Documents

BBC micro:bit V2 Compatible Accessories

e14phil — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 22:27:28 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by e14phil on 10/6/2021 10:27:28 PM

Now that the BBC micro:bit v2 has been announced, many people will have questions about comparability with their existing accessories and programs.

Software

Q) will my program run? Will I need to learn a New Platform?

A) Yes your program should run fine, and no you wont need to learn a new platform.

Think of this as a upgrade in options, you have a more powerful board with all the same software and platforms.

This update is all the good things of getting a new learning tool without forcing you to learn new software or having to retrain teachers.

Hardware

Q) Will my Case fit? Is it the same size?

A) Yes, Very likely, the BBC Microbit has been built to the same mechanical foot print with the same edge connector and all the pins in the same place.

The only change is a slight rise in height from the speaker which should be no problem for most cases.

BBC micro:bit v2 Dimensions:
51.60mm(w) 42.00mm(h) 11.65mm(d),
Button depth to board 4.55mm,
Speaker depth to board 3.00mm

JST connector to board 5.50mm
The micro:bit foundation has also published 3D models and reference material on their GitHub.
https://github.com/microbit-foundation/microbit-reference-design

Tags: micro:bit, microbit v2, microbit 2020, microbit 2, new microbit, microbit., micro:bit v2

Micro:bit Accessory of the Month | Kitronik Klimate Board

jlucas — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 21:55:42 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 10/6/2021 9:55:42 PM

Each month, we're going to shine a light on a kit or accessory that you can use to enhance your micro:bit projects. This month our featured product is the Klimate Board, developed by Kitronik.

What is it?

The Klimate board is a Real Time Clock (RTC) and environmental sensor (BME280) interface for the BBC microbit. The environmental sensor will give the ability to measure temperature, barometric pressure and humidity. The RTC will give the ability to read current time and date.

Features

Add Real Time Clock and environmental sensing capabilities to the BBC micro:bit.
The coincell battery ensures that the RTC & Klimate board continues to keep time when the board is not connected to a power source.
It features and expansion port for 3v I2C devices, such as an OLED display or ZIP LEDs.
Write code using the MakeCode Editor.
Code with ease, courtesy of the custom blocks that have added to the MakeCode Editor.
When the RTC & Klimate board is powered, it will also power the inserted microbit.

Kit Contents

1 x Kitronik RTC & Klimate Board

Requirements

1x micro:bit (sold separately)

1 x CR2032 battery

Additional Resources

Road Test Reviews

Have you used the Klimate Board at home or in the classroom? Share your thoughts on this month's featured accessory in the comments section below...

Tags: klimate board, stem, microbit featured accessories, kitronik, microbit, bbc micro bit, bbc microbit, stem projects

Featured micro:bit Accessories

e14mindi — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 21:41:50 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by e14mindi on 10/6/2021 9:41:50 PM

Featured micro:bit Accessories

The best accessories as reviewed and tested by the element14 Community

micro:bit | STEM Academy

As the manufacturer of the micro:bit, we are incredibly proud to be a part of microbit.org's initiative "to inspire every child to create their best digital future." One of the ways that we are striving to do this is by helping get micro:bits and their accessories in the hands of our Community members so that they can write up RoadTests & Reviews and create projects that others can look to for inspiration. Below you can look through some of our most recent reviews as well as enroll for the chance to help us with our initiative!

RoadTests & Reviews

BinaryBots DIMM + micro:bit

Dimm™ is the amazing new smart toy robot everyone wants. This kit comes jam packed with Dimm the robot, some fun sensors AND a brand new BBC micro:bit computer.

BinaryBots TOTEMCRAB + micro:bit

Totem Crab™ is one of the alien robots Binary found on Planet Totem. With a brand new BinaryBots sensor board and awesome pincer, bring the crab alive with code today!

GAME ZIP 64 for the BBC micro:bit

The Kitronik :GAME ZIP 64 is the ultimate retro gaming accessory for the BBC microbit. It has been designed to be an all in one hand held gaming platform, which also includes a built in, 64 (8x8) individually addressable full colour ZIP LED, screen.

Grove Inventor Kit + BBC micro:bit

The is the Seeed Studio's Inventor's Kit specially designed for use with the BBB micro:bit. The kit contains a Grove shield for micro:bit, plus a variety of Grove modules, including sensors, display, actuator so students or hobbyists can explore creating their first IoT projects or any kind of electronic build project.

Grove Inventor Kit + BBC micro:bit - Review

Kitronik - Inventor's Kit for BBC micro:bit

The Kitronik Inventor's Kit for the micro:bit is the perfect way to get started with programming and hardware interaction with the micro:bit. The experiments included are: say 'Hello' to the micro:bit, using an LDR and analogue inputs, dimming an LED using a potentiometer, using a transistor to drive a motor, using the accelerometer to control motor speed, setting the tone with a piezo buzzer, wind power, making a game using the compass, capacitor charge circuit and using an RGB LED.

Kitronik - Inventor's Kit for BBC micro:bit - Review

A fun, easy to use modular kit designed to help teens get interested in IoT mechanics with minimal effort. The pack consists of a main connection board that houses the micro:bit edge connector and several modules that range from light and sound sensors to LEDs, speakers and even fans!

The modules snap together like building blocks - complete a working circuit in less than a minute
No soldering is required, designed for kids aged 14 and above

By Invitation Only - Minode Kit - Review

Please remember to check this post periodically to look for more awesome micro:bit accessories.

Is there a kit or accessory for the micro:bit that you'd like to see tested or reviewed? Drop us a comment below!

Tags: micro:bit, micro:bit accessori, microbit, microbit accessories, accessories

element14 presents: A day of BBC micro:bit ideas

jlucas — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 20:51:39 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 10/6/2021 8:51:39 PM

The compact design and multiple features of the BBC micro:bit allow for a wide range of opportunities to incorporate the device into your day to day life. Once your students have got the hang of programming the device to perform simple functions, you might want to encourage them to build on what they've learned by making the BBC micro:bit a part of their daily routine.

In association with the BBC, we've put together a suggested timetable of BBC micro:bit activities designed to accompany you from waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night. You could encourage your class to follow this routine from start to finish, or challenge them to create their own personal schedule by experimenting with other ways in which the BBC micro:bit can make their everyday tasks a little easier or more exciting.

A day with BBC micro:bit...

Morning

Time	Activity	BBC micro:bit function...
07:30	Breakfast	Can't decide what to eat? Use a random answer generator to make your decision for you!
07:45	Brushing Teeth	Ensure you brush for a full 120 seconds by using the device as a countdown timer.
08:00	Walking to school	Use the BBC micro:bit as a stepometer to count your steps.

At school

Time	Activity	BBC micro:bit function...
09:00	Morning register	Use the device's Bluetooth capability to tell the teacher that you've arrived.
09:15	Science	Use the BBC micro:bit as a moisture monitor to grow perfect plants
10:00	Maths	Solve complex equations by using the device as a calculator.
10:45	Break time	Turning your device into a hand-held games machine featuring arcade classics like Pong and Meteorite.
11:00	P.E.	Track your lap times by using the device as a stopwatch.
12:00	Lunch break	Create a digital scoreboard for a football game.
13:00	Music	Program a synthesizer with metronome.
14:00	Design	Use the micro:bit as the base for a hand-stitched fabric watch.
15:00	Cookery	Avoid burning your food with a micro:bit temperature probe .

