Last term we welcomed educators from a range of settings to attend a CPD event in which we explored lots of fun ways to use micro:bits in the classroom in a day filled with hands-on activities, creative projects and collaboration with fellow educators. Our projects combined both programming and mechanisms making the session well-suited for Design & Technology teachers as well as Computing teachers who work with KS2 and KS3 learners.
The session began with an introduction to the micro:bit and its vast array of features. We then investigated a collection of expansion boards available, delegates explored options before we considered the pros and cons of each. At U Can Too we typically use ring:bits by Elecfreaks, which we find are reliable and suit our needs for most workshops. But we know in a school environment, teachers may not wish to leave their micro:bits connected to a breakout board permanently and may also not have enough time to screw each one onto the board!
We are always keen to share tips and tricks, so we ensured these were included along the way, while ensuring everyone fully understood how to program their micro:bits to control external components.
The activities in the session required external components, so we provided all attendees with a set of LEDs, a positional servo, a rotational servo and a breakout board to take home with them. These were all used to create two projects during the day meaning teachers had working examples to take back to their classrooms. The only thing teachers needed to bring from school was a micro:bit!
Project 1 - Moving Artwork
The first project was themed around our popular Kandinsky workshop in which delegates created a piece of Kandinsky-style art which they then brought to life by programming a micro:bit to control a servo motor, in this case they also investigated the use of the built-in sound sensor and light sensor. They were then shown how to add NeoPixel LEDs to their creations and program various light displays.
Project 2 - Robot Zoo
The second project of the day was a robot zoo which is another of our popular workshops! Delegates were able to use the skills and knowledge learnt in the morning session, alongside expanding their knowledge to include positional motion, and apply these to designing their own robotic creatures.
More to Come!
If this looks appealing you'll be pleased to know we have a fantastic line-up of CPD events for the new academic year and we'll be repeating this session next summer and offering a Crumble version in November. You can take a full look at our list of CPD events over on our CPD page or if you would like us to visit your school to run a workshop check out our workshops page to find out more.