element14 launches BBC micro:bit giveaway for schools

21st August 2018

Mick Elliott

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A giveaway for educators to help get the popular BBC micro:bit coding device into the hands of more students and get teachers talking about how to use it in the classroom has been launched by element14. For many students and educators, the month of August signifies the approaching return to school, and shopping for the classroom.

The element14 community is asking educators to register on the community and post their plan for how they would use the BBC micro:bit in their classroom, after school club, or wherever they might be trying to help others learn to code.

Twenty educators will be selected to receive a BBC micro:bit Club, each containing 10 BBC micro:bit boards, battery adapters, batteries, and USB cables.

The twenty educators will then have 10 weeks to implement their plan and document it on the Community through a blog or vlog, including a lesson plan.

On December 10, three educators will be selected to receive a prize pack of BBC micro:bit accessories and other items that will expand the potential of the BBC micro:bit board. The accessory pack will include the element14 Minode Kit, element14 Wear:it Kit, Kitronik Inventor's Kit, Kitronik Move mini Robot Kit and the Proto-Pic Micro:Pixel LED Expansion Board.

Dianne Kibbey, Head of the element14 community and social media for Premier Farnell said: “We want to get educators talking to us, and each other, about how they could use the BBC micro:bit – a coding device developed to help children of all skill levels explore their creative potential through coding. We know that funding for equipment to teach coding, as well as training for the teachers themselves, continues to be one of the greatest challenges for educators. We want to get more BBC micro:bit in the hands of students, whilst also providing educators with a place to share their ideas and tips. The element14 community was created for engineers, to help them develop their skills, stay in touch with the latest technologies and be inspired – the element14 STEM academy aims to provide the same support and inspiration for educators.”

Once registered on the element14 community educators will have access to news, reviews and projects for the BBC micro:bit, be able to participate in roadtests for the latest and greatest micro:bit accessories and gain access to the support of a community of over half a million engineers and educators.

Educators have until September 19^th 2018 to register and post their ideas on https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-90468/l/the-great-microbit-education-giveaway