Time	Activity	BBC micro:bit function...
16:00	Walking home	Stay visible on dark evenings with a flashing heart badge.
16:30	Walking the dog	Use the accelerometer to see how fast your dog can run by attaching the device to its collar
17:30	Dinnertime	Receive a text message alert when it's time to come to the table
18:00	After dinner	Enjoy some downtime with a two-player reaction game
21:00	Bedtime	Set up a dimming night light on a timer to help you drift off to sleep

Tags: classroom, micro:bit, bbc micro:bit, microbit, bbc microbit

BBC micro:bit FAQs

jlucas — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 20:50:49 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 10/6/2021 8:50:49 PM

When will the BBC micro:bit be available to purchase?

The BBC micro:bit is available for UK purchase now from either Farnell element14 or CPC. Please note there is a minimum order quantity of 90 units.

When will the BBC micro:bit be available to purchase in countries other than the UK?

As of January 2017, the BBC micro:bit is available for purchase in Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden in addition to the United Kingdom, with more international rollouts anticipated in the near future.

Where can I buy the BBC micro:bit in singles or small quantities?

You can pre-order smaller quantities (singles) of the BBC micro:bit in the UK from any of our approved resellers.

When can I expect to receive my BBC micro:bit order?

For customers who have placed a pre-order for the BBC micro:bit, deliveries are expected to take place during July 2016. You will receive an email confirming when your order has been shipped.

Are there any accessories I can buy for the BBC micro:bit?

Yes, a range of accessories are available to complement the BBC micro:bit at launch, please check out the accessories available through either Farnell element14 UK or CPC. A full ecosystem of further accessories will follow in the coming months as people are inspired to invent more solutions – keep following the element14 community for more exiting accessories to come.

What is required to operate the BBC micro:bit?

An ‘A Male’ to micro USB cable is required to connect your BBC micro:bit to your computer. This is the same cable that is commonly used to connect a smart phone to a computer.

The easiest way to get started with the BBC micro:bit is to opt for the ‘BBC micro:bit go’ package, which contains the fundamentals (micro USB cable, battery holder and 2x AAA batteries) for getting started.

You will also need a laptop or PC running Windows 7 or later, or a MAC running OS X 10.6 or later, or smart phone or tablet with access to the Internet.

How do I power my BBC micro:bit?

When your BBC micro:bit is not connected to your computer with a USB cable, you will need 2x AAA batteries and a battery holder to power it. Both these means of powering your BBC micro:bit are included in the ‘BBC micro:bit go’ pack.

How do I connect my BBC micro:bit?

You can connect your BBC micro:bit to your computer with a micro USB cable. Connect the small end of the USB cable to the micro USB port on your BBC micro:bit. Connect the other end of the USB cable to a USB port on your computer.

Your computer should recognise your BBC micro:bit as a new drive. On computers running Windows, MICROBIT appears as a drive under Devices and Drives. On a Mac it appears as a new drive under Devices.

How do I use a smart phone or tablet with my BBC micro:bit?

Please go to the getting started section on the www.micro:bit.co.uk website to find out how to use the BBC micro:bit App to connect your phone or tablet.

How do I code my BBC micro:bit?

Go to Create Code on www.microbit.co.uk and choose the editor you would like to code with. When you have finished your script, press run to see it play on the screen simulator

How do I compile script?

Click compile in the script editor. Your script is converted into a .hex file that you can transfer and run on your BBC micro:bit. To compile a different script click on My Scripts select the script, then click edit and compile.

How do I transfer the file to my BBC micro:bit?

When your script file has downloaded, open Finder or Windows Explorer and open the MICROBIT drive. Drag and drop the .hex file onto your MICROBIT drive. The LED on the back of your BBC micro:bit flashes during the transfer which only takes a few seconds.

Once transferred, the code will run automatically on your BBC micro:bit. To rerun your program, press the reset button on the back of your BBC micro:bit. The reset button automatically runs the newest file on the BBC micro:bit.

Once you transfer a file to the BBC micro:bit, you can disconnect the BBC micro:bit from your computer.

Where should I go for ideas on how to use my BBC micro:bit?

The device is supported by a website which features a range of resources and tutorials to help teachers, parents and students take advantage of the BBC micro:bit’s vast potential. The BBC micro:bit can also be coded direct from your Smartphone with apps available for Android and iOS designed by Samsung and ScienceScope respectively.

For more information, please visit the official BBC micro:bit website.

Tags: micro_bit, bbc micro:bit, bbc_microbit, bbc microbit, bbc_micro:bit

Documents

migration.user — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:04:53 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by migration.user on 10/1/2021 6:04:53 PM

micro:bit Legacy Products

pchan — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 18:31:04 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by pchan on 11/19/2020 6:31:04 PM

Legacy Products

video tutorials | Return to micro:bit homepage

micro:bit V1

micro:bit V1 - You can still purchase the original micro:bit. Also don't forget the accessories!

micro:bit V1micro:bit V1
Buy from CPC

micro:bit Gomicro:bit Go
Buy from CPC

micro:bit Clubmicro:bit Club
Buy from CPC 10qty

Bulk BoxBulk Box
Buy from CPC 300qty

Tags: microbit, microbit_product, microbit_legacy_products

micro:bit Activities & Archive

pchan — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 22:53:56 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by pchan on 10/23/2020 10:53:56 PM

micro:bit Activities & Archive

10 BBC micro:bit Projects In 10 Days | Project14 & micro:bit | Summer Code Club Challenge | The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway

10 BBC micro:bit Projects In 10 Days

Teach your pupils to flash images using the micro:bit's LED grid. These are quick and accessible project lessons to introduce new users to the basics of Microsoft Block Editor and how online code can be applied to external devices.

Projects

Project14 & micro:bit

Project14 is a monthly electronics competition featuring a different theme each month—voted by you. Apply for a competition using your micro:bit project for a chance to win a $200 shopping cart, or vote for an upcoming theme.

Competitions

Vote for Theme

Project Blogs

Summer Code Club Challenge

Kitronik and the Community challenged our members to set up their own summer code clubs in their local communities. See the winners!

Contest Winners

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway

25 micro:bit Club packs were given away to select educators all over the world, who detailed the projects they undertook in their classrooms.

Contest Winners

Tags: microbit, microbit_archive

Introducing the BBC micro:bit v2

e14phil — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 10:16:54 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by e14phil on 10/14/2020 10:16:54 AM

Meet the New BBC micro:bit V2

The BBC micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer helping to inspire more than 25 million children to learn digital creativity and computing skills, will receive its first major updates since launching in 2016.

Available from mid-November 2020, it will now include a built-in speaker and microphone, enabling people to learn through sound and to get creative with it straight out-of-the-box. The hardware also includes a number of technical upgrades to ensure that in the future the device is an ideal tool for exploring, understanding and experimenting with AI and ML, as these technologies begin to transform the planet.

The new micro:bit continues to support all of the same features that teachers and students have come to love, and all the existing lessons and code for the original micro:bit will be compatible with the new device. In addition, as part of the Micro:bit Educational Foundation’s commitment to keeping the device as cost-effective and accessible as possible, the new device will be released in November at the same price point as the original.

Gareth Stockdale, CEO of the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, said: “The purpose of the micro:bit is to help children unlock their creative potential and learn how to shape the world around them. Learning coding and computational thinking can enhance their life chances in the 21st century. We have worked closely with our thriving community to make it even easier to get the most out of the device both inside and outside the classroom. Getting hands-on and experimenting with the micro:bit is critical to helping children better understand important technologies early in their development, and we aim to make this as fun, accessible and affordable as possible.”

BBC Director General, Tim Davie, said: “From the very beginning the BBC’s purpose has been to inform, educate and entertain – qualities which are all reflected in the micro:bit project.

With the built-in speaker, students can take their creativity to new levels with the latest micro:bit – compose music, give projects a voice and personality or build interactive, motion-sensitive instruments. The microphone also allows the device to respond to sound – clap to control your creations or make a disco light that dances along in time with the music.

