Having explored some Arduino & Raspberry Pi DIY controllers, I was excited to finally get my hands on a set of Micro:Bits to try the simple block-based coding myself. In advance of the new Scratch 3.0 (rumored to start Beta soon, and integrate easily with MicroBits beginning in January 2019!), I'm eager to experiment with some more extensive projects to see how students can use the devices for their own problem-solving. Luckily, my colleague at the Center for Technology & School Change had some leftover from her coding class, and she let me try them out. They're fun, easy to use and make for a pretty approachable start to microcontrollers. With a Bluetooth antenna, micro USB input, accelerometer and compass, they have a wide variety of ways to gather input. Using a few resistors and alligator clips, you can also code some interesting new projects.
The kits provide pretty much everything you might need, except for extra alligator clips and sensors for higher level projects. Down the road, as students become more familiar with JS and would like to produce text or images, the 5x5 LED screen embedded in the Micro:Bit can be limiting.
However, there are a number of great hats and breakout boards, particularly from Sparkfun Electronics, that can add more functionality. With the new Scratch 3.0 that also integrates seamlessly with Micro:Bit, advanced students will have even more opportunities to create complex projects with these controllers!
For beginners, they also let students get started on creating right away.
See below for a quick example of a game I fashioned off of an example code from makecode.microbit.org:
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