by Pauline Maas and Peter Heldens
THE MICROBIT BOOK YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
Constructing Modern Knowledge Press is working hard to finish an exciting new project book for educators and parents interested in STEAM & STEM! The Invent to Learn Guide to the micro:bit combines coding, craft, and creativity to teach physical computing, engineering, computer science, and electronics to young people ages 8-16.
Millions of the miraculous low-cost microcontroller development board, the BBC micro:bit, are in use across the globe. This new book takes a comprehensive approach to teaching children to make and code exciting interactive projects using the micro:bit as its “brain board.” This book expands the range of what often happens in classrooms.
The Invent to Learn Guide to the micro:bit invites learners to create dozens of simple-to-complex, open-ended, hands-on projects using one or more micro:bits, upcycled junk, and craft supplies. Microsoft’s MakeCode block-based programming environment is used to bring your interactive inventions to life. Powerful computer science skills are developed by programming projects that appeal to girls and boys. The code used in each project is fully explained and young inventors are challenged to build upon their emerging computational fluency in increasingly complex projects.
Inspiration for deep learning
The Invent to Learn Guide to the micro:bit is built upon the intellectual traditions of project-based learning and constructionism. Readers are provided with just enough inspiration and explanation to make projects, and the resulting knowledge, their own. The book may be used as a resource for creative teachers looking for inspiration or as the basis for a semester-long course of study.
Code, craft, and fun
- Each project includes both making and coding with at least one micro:bit
- Democratizing computer science by appealing to a wide variety of students and teachers
- Projects are open-ended, personal, & customizable
- Students learn computing principles by programming
- Debugging strategies
- Challenges
- Thorough and developmentally appropriate explanations of real block-based computer programs
- Most projects use the popular micro:bit V1, while many projects have adaptations for the new V2 micro:bit
Sample projects
- RC cars & boats
- Doll hacking
- Musical fruit
- Handheld computer games
- Interactive holiday decorations
- Drawing robots
- Game controllers
- Wearable computing
- Building probes, collecting, and analyzing data
- Scratch, Python, and the micro:bit
A must-read for
- Educators
- School leaders
- Preservice teachers
- Teacher educators
- Policymakers
- Librarians
- Technology developers
- Parents
Visit the companion resource site for this book at microbit.inventtolearn.com with project guides, code, and more.