The micro:bit hardware is now powerful enough to run machine learning systems, and the Foundation will support this with new resources in the future. As the community spends more time with the device and explores the capabilities of the hardware, they can take advantage of exciting ML and AI possibilities through applications that respond to advanced patterns of sound, voice, motion or light.

With an estimated 25 million children learning with the micro:bit in over 60 countries, the pocket-sized computer continues to be truly transformational.

Comparison of V2 (left) and V1.5 (right)

Sound Projects out of the box

New Speaker and Mems Microphone on the back of the micro:bit V2

For better knowledge of any privacy concerns the micro:bit V2 also has a front facing LED which activates when the Mic is powered.

Other New Features

New Faster Processor
Nordic Semiconductor nRF52 Application Processor

" The nRF52 application processor is where user programs run.
A single, complete application including user code, runtime code and Bluetooth stack is loaded and run directly from on chip flash memory.
All user accessible GPIO pins are provided by this processor. There is an onboard 2.4GHz radio peripheral used to provide Bluetooth and custom radio capabilities via an off-chip aerial."

Find out more about the nRF52 here

NRF52833-QIAA-R7NRF52833-QIAA-R7

NRF52833-QIAA-R7NRF52833-QIAA-R7

Will my BBC micro:bit v2 Work with my current Program or Accessory

Yes! Read more about why that is the case here:
BBC micro:bit V2 Compatible Accessories

Download our Free BBC micro:bit V2 Poster here

Meet the micro:bit v2 Poster - Free Download and Print Poster for Classrooms

https://uk.farnell.com/w/search/prl/results?brand=nordic-semiconductor&st=nRF52833&selectedCategoryId=%5BLjava.lang.String%3B%4099fa9175

Tags: micro:bit, microbit v2, new microbit 2, microbit, bbc microbit, micro:bit v2, free microbit poster, microbit classroom

micro:bit Summer Code Club - The Winning Teams!

danzima — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:27:48 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by danzima on 10/10/2019 6:27:48 PM

micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge

About Summer Code Club | micro:bit | STEM Academy

In April, we challenged our members to tell us about summer code club initiatives in their local communities. Whether through assisting in the setup of a brand new code club or working with an established group, our goal was to empower our members to pass on their coding and electrical engineering skills to the next generation.

After evaluating a fantastic collection of applications, we announced the ten chosen members. These STEM champions hailed from all over the world, volunteering their time and resources to ensure that all children have the tools to thrive in modern world. Each finalist received a micro:bit Club Packmicro:bit Club Pack and a batch of Kitronik Inventors KitsKitronik Inventors Kits - the latter kindly donated by our colleagues at Kitronik.

Now, with all their blogs in, we had more difficult choices to make: who would be the winners? After much deliberation, here they are!

Grand Prizes

bibliopetrila - Romania

I caught you, Killer! – the next Grand Prize of 10x Raspberry pi (Petrila, RO)

julianrendell - Canada

# MakeItZone Micro:Bit SoCCC 2019 Blog #4 - Lesson Plan and Sessions

ashutosh_pandey - India

Micro: Bit code club post 6: Smart Refrigerators

Runners Up

drsujit - United Kingdom

Cambourne Electronics and Robotics Club Certification Ceremony

gusmerckel - Mexico

First Workshop with the Micro:bits from the "Micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge

The Prizes

Our Grand Prize winners will receive ten Raspberry Pi 3 B+ In a Box KitsRaspberry Pi 3 B+ In a Box Kits, which each feature a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, the book Adventures in Raspberry Pi, a microSD card, a case, a USB keyboard and mouse, and more. These kits will help the code club students work with another very popular development platform in Raspberry Pi, expanding their experience and skills.

Our Runner Up winners will receive a bundle of micro:bit accessories featuring the Kitronik MeArm Robot Arm KitKitronik MeArm Robot Arm Kit, DFRobot Boson Starter KitDFRobot Boson Starter Kit, and element14 MINODE Dev Kitelement14 MINODE Dev Kit.

Congratulations to our winners, and a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this challenge! We hope your students' love of electronics will continue to grow, as they become the engineers of the future.

Tags: micro:bit, summer code club challenge, micro:bit giveaway, kitronik

Join The micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge!

jlucas — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 13:34:14 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 9/17/2019 1:34:14 PM

micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge

About Summer Code Club | micro:bit | STEM Academy

WINNERS HAVE NOW BEEN SELECTED! SEE THEM HERE:

micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge - Winners Announced!

Back in Autumn 2018, the element14 community ran the Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - a program dedicated to helping educators around the world to introduce coding to the classroom using the micro:bit.

From code clubs in New Zealand to creative design projects in Romania and gaming workshops in the USA, our giveaway inspired successful applicants to pursue a wide range of exciting projects with their students.

With summer around the corner, we're excited to announce the next phase of our micro:bit education mission - the Summer Code Club Challenge!

In association with Kitronik, we're challenging our members to set up their own summer code clubs in their local communities. Whether you're a teacher, a parent or somebody with a passion for STEM, simply tell us about your summer code club plans and we'll supply successful applicants with the kits they'll need to run a full course of exciting and engaging projects for children and young adults.

How it works

If you think you've got what it takes to set up a summer code club in your local community, leave a comment underneath this blog post. Let us know where, when and how you plan to run your code club, how many students you anticipate attending and why you think you'd be a good candidate.

Applications close at 23.59 on Friday 7th June 2019, after which successful parties will receive a batch of micro:bit devices and Kitronik Inventor Kits, providing all the components you'll need to develop a full curriculum of simple experiments - including LEDs, jump wires, resistors and an easy-to-follow tutorial book. The number of devices and kits you will receive will be appropriate to the anticipated attendance of your code club. We will consider applications for clubs of all sizes. Established code clubs and first time instructors are all welcome to apply for this program.

Requirements

Selected applicants will be required to publish a minimum of three blogs posts to the element14 community, documenting the progress of their code club and their project work. Please include images and video where appropriate, but be sure to obtain the express permission of parents of any minors who are filmed or photographed. See the terms and conditions attached at the bottom of this document.

The Summer Gaming Challenge

At the conclusion of your summer code club, we would like participants to work with their students to develop a simple interactive game using the micro:bit and the resources provided by the element14 community and Kitronik. Please publish details of this game as part of your blog posting. At the end of the summer, our panel of judges will select one gaming project for special recognition and a prize package of 10x Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Starter Kits, to help your students to take their coding to the next level.

Two additional projects will also be awarded a runners-up prize consisting of micro:bit project and development kits from Binary Bots, Kitronik and more.

Important Dates

Enrollment Begins	Monday 13th May 2019
Enrollment Ends	Friday 7th June 2019
Contestants Announced	Monday 10th June 2019
All Blogs Due	Monday 30th September 2019
Summer Gaming Challenge Winners Announced	Monday 9th September 2019

The Kit

Successful applicants will receive micro:bit club packs and Kitronik Inventor's Kits appropriate to the size of their code clubs.

micro:bit Club pack

Perfect for sharing the micro:bit with friends, the micro:bit club is a 10 pack containing all the pieces needed to enjoy micro:bit in STEM groups, coding clubs, school classes and more.

Contains:

10x BBC micro:bits

10x USB cables

10x Battery holders

20x AA batteries

Kitronik Inventor's Kits

The Kitronik Inventor's Kit is the perfect way to get started with programming and hardware interaction with the micro:bit. This affordable package includes a variety of experiments, designed to familiarise the user with the many features and functionality of the micro:bit itself. The kit contains all the items you'll need to complete ten simple experiments, plus an easy-to-follow tutorial book to guide the user through the programming process.

