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I think you underestimate how much having something tactile, with buttons and LEDs, can really shift how younger students perceive learning. I volunteer teach a
by solaris999 10y ago
I think you underestimate how much having something tactile, with buttons and LEDs, can really shift how younger students perceive learning. I volunteer teach a group of 8/9 year olds an intro to programming class and the difference between teaching them Python using CLI-esque tools and making things light up on the micro:bit is astounding.
- rb808 10y agoIs that age group the best age to learn? I notice they're targeting year 7/8/9 in the UK - is that high school?
- mjohn 10y agoYes, in the UK high school starts in year 7 (age 11-12)
- frutiger 10y agoThe ages for education/schools in the UK: 5-11 -> Primary School 11-16 -> Secondary School 16-18 -> Further Education (often called college, or Sixth Form) 18-21/22 -> Higher Education (University/undergraduate) Some secondary schools are large enough/have enough expertise to have a Sixth Form as part of it. Some children go to "preparatory school" until age 13 when they enter a secondary school.
- msh 10y agoMaybe you are right, I am just thinking it would be harder to to get a program to do something interesting.
- itgoon 10y agoI think you have it backwards. It might be easier to print "hello world", but that's not interesting. Blinking an LED? That's actually interesting. You can show your friends. You can put it in another toy. A child can do a lot with a blinking LED.