
set	O
the	O
direction	O
the	O
turtle	O
will	O
move	O
,	O
and	O
children	O
then	O
choose	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
steps	O
using	O
a	O
sliding	O
grid	O
.	O
</s>