Projects include dimming an LED using a potentiometer, using a transistor to drive a motor, using analogue inputs with an LDR and much more. No previous experience is required to get started with the Kitronik Inventor's Kit, making it ideal for introducing new students to the fundamentals of programming and creating circuits. There's no soldering required - all you need is a micro:bit, a couple of screwdrivers and a micro USB cable to set up any of the featured experiments in a matter of minutes.

Contains:

1 x Mounting Plate.

1 x Potentiometer & Finger Adjust Spindle.

2 x Plastic Spacer 10mm.

1 x Sticky Fixer for Battery Pack.

1 xSmall Prototype Breadboard.

1 xTerminal Connector.

4 xPush Switch.

1 xMotor.

1 xTransistor.

2 xRed 5mm LED.

2 xOrange 5mm LED.

2 xYellow 5mm LED.

2 xGreen 5mm LED.

1 xRGB 5mm LED.

1 xFan Blade.

5 x2.2KΩ Resistor.

5 x10KΩ Resistor.

5 x47Ω Resistor.

1 xEdge Connector Breakout Board for BBC micro:bit.

1 xMiniature LDR.

10 xMale to Male Jumper Wires.

10 xMale to Female Jumper Wires.

1 x470uF Electrolytic Capacitor.

1 xPiezo Element Buzzer.

4 xPan Head M3 Machine Screw.

Our goal for the micro:bit Summer Code Club challenge is to help teachers, parents and STEM ambassadors all over the world to promote coding and digital literacy in their local communities. Whether you're a code club veteran or an aspiring educator who just needs the resources to get your dream summer club off the ground, we'd love to help out - so apply today and start spreading the power of coding to the next generation!

micro:bit Resources

http://microbit.org/guide/

10 micro:bit Projects in 10 Days

An Introduction to Computer Science with BBC micro:bit: The Full Curriculum

BBC micro:bit Poster | Free Download for your Classroom

micro:bit Basics for Teachers

Attachments:

community.element14.com/.../microbit_2D00_summer_2D00_code_2D00_club_2D00_challenge_2D00_termsconditions.pdf

microbit-summer-code-club-challenge-termsconditions.pdf

Tags: join the micro:bit summer code club challenge, microbit, summer_code_club, stem projects

micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge - Winners Announced!

jlucas — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 17:19:03 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 6/27/2019 5:19:03 PM

micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge

About Summer Code Club | micro:bit | STEM Academy

Back in April, we challenged our element14 Community members to tell us about summer code club initiatives in their local communities. Whether through assisting in the setup of a brand new code club or working with an established group, our goal was to empower our members to pass on their coding and electrical engineering skills to the next generation.

The response was overwhelming, and after much deliberation we are now pleased to announce the ten shortlisted applicants. These STEM champions hail from all over the world, volunteering their time and resources to ensure that all children have the tools to thrive in modern world.

Each finalist will receive a micro:bit Club Pack and a batch of Kitronik Inventor Kits - the latter kindly donated by our colleagues at Kitronik. Over the next few months, they will document their activities here on the element14 community as they set up and run their code clubs, using the equipment provided to create a full resource of projects and challenges for their students.

In addition, at the end of the summer the participants will work with their students to develop a simple interactive game incorporating the micro:bit and Kitronik kits. A panel of judges will select one of these games for special recognition and an additional prize of 10x Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Starter Kits, to help them to take their coding classes to the next level. Two additional runners-up will receive a prize package consisting of micro:bit project and development kits from Binary Bots, Kitronik and more.

Here are the ten successful applicants in their own words...

drsujit

We have been running the Cambourne Electronics and Robotics Club (CERC) in Cambridge with more than 100 kids registered in the age group of 7-14 years since September 2017. CERC meets every fortnight to perform various projects with BBC Micro:bit. The club is mentored by me with more than 30 years of experience in Electronics and having worked in leading space and defense organisations. We have beginners batch and advanced batch. The beginner batch carries on projects with Micro:bits and Makecode whereas the advanced batch is working on Micro:python. The advanced batch will gradually make use of Pi once they have got a good grip on Micro:python. The members of the club participated in FIRSTLEGO (Cambridgeshire champion), PiWars 2019 (Silver medal), Global Micro:bit competition and ESA's Zero Pi. The club has featured in local Newspaper and magazines.

This summer code club challenge will infuse huge enthusiasm in the kids of the club and surely will be able to submit their own innovative projects. This will also bring in more kids from four primary schools and a secondary school that we have in our village.

The club website (under development) is Dream Big – Be Different – Create – Enjoy!

nicoleta

We are First Line Petrila, a fresh coding club established at the public library from Petrila, a small ex mining town in Romania, Hunedoara county. There are 1 librarian, 2 ambassadors and 15 members in our club, aged between 9 – 13 years. We were born due to a project initiated by Progress Foundation, named “Code Kids – Copiii fac coding în bibliotecile publice” (“Code Kids – Children are coding in public libraries”). It is a long term program aiming to facilitate digital competence mastering for children living in rural and isolated urban backgrounds.

Finding about this competition and the kit prize has made us very very elated! We are making our first steps into the wonder of coding universe and we are so eager to learn more! Winning this challenge would make our summer such an unforgettable one! We start dreaming and… planning! And… it was not only us who planned. We did it together with Wafy team – our town high school robotics team, these experienced high school youth will work together to us, the very beginners, for a whole summer! Please, let this happen!

Our summer code club happy time will start on 15th of June 2019 and it ends on 30th of August 2019. We’ll continue our weekly meetings, fulfilling our Code Kids program tasks. Once a week, Wafy members will come to the library, our headquarters J and together, we’ll make, one by one, every experiment that The Kitronik Inventor's Kit and micro:bit Club pack provided to us. And we can hardly wait to create our own game! We already have some games ideas but we wait to see the Kits and their functions. Certainly, we’ll create a great game!

We are the best candidates for Summer Code Club Challenge because:

The public library is the perfect place for this code club service; it assures continuity – lots of children would benefit from these kits.
You would do a very good deed; our town is facing huge economic problems since the two mines were closed (more than 60% of our population worked in these mines) and there are no funds for the equipment we need to learn and to create robots. lots of youth and parents live their homes to work abroad for sustaining their families;
We are so eager to learn robotics science and we are very disciplined; We proved we are great despite the lack of resources; thanks to our results we caught the attention of informatics mentors of the University from Petrosani, a nearby town who are willing to teach us more, voluntarily.

Thank you for this opportunity ! Good luck to all candidates.

carlitos71

I work for Urbanwise.London as education officer and this summer we are launching the ESTEEM club. ESTEEM stands for Environmental Science Technology Engineering Entrepreneurship and Maths. ESTEEM clubs aim to encourage children and young people to lean about the environment with an entrepreneurial perspective through hands-on practical STEM activities.

We will work with children from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them learn new skills (coding, crafting, making, design thinking and prototyping) and work on projects with an environmental focus and citizen science ethos. We aim to foster STEM skills while learning about the local environment and developing ‘21st-century skills’ such as innovation, cooperation, creativity, critical thinking, communication, entrepreneurship, and resilience.

During the program, participants will first develop basic skills (coding and crafting) and then will be presented with a series of projects with an environmental focus. By the end of the program participants will then be challenged to invent for social and environmental good, to help them further develop their skills and confidence. We aim to provide participants life-changing learning experiences to empower them to make the difference they want to see in their community using technology. We'll have 15 participants in our first project, aged 9-12 yo.

erikleitner

Each summer I coordinate and facilitate the STEM program for our local ALIGN Camp, held at Fort Lauderdale High School in South Florida. The goal is to take struggling 6-8th grade students who have never coded before through a 2 week crash course that culminates in a creation of a device for social good. Some of what the students generate are truly amazing and I would love to incorporate these kits into my program. I will be working with approximately 200 students total throughout the summer.

davidlockett

My name is David Lockett, Apple Teacher, and Microsoft Innovative Educator. I currently teach middle school CS, STEM, and Robotics. Around 2013 I started partnering with colleges, community centers, and innovation studios to provide non-profit STEM-based camps for students to prevent summer learning loss.

