I was so excited to receive my Club Pack, full of 10 micro:bits and accessories, AND a bonus gift workbook, that I am incredibly excited about. Pretty cool that the bits come already programmed to immediately engage us humans, in a friendly way, to play some games. So far, they are cute and friendly, and fun. I received my package of these little critters while I was visiting the States from Panama. My husband and I were a (micro) bit worried about transporting them through customs, with all of the wires and batteries and such, but they arrived in Panama, no problem. The bonus gift that was included in the box, is incredibly exciting. "Micro:bit in Wonderland" free bonus projects that incorperate literacy, crafting and coding. This opens a whole new realm of possibilities. I am always looking to intersect coding with literacy.
My first opportunity to explore the possibilities of the bits with our kids will come Monday at our after school program on the Ngobe reservation.
Depending on who is there, and what the Principal says, we may get to use another room at the school. My sweet husband (who is Panamanian) works with the older tribal kids playing soccer, while I do education with the younger ones, age, 2-10. We will be making decisions of which group to invite to learn the bits.
This is a very poor school. The education system in Panama is one of the worst in the world, especially for the tribal kids, and especially for disabled tribal kids, like some of my students. Lots of mud, sporadic electricity (which they just installed) and dedicated, but ill equipped teachers. Some of our kids walk hours through the mountains to get to school. It is dangerous business getting to school sometimes. My students are so eager to learn. Education is one powerful way out of poverty.
If coding could catch on here, lives literally could be changed....
Come on little"bits".... work your magic!!
https://www.scholaro.com/ed/Countries/Panama/Education-System
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