Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by takyon on Wednesday July 08 2015, @08:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the supports-5p-video dept.

BBC creates micro:bit pocket computer for British schoolchildren

The BBC collaborates with 29 partners to send thousands of miniature computers to every grade 7 child in the UK. This is the BBC you're thinking of - the news organization - and this is not the first time they've done such a project. Micro:bit is aimed at educating the public and setting a creative fire under the feet of the UK's youth. To do this, the micro:bit pocket-sized computer is being distributed for free to students, complete with programmable innards, Bluetooth, built-in compass, and motion detection.

One big "WTF" here is web-based IDE programming tools. There's no specifics about loading programs in the article, but there is a USB port on the micro:bit which will presumably be used to transfer programs into the device - so why send the code out to the web to be programmed instead of including a compiler that runs locally? (For this kind of tiny computer, with a minuscule display, I'm sure something that runs even an a relatively underpowered tablet could be written.)

BBC Finalizes Design For Their New Micro

The BBC has revealed the final design of the Micro Bit, a pocket-sized computer set to be given to about one million UK-based children in October. The device - which features a programmable array of red LED lights - includes two buttons and a built-in motion sensor that were not included in a prototype shown off in March.

The BBC's director general Tony Hall said the device should help tackle the fact children were leaving school knowing how to use computers but not how to program them. "We all know there's a critical and growing digital skills gap in this country and that's why it's so important that we come together and do something about it," he said at a launch event in London.

The Micro Bit is being given away to every 11- and 12-year-old child in Year 7 or equivalent at school.

More on the BBC website.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 08 2015, @08:58AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 08 2015, @08:58AM (#206395)

    So much for making kids learn about how stuff works. No wonder the tool is web based...

    If you actually want to teach something about software, the software has to be free software.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +3  
       Insightful=2, Interesting=1, Disagree=1, Total=4
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 08 2015, @09:51AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 08 2015, @09:51AM (#206407)

    the software has to be free software.

    OH GOD, SO INSIGHTFUL, oh yeah, mmmmhhph, mmhhphph, can't talk, sucking off a penguin, fjdmmmmdmfmeemfmsfmmf!

    • (Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Wednesday July 08 2015, @01:19PM

      by GreatAuntAnesthesia (3275) on Wednesday July 08 2015, @01:19PM (#206444) Journal

      Any chance we could get a "-1 Troll, but funny" mod?

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by everdred on Wednesday July 08 2015, @05:56PM

        by everdred (110) on Wednesday July 08 2015, @05:56PM (#206538) Journal

        "Trolché."

        • (Score: 3, Funny) by darkfeline on Wednesday July 08 2015, @09:37PM

          by darkfeline (1030) on Wednesday July 08 2015, @09:37PM (#206620) Homepage

          Douché?

          --
          Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday July 08 2015, @03:36PM

    by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 08 2015, @03:36PM (#206483)
    So if a student does something interesting with this board they didn't actually learn anything because the IDE they used is web-based. Yeah, I'll never understand where you lot are coming from, unless of course it's just generic Slashdoltian MS hate.
    --
    🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
    • (Score: 2) by soylentsandor on Wednesday July 08 2015, @05:51PM

      by soylentsandor (309) on Wednesday July 08 2015, @05:51PM (#206535)

      At some point, the program needs to be transferred from the web site to the device. Wanna bet that can only be done using an MS-developed browser running on an MS-developed OS?

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday July 08 2015, @06:18PM

        by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 08 2015, @06:18PM (#206553)

        Children will be encouraged to write simple code for the Micro Bit via a new website, which will be accessible on both PCs and mobile devices. ... They will be able to save and test their programs on the site before transferring them to the tiny computer via a USB cable or wireless Bluetooth connection.

        But hey, just for fun, let's say that in a parallel universe where you were right and and you had to use Internet Explorer on a Windows 10 machine to program the Micro Bit. So what? If a student programs the computer to do something interesting how can you with a straight face claim that they learned nothing from it? Logic doesn't stop being logic just because Microsoft is involved.

        --
        🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 09 2015, @06:01AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 09 2015, @06:01AM (#206817)

          If you really think that black boxes improve education you're special as in special olympics.

          • (Score: 2) by Tork on Friday July 10 2015, @05:11AM

            by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 10 2015, @05:11AM (#207277)

            ...you're special as in special olympics.

            You mean I fight hard to kick ass in life? I appreciate the compliment.

            --
            🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
        • (Score: 2) by mojo chan on Thursday July 09 2015, @09:41AM

          by mojo chan (266) on Thursday July 09 2015, @09:41AM (#206890)

          It will be interesting to see how this works. Is it some kind of mass storage device that simply accepts a compiled firmware file and executes it, or something else?

          --
          const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)