The result? A Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) based program with 21st-century learning activities each day. At each weekly camp, children participate in themed enrichment activities. Students also use the engineering design process to ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve when it comes to various challenges of the week.

Camp STEM brings CS, STEAM to life in new, different and fun ways. We host programs in Florida and Tennessee and have recently partnered with educational programs in Chile and South Africa. We plan on running coding clubs each week this summer with a new group of students benefiting each week. Camp STEM serves roughly 100 students in grades K-8 each week throughout the summer months of June to August. We plan on integrating computer science and coding projects that will reinforce unique learning opportunities and provide a plethora of challenges and opportunities for children that may otherwise not have the opportunity.

I strongly believe we would be good candidates as our non-profit programs are open to all students., provide hands-on instruction and incorporate authentic instruction for various programming languages. The focus on learning to inspire with micro:bit through hands-on computing with a physical device gives them something extra.

gusmerckel

I'm Gus Merckel, Programme Director at Jacaranda Education, an NGO that works with 21st Century Learning and Maker Ed. We are also Growth Leaders from the Code Club Foundation.

This summer we are planning to work with an indigenous community called Yohualichan, in the Northern Sierra from State Puebla.

The community used to have a computer center but someone robbed the computers and now they are doing a Kickstarter campaign to get new equipment.

Our NGO managed to get 10 Raspberry Pi Kits for them to work and we plan to go there in the summer to do a "Tech Camp", but we still need the equipment to do physical computing and basic electronics.

The sequence of workshop would be something like this:

Mon-Tue: Set up the computer lab based on Pi (as we have done in the past: https://youtu.be/GTVSzOGnlsI)
Wed-Thur: Basic introduction to Code Club and Micro:bit.

The school will host a weekly Code Club in return for the donations, which will serve as the only Internet/Computer spot of the whole community. We already work with the local teachers and some community leaders on the site, we are only missing equipment and arrange the logistics

Thank you so much for this efforts, the world really needs this type of initiatives,

morema

We are located in Perugia, an ancient town in the center of Italy (the region is UMBRIA, also called THE GREEN HEART OF ITALY). We recently started a collaboration with a local store that sells sewing machines. They do courses for moms and people that want to learn to sew. They also sell fabrics and other stuff related to sewing. They are opened to start a project dedicated to kids where we create wearable technology and they help us to insert into dresses (or things like bags, laptops' custodies, pillows and so on).

I was thinking about small electronic components to insert in our work.

Kids will design and program the cards and our partners will insert it into a real object to wear.

If we will so lucky to receive the cards before the first half of July, we will use it in the CoderDojo activity (I am the champion of the CoderDojo) for the FIRST MAN ON THE MOON anniversary, that we will celebrate in our official dojo July 20th.

Our summer camp will be dedicated to 2 different groups:
- children 5/9 yo and their moms (max 8)

- kids from 10 to 13 y.o. (max 12)

The first group will be guided in creating programming by us. The second group will be autonomous in programming (they will be ninjas from our CoderDojo)

ashutosh_pandey

Many students start college in India without any background in computer science, particularly students from poor and underprivileged communities. They struggle through subjects in college such as basic C programming and Micro-controllers, because their fellow students have already learnt these subjects at a private school (Which are too expensive for them).

I am a 21 year old 2nd year engineering student from the same college, and I've worked in an Aero design team that also conducts workshops for students.

I would like to start this community within the college campus, with school kids (There are many government schools nearby). The student strength is well over a thousand, so i will be looking to run a modest, manageable club of 50-75 students.

I myself have experience working with Micro-controllers and Single Board computers, (Arduino, Attiny, Raspberry pi, NodeMCU) I've implemented my designs in a couple of Backathons and have won them. Should I need support I have friends who would be more than willing to help me out.

I also have experience writing blogs, so I will make sure my submissions for the same are top notch. Here is a link to my blog (Mostly about science and technology) : https://sapience2017.wordpress.com/

julianrendell

Hi everyone - where ever these kits go, they're going to be put to good use!

In our case, should we be selected, they'd be coming to Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. We are already planning two summer code & build camps for 8+ year olds, which will include using Microbits. These kits would let us further explore what can be done with MicroBits - especially if we have enough to distribute them around a physical space. I think there's real potential to make some sort of augmented reality game/experience!

Our camps will be for up to 8 participants at a time, and last a week. But having access to some more 'bits would allow us to also create some more informal 1-2 hour sessions on Saturdays; and these sessions would be all ages- there are a lot of adults, and retirees who are interested, but more scared than kids are to try their hand at programming and electronics. It's super fun watching someone discover a new way to play and imagine. Microbits are so easy and friendly that they're a great starting point for explorers of all ages! Our Saturday sessions are sometimes a bit hectic (up to 25 participants), but typically are more manageable with around 10 people participating.

There are is also a brand new makerspace (SparQ) on a nearby island - the grand opening is next Wednesday - and another about an hour away; in principle more microbits might allow us to share our kits when we're not using the microbits ourselves. We would also be willing and able to do some remote mentoring thanks to videoconferencing and that all the code is in the cloud. This would be a stretch goal; we've done some remote sessions with one of the spaces. But I'd love a good reason to stretch the technology we have further! (And it presumes that they would be interested, and be able to find staff/volunteers to put on sessions. All TBD!)

I have a fairly broad background and tend to set up sessions with a general goal, and supporting reference material, but encourage participants to come up with their own projects. And then we start building and exploring.

If we were to be selected, the supporting material and information will be well documented, and made available to the community. Here's an example: Micro:Bit Creatures - creating a kinetic scene with Micro:Bits

Thanks to Element14 for creating these opportunities to help facilitate people of all ages to discover electronics and explore technology and engineering!

mswren

The student advisors from the STEM Reach program at Tesla STEM High School would love to hold a fun summer camp for students to learn about Microcontrollers. They have a passion for introducing younger children to STEM fields and have held camps working with micro:bit for the past few years. The goal of this camp is to introduce the idea that programming can be fun and accessible for all through coding games and interactive robots using micro:bit and cardboard. We estimate approximately 20 students will come to our camp over the summer.

We think we would be a good candidate for this program because we truly believe in spreading the knowledge we have about STEM. We have seen that many people do not get introduced to STEM until they are in high school, and that significantly affects their career choices and their levels of interest in programming over time. We have seen firsthand the level of excitement that these students feel when they see their robots move for the first time and we want to hold this camp as a way to expose these students to the STEM fields at a younger age, helping them see how these ideas can affect their day-to-day lives.

Congratulations to all of the shortlisted applicants, a massive thank you to everybody who applied and stay tuned for more developments!

Tags: summer code club challenge, microbit, summer_code_club, stem projects

Micro:bit Accessory of the Month | BinaryBots Totem Crab

jlucas — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 14:31:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 1/10/2019 2:31:00 PM

Each month, we're going to shine a light on a kit or accessory that you can use to enhance your micro:bit projects. This month our featured product is the Totem Crab, developed by BinaryBots.

What is it?

A sophisticated 'smart toy' from Binary Bots, Totem Crab is a 150+ piece robot kit suitable for young coders who have advanced beyond the more rudimentary building and coding packages. Built around a specially designed sensor board, the Totem Crab can be brought to life with code and programmed to respond to human touch and imitate the instincts of a real animal.

