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JIT Turtle Overview

JIT Turtle offers a fun, intuitive coding platform designed with young learners in mind. The child-friendly interface supports the teaching of computational thinking, programming, and debugging through simple visuals and interactive tools.


Interface and Navigation

Upon opening JIT Turtle, the platform presents a clean interface where learners can:

  • Add and program sprites

  • Choose or upload backgrounds

  • Use a simple or advanced coding mode

  • Save and revisit their work


Choosing a Background or Template

When the tool opens, the Templates submenu appears automatically. You can choose from seven pre-designed templates, or upload your own background by switching to the Pictures submenu. From there, you can:

  • Upload from My Files or Shared Files

  • Search and add an image from the Internet

  • Use your webcam to snap a live photo directly into the canvas


Adding and Managing Sprites

Sprites are the programmable characters within JIT Turtle.

  • To add a sprite, click the “+” button and select your preferred sprite (up to 4 can be added).

  • If using a template, a sprite may be preloaded. You can delete any sprite by clicking the red “X” next to it.


Programming with Algorithms

JIT Turtle offers two programming modes:

  • Simple Mode: The sprite moves immediately after each instruction is added. This is ideal for early learners to see cause and effect in real time.

  • Advanced Mode: The sprite remains stationary until the full sequence is programmed and the Play button is pressed—ideal for learners ready to test predictions and sequencing.

To add algorithms:

  • Click the directional arrows; each instruction appears in the Scripts area.

  • To delete an instruction, click the “X” beside it.

  • To rearrange steps, simply drag and drop them into the desired order.


Pen and Path Features

Sprites can draw paths as they move—helpful for visual learners and debugging.

  • Change pen colour by clicking the pen icon next to the sprite.

  • Use the “Pen Down” function to begin drawing.

  • Use the “Pen Up” function to stop drawing.



Debugging Code

Debugging is a key part of learning to code. Learners can:

  • Identify and correct mistakes by observing sprite paths

  • Move, delete, or rearrange algorithm steps in the Scripts area

  • Experiment with different instructions to achieve their goals

Saving Work

To save the project:

  • Click the Save icon in the top right corner

  • This saves the code as an editable file in My Files, so it can be re-opened and modified later