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micro:bits Gone Wild
Hello Reader,
The BBC micro:bit is a lovely little "brain board" microcontroller that is perfect for student use. Paired with the easy-to-use, powerful, and free MakeCode software, the micro:bit is being used in thousands, maybe millions of classrooms around the world.
In a major announcement, the BBC and the micro:bit Foundation have partnered to provide over 700,000 FREE micro:bits to kids in primary classrooms across the UK. The micro:bit will even be featured in BBC programming. This article has all the details.
We highly endorse this kind of public-private partnership to put more computing power in the hands of young people and hope this model spreads world-wide.
At Constructing Modern Knowledge 2023 this past summer, micro:bit Foundation CEO Gareth Stockdale wowed us with a peek into the future of the micro:bit — including hooks for AI and machine learning experiments. Gareth was also blown away by the ingenious ways CMK participants were using the micro:bit to supercharge creative projects.
If you have micro:bits or are planning to acquire some this year, we highly recommend getting some copies of The Invent to Learn Guide to the micro:bit. Written by two educators famous for their inventive and whimsical micro:bit inventions, this book is a must have for any classroom or makerspace library. Students can choose their own projects from simple to complex, and easily follow the instructions to make and code everything from robots to arcade games.
But as they say on TV - that's not all!
Teachers will find useful teacher tips, ideas for classroom use, project planning templates, and features for creating remote projects and streaming. The projects in the book can be used as the basis for a short unit or even a full course in physical computing.
The micro:bit and The Invent to Learn Guide to the micro:bit are perfect partners for any classroom looking for meaningful STEAM projects!
Gary Stager & Sylvia Martinez
Hosts of the Constructing Modern Knowledge Summer Institute 2024 - Registration now open!
PS The Invent to Learn Guide to the micro:bit is available on Amazon and other online retailers. If you'd like a quote for a direct volume purchase or to use a PO, contact us directly (just reply to this email).
Constructing Modern Knowledge
Join us for news, resources, and events for creative, progressive educators
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