Features

Innovative 'Totem Mechanics' design allows for stronger, simpler and more adaptable constructions
Two unique capacitive touch sensor strips for 'poke and stroke' interface
4 addressable multi-colour LEDs
Light sensor and buzzer
Vibramotor for haptic feedback
Also available in Totem Spider and Totem Tortoise designs

Kit Contents

150+ piece kit containing everything you need to construct the Totem Crab
Unique motorised 'crab pincer'
Powerful BinaryBots sensor board
BBC micro:bit power and interface board
Totem Screwdriver
Detailed instruction manual

Requirements

1x BBC micro:bit (sold separately)

Additional Resources

Road Test Reviews

Have you used the BinaryBots Totem Crab at home or in the classroom? Share your thoughts on this month's featured accessory in the comments section below...

Tags: stem, microbit featured accessories, microbit, binarybots, bbc microbit, stem projects

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway!

danzima — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 22:22:05 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by danzima on 12/17/2018 10:22:05 PM

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway

About Giveaway Contest | micro:bit | STEM Academy

Hello Community!

WINNERS HAVE NOW BEEN SELECTED! SEE THEM HERE:

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - Winners!

Back to School season is upon us! For many students and educators, the month of August signifies a return to school, and to shopping for the classroom. This past June, members of the element14 Community team were able to attend the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) convention, which took place this year in Chicago. We stood guard at the micro:bit booth, not only to help the great people from the foundation handle the onslaught of questions about the micro:bitmicro:bit, but also to learn more about this wonderful SBC.

One of the most impactful things we learned while we were in attendance was that teachers of all grade-levels and experience were keen to integrate the micro:bit into their curriculum, but many voiced that they did not have the budget nor the technical expertise to do so. While the micro:bit Educational Foundation provides a wide array of resources to get started, they unfortunately cannot give the boards away for free.

This is where we come in! We were so inspired by all of the educators we got to speak with that our fearless leader, Dianne Kibbey, the Global Head of the element14 Community tasked us to come up with a program to get micro:bit into the hands of as many learners as possible.

So, with that in mind, we bring you our Great micro:bit Education Giveaway!

Phase 1:

We will be giving our 25 selected contestants micro:bit Clubmicro:bit Club packs, which each contain 10 micro:bit boards, battery adapters, batteries, and USB cables. The micro:bit is a global product, so this contest is open to all countries!

Phase 1 is now complete! Thank you so much for all your entries, they're amazing and we can't wait to read them (we've gotten a head start on that, to tell the truth). Please feel free to continue discussing the contest in the comments section here, but unfortunately we can no longer accept new applications. Everyone who has submitted prior to this note being added is considered an applicant.

To enter, please:

1) Register on the Community, if you are not yet a member.

2) In the comments section below on this document, post your answers to the following questions:

• Who are you? What is your background as an educator? And don't worry, we're welcoming educators of all levels of experience. If you're trying to help students learn about coding and working with electronics, we want you! (Please do not post your address or other personal information in your application here, just general information about your background. Feel free to use your username if you'd prefer not to post your full name.)

• How would you use these micro:bits in your classroom, after school club, or wherever you might be trying to help others learn to code?

Enrollment begins August 20th, 2018. You will have until September 19th to submit your application as a comment on this document, after which our team will review the applications and select the participants on September 24th. We've chosen to place these applications in the comments on this document so that you can discuss your plan with other educators, give tips to those whose work is similar to yours, and so you can potentially be inspired by them!

Selected Winners:

gevans@hoover.k12.al.us

Congratulations to our selected winners! We have decided to give away 25 micro:bit Club packs due to how many amazing entries we received. We will be contacting the selected members via email shortly about the next steps, so please respond no later than October 1st, 2018. Due to trade regulations, it is possible that certain countries will be disallowed for shipping, but this is (thankfully!) very rare.

We have also selected alternates should those listed above not respond or if we are not able to ship to their countries. Once you receive your Club pack you can get started on Phase 2!

Phase 2:

Once you are selected as a winner, you will have 10 weeks to implement you project plan and document it on the Community. Your blogs / vlogs must be posted to the community by December 3rd. The documentation requirements will be the following:

1) Write up a blog (or do a video blog) about your project.

2) Your blog or vlog must have a syllabus/lesson plan that includes the following information:

• what ages and/or grade-level(s) it's aimed toward

• what subject/s does it cover

• what are the project goals

• step-by-step instructions including any print-outs, bill of materials (BOM)

• photos and/or videos

On December 10th we will select three (3) educators who have completed their documentation on the Community to win a prize pack of micro:bit accessories and other items that will expand the potential of this powerhouse little board. To be eligible as a contestant and to potentially receive prizes you must submit your comments and blogs according to the schedule of dates below. Also, see below for prize details.

Important Dates

Enrollment Begins	August 20th, 2018
Enrollment Ends	September 19th, 2018
Contestants Announced	September 24th, 2018
All Blogs Due	December 3rd, 2018
Winning Blogs Announced	December 10th, 2018

Prizes

We're also RoadTesting some great micro:bit accessories and expansion kits, including some of the prizes offered here. Check them out!

BOSON Starter Kit + micro:bit

:MOVE mini buggy kit + microbit

:GAME ZIP 64 for the BBC micro:bit

micro:bit wear:it Development Kit

element14 Minode Kitelement14 Minode Kit

element14 Wear:it Kitelement14 Wear:it Kit

Kitronik Inventor's KitKitronik Inventor's Kit

Kitronik Move mini Robot KitKitronik Move mini Robot Kit

Proto-Pic Micro:Pixel LED Expansion BoardProto-Pic Micro:Pixel LED Expansion Board

Our goal for the Great micro:bit Education Giveaway is to help teachers get micro:bit in the hands of their students and, in doing so, help other educators to do the same. As everyone knows, often the best way to teach something is by example. So get your ideas together and let us know -- What would you do with micro:bit in the classroom?

micro:bit Resources

http://microbit.org/guide/

10 micro:bit Projects in 10 Days

An Introduction to Computer Science with BBC micro:bit: The Full Curriculum

BBC micro:bit Poster | Free Download for your Classroom

See Projects by our VCP micromonsters

micro:bit Basics for Teachers

Attachments:

community.element14.com/.../GMG_2D00_Terms-and-Conditions.pdf

GMG-Terms and Conditions.pdf

Tags: micro:bit, stem, education, bbc micro:bit, microbit, giveaway, past_contest, contest, bbc microbit

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - Project Highlights

jlucas — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 19:04:24 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 12/13/2018 7:04:24 PM

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway

About | Contest Winners | micro:bit | STEM Academy

We recently announced the winners of our Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - in which we distributed 25 micro:bit Club packs to selected educators all over the world.

To qualify for the Giveaway, applicants were asked to write a series of blog posts detailing the projects they undertook in the classroom after receiving their kits. The response was fantastic, and while we ultimately had to narrow it down to three winners, we couldn't put this giveaway to bed without celebrating some of the highlights from the dedicated and creative STEM professionals who took part.

With that in mind, here are some of our favorite micro:bit projects from our applicants:

micro:bit Creatures: Creating a Kinetic Scene with micro:bit - julianrendell

Julian worked with his class of 8-12 year olds to create an interactive story, using the micro:bit to make motors move, lights flash and speakers buzz. Each student built a part of the scene, developed a program to bring it to life, and then learned how to coordinate their devices actions with the other creations.

Interactive Around The World Basic Facts Practice - tguellich

Thomas Guellich found a novel way to use the micro:bit to make mental arithmetic and absorbing simple facts more engaging for his students. By turning the micro:bit into a wearable random number generator - which can be activated by a shake of the wrist - he devised a fun and competitive game in which two partnered students generate two numbers simultaneously and race to be the first to correctly multiply them.

ONE Space - onespacez

Zoe Ritchie decided to introduce the micro:bit to her local community centre during a series of after school maker sessions aimed at young and vulnerable children. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but her determination to use all the resources she had at her disposal to get the children engaged made for one of the most inspiring projects to come out of this giveaway. We can't wait to see what Zoe does next!

Hour of Code: Animated Snow Globe - darrell.little

Darrell Little used his micro:bits to develop a fun activity for the 'Hour of Code' educational sessions he runs for his local county library. His use of simple animation effects to simulate a snow globe is a great idea you can replicate with your own students.

G:RL Power Code Fest Americas - gusmerckel

Over 200 girls from Perú, Colombia, Chile and Mexico gathered to participate in G:rl Power Code Fest Americas, an event that gave them the opportunity to share and ideate a small prototype incorporating the micro:bit that could potentially help improve global health and well being. Top projects included a brain game to improve mental elasticity and memory, a personal training device and a virus game to encourage physical exercise.

We'd like to commend everyone who participated in the micro:bit Education giveaway for the passion and dedication with which they approached their projects. Other highlights included zren's excellent blog series documenting his first foray into micro:bit after 23 years of teaching, jaypage's efforts to develop a learning unit to incorporate micro:bit into the Australian technologies curriculum and lrjones' reflections on bringing the micro:bit to her local GEMS (Girls Excelling in Math and Science) camp.

Don't forget to check out the three winning projects as well, from rancell, andyforeverest and straytech - all of whom won a fabulous micro:bit prize package for their efforts.

More micro:bit resources

10 micro:bit Projects in 10 Days

An Introduction to Computer Science with BBC micro:bit: The Full Curriculum

BBC micro:bit Poster | Free Download for your Classroom

https://www.element14.com/community/community/stem-academy/microbit/blog/2018/11/26/grl-power-code-fest-americas

Tags: micro:bit, micro:bit education giveaway, education, bbc micro:bit, microbit projects, microbit, the great micro:bit education giveaway

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - Winners!

danzima — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 17:28:50 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by danzima on 12/10/2018 5:28:50 PM

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway

About Contest Winners | micro:bit | STEM Academy

What a trip it's been! Way back in August we announced that we would be giving away 25 micro:bit Clubmicro:bit Club packs to educators all over the world, to help them teach their students about electronics and coding using the micro:bit. We received 130+ applications to receive the kits, and from our 25 selected educators we've seen 46 blog posts to date about their experience working with micro:bit in many different contexts.

And we kind of expected this, but it was amazingly difficult to choose the three educators who would win the prize pack of micro:bit accessories! The blogs they posted were both informative and touching, useful to those educators who will follow them and inspiring to those who just enjoy seeing young people learn about electronics. We want our community to be a place where new micro:bit users can come to learn the ins and outs of working with this versatile SBC, whether they're educators themselves or new users teaching themselves skills.

So, without further ado, here are our three winners!

rancell - New Zealand

Robert contributed 9 unique blogs to our micro:bit space. He runs a code club for kids from his local primary school, and he walked us through projects for them like a scrolling display made up of multiple micro:bits and a heart monitor, providing guidance based on his experience as he went. His blogs were well documented, making his projects easy for others to replicate with their own students.

andyforeverest - Romania

Andrei contributed 6 unique blogs to our micro:bit space, documenting projects like developing a micro:bit based watch and an RGB lamp. He demonstrated that the https://makecode.microbit.org/ blocks code editor is both powerful and intuitive, even in more advanced micro:bit applications. He also suggested further possibilities to take his lesson plans even deeper into the potential of the micro:bit.

straytech - United States

Wil contributed 4 unique blogs to our micro:bit space, putting the micro:bit to work in a classroom setting for college students working on game design. His work with students who already had some coding experience provided a different perspective than many other competitors in the giveaway, and he provided excellent practical knowledge on how the micro:bit can be used in an environment like this.

Once again, we want to thank everyone who was selected as a competitor, everyone who submitted an application to become a competitor, everyone who commented on an educator's blog, really everyone who helped make this giveaway such a success!

For our three very accomplished winners, we're sending the following micro:bit accessories so they can expand the capabilities of this fantastic teaching tool:

element14 Minode Kitelement14 Minode Kit

element14 Wear:it Kitelement14 Wear:it Kit

See our RoadTest of the wear:it dev kit:

micro:bit wear:it Development Kit

Kitronik Inventor's KitKitronik Inventor's Kit

See our RoadTest of the inventor's kit:

STEM: micro:bit Inventor's Kit

Kitronik Move mini Robot KitKitronik Move mini Robot Kit

See our RoadTest of the move mini kit:

:MOVE mini buggy kit + microbit

Proto-Pic Micro:Pixel LED Expansion BoardProto-Pic Micro:Pixel LED Expansion Board

Tags: micro:bit, microbit_education_giveaway, micro:bit education giveaway, education, bbc micro:bit, microbit, the great micro:bit education giveaway

Accessory of the Month | Kitronik Inventor's Kit

jlucas — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 14:41:02 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 12/7/2018 2:41:02 PM

Each month, we're going to shine a light on a kit or accessory that you can use to enhance your micro:bit projects. This month our featured product is the Kitronik Inventor's Kit, available for purchase now from Farnell element14.

What is it?

The kit contains all the items you'll need to complete ten simple experiments, plus an easy-to-follow tutorial book to guide the user through the programming process. Projects include dimming an LED using a potentiometer, using a transistor to drive a motor, using analogue inputs with an LDR and much more.

No previous experience is required to get started with the Kitronik Inventor's Kit, making it ideal for introducing new students to the fundamentals of programming and creating circuits. There's no soldering required - all you need is a micro:bit, a couple of screwdrivers and a micro USB cable to set up a any of the featured experiments in a matter of minutes.

Features

No soldering required - build your first circuit in minutes!
Step-by-step tutorial book guides the user through 10 simple experiments
All parts required to conduct the 10 experiments are included
Specially designed Edge Connector Board breaks out 21 accessible pins from the micro:bit
Small Prototype Breadboard included for fast prototyping

Kit Contents

1 x Mounting Plate.
1 x Potentiometer & Finger Adjust Spindle.
2 x Plastic Spacer 10mm.
1 x Sticky Fixer for Battery Pack.
1 xSmall Prototype Breadboard.
1 xTerminal Connector.
4 xPush Switch.
1 xMotor.
1 xTransistor.
2 xRed 5mm LED.
2 xOrange 5mm LED.
2 xYellow 5mm LED.
2 xGreen 5mm LED.
1 xRGB 5mm LED.
1 xFan Blade.
5 x2.2KΩ Resistor.
5 x10KΩ Resistor.
5 x47Ω Resistor.
1 xEdge Connector Breakout Board for BBC micro:bit.
1 xMiniature LDR.
10 xMale to Male Jumper Wires.
10 xMale to Female Jumper Wires.
1 x470uF Electrolytic Capacitor.
1 xPiezo Element Buzzer.
4 xPan Head M3 Machine Screw.

Requirements

1 x BBC micro:bit.
1 x Phillips Screwdriver.
1 x Terminal Block Screwdriver.
1 x Micro USB Cable.

Additional Resources

The good folks at Kitronik have also come up with a range of additional micro:bit resources to make getting started with the Inventor's Kit even easier.

Kitronik Inventor's Kit Experiments - Further Help
The Complete Parent's Guide to the BBC micro:bit (PDF)
Five Minute micro:bit guide
Kitronik's micro:bit University

Road Test Reviews

www.youtube.com/watch

Have you used the Kitronik Inventor's Kit at home or in the classroom? Share your thoughts on this month's featured accessory in the comments section below...

Tags: micro:bit, bbc micro:bit, inventors kit, microbit featured accessories, kitronik, microbit, bbc microbit, stem projects

Accessory of the Month | micro:bit wear:it Development Kit

jlucas — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 14:35:23 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 12/7/2018 2:35:23 PM

Each month, we're going to shine a light on a kit or accessory that you can use to enhance your micro:bit projects. This month our featured product is the wear:it Development Kit, developed by element14.

What is it?

A versatile micro:bit enclosure that contains everything you need to start developing your first projects, the wear:it development kit is specially designed to suit mobile applications and to highlight the micro:bit's wearable applications. It can be used with a wrist strap, keyring or lanyard to open up a wide range of exciting on-the-go activities, making it perfect for use in the classroom.

Features

Mount and protect your micro:bit in a specially designed enclosure for easy access and wearability
Turn your micro:bit into a watch, a pedometer, an electronic name tag and much more with a variety of wearable options - including wrist straps, lanyard, keyring and belt clip.
Easily connect your micro:bit to a computer using included USB cable
Write and compile code for your device on the easy-to-use micro:bit MakeCode editor.
Send code wirelessly to your micro:bit using Bluetooth

Kit Contents

1x micro:bit programmable micro:computer included with the package.
1x micro:bit enclosure
2x AAA Batteries included to power your micro:bit
2x Wrist Straps
1x USB cable to connect your micro:bit to your computer
1x Lanyard
1x Keyring
1x Beltclip

Requirements

None

Additional Resources

Check out our wide range of wearable micro:bit projects with this downloadable classroom poster.

Road Test Reviews

Nitin Mane (57/60)
Daniel Wilches (56/60)

Tags: microbit featured accessories

Teachers Wanted! Test micro:bit kits and accessories in the classroom with element14

jlucas — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 11:12:42 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 11/1/2018 11:12:42 AM

Teachers Wanted! Test micro:bit Kits and Accessories

micro:bit | STEM Academy

As the exclusive manufacturer of the BBC micro:bit, Farnell element14 has access to a wide variety of kits and accessories, designed to expand the possibilities of what can be achieved using the micro:bit and provide a richer, more engaging learning experience for students.

With new micro:bit accessories hitting the market all the time, we're looking for classroom teachers and STEM ambassadors to road test some of these products and provide detailed feedback on their effectiveness and usability. Successful applicants will be provided with a selection of micro:bit-related products, free of charge, on the understanding that you will contribute a thorough 'Road Test Review' documenting your experiences with the product and how you applied it to your classroom teaching.

Once you have completed your review, the products are yours to keep. Applications will be screened by the element14 team and selected according to product availability and relevant experience of the applicant. You can apply for as many road test reviews as you like, and with the popularity of the micro:bit popularity growing all the time, there's no shortage of exciting project and development kits for you and your pupils to try out!

If you'd like to be considered for micro:bit road test reviews, please leave a comment under this post detailing your experience as a teacher or STEM ambassador, or send an email to jlucas@premierfarnell.com.

Tags: micro:bit, bbc micro:bit, microbit, bbc microbit, stem projects

Accessory of the Month | Grove Inventor Kit

jlucas — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 17:50:37 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by jlucas on 9/25/2018 5:50:37 PM

Each month, we're going to shine a light on a kit or accessory that you can use to enhance your micro:bit projects. This month our featured product is the Grove Inventor Kit, developed by Seeed Studio.

What is it?

The Grove System is a modular, standardized connector prototyping system that takes a building block approach to assembling electronics. It can be applied to the micro:bit through use of a specially designed Grove shield, which forms the core of this inventor kit. The shield significantly expands the functionality of the micro:bit by breaking out the device's connection pads into four Grove ports, allowing for easy integration with the wider Grove system - including a wide variety of sensors, actuators, displays and communication devices.

Power for the Grove shield can be supplied either by the battery of the micro:bit device itself, or through an on-board USB port, which provides a regulated 3.3v supply, capable of delivering more power to the connected devices than the micro:bit would be capable of by itself.

The kit also features a colourful lesson book containing twelve projects for students to try out, plus all of the components required to complete them. The focus is on learning and ease of use, with no soldering or jump wires required. Instead, magnetic edge connectors can be used to 'snap' different components together safely and securely.

Features

Innovative Grove extension shield to expand the functionality of the micro:bit
8 carefully selected modules to take full advantage of the Grove shield's potential
Twelve fun and accessible projects ideal for micro:bit beginners
Magnetic edge connectors for easy prototyping with no soldering or jump wires
On-board USB port to power up your micro:bit
A well documented instruction manual

Kit Contents

1 x Grove Shield for micro:bit
1 x Grove Rotary Angle Sensor
1 x Grove Speaker
1 x Grove Ultrasonic Ranger
1 x Grove Light Sensor
1 x Waterproof LED Strip (Length: 1m, 30 LEDs total)
1 x Grove Gesture Sensor
1 x Grove 4 Digit Display
1 x Grove Red LED
1 x Micro USB Cable (Length: 48cm)
1 x Instruction Manual
10 x Alligator Clips
7 x Grove Cable

Requirements

1 x micro:bit

Additional Resources

The good people at Seeed Studio have also come up with a range of additional resources to make getting started with the Grove Inventor Kit even easier.

Road Test Reviews

www.youtube.com/watch

Have you used the Grove Inventor Kit at home or in the classroom? Share your thoughts on this month's featured accessory in the comments section below...

Tags: micro:bit, seeed studios, bbc micro:bit, inventors kit, microbit featured accessories, microbit, seeed, micro bit, grove shield, bbc microbit, grove, stem projects

Documents

BBC micro:bit V2 Compatible Accessories

Software

Hardware

Micro:bit Accessory of the Month | Kitronik Klimate Board

Featured micro:bit Accessories

RoadTests & Reviews

element14 presents: A day of BBC micro:bit ideas

BBC micro:bit FAQs

Documents

micro:bit Legacy Products

micro:bit Activities & Archive

Introducing the BBC micro:bit v2

Meet the New BBC micro:bit V2

The BBC micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer helping to inspire more than 25 million children to learn digital creativity and computing skills, will receive its first major updates since launching in 2016.

Sound Projects out of the box

New Speaker and Mems Microphone on the back of the micro:bit V2

Other New Features

New Faster ProcessorNordic Semiconductor nRF52 Application Processor

Find out more about the nRF52 hereNRF52833-QIAA-R7NRF52833-QIAA-R7

NRF52833-QIAA-R7NRF52833-QIAA-R7Will my BBC micro:bit v2 Work with my current Program or Accessory

Download our Free BBC micro:bit V2 Poster here

micro:bit Summer Code Club - The Winning Teams!

Join The micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge!

Important Dates

micro:bit Resources

micro:bit Summer Code Club Challenge - Winners Announced!

Micro:bit Accessory of the Month | BinaryBots Totem Crab

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway!

Phase 1:

Selected Winners:

Phase 2:

Important Dates

Prizes

micro:bit Resources

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - Project Highlights

The Great micro:bit Education Giveaway - Winners!

Accessory of the Month | Kitronik Inventor's Kit

Accessory of the Month | micro:bit wear:it Development Kit

Teachers Wanted! Test micro:bit kits and accessories in the classroom with element14

Accessory of the Month | Grove Inventor Kit

New Faster Processor
Nordic Semiconductor nRF52 Application Processor

Find out more about the nRF52 here

NRF52833-QIAA-R7NRF52833-QIAA-R7

NRF52833-QIAA-R7NRF52833-QIAA-R7

Will my BBC micro:bit v2 Work with my current Program or Accessory