12 reasons why the micro:bit is fantastic for beginners

12 reasons why the micro:bit is fantastic for beginners

The BBC micro:bit is a handheld, programmable micro-computer that can be used for all sorts of cool creations, from robots to musical instruments – the possibilities are endless.

1 Affordable:

micro:bit retails for around £12.99 or a few pounds more in a kit with a USB cable and battery pack. This means that it's affordable to more families and that it's less of a financial risk to give it a go. It also means that if you make something really, really cool that you want to keep then you can get another one.

2 Easy Peasy：

It can be coded from any web browser in Blocks, Javascript, Python, Scratch and more; no software required.

3 Get Inspired：

It have over 200 different activities and resources to try, from easy experiments to creative coding challenges.

4 widely used by school（maybe in the furture to ba a major）:

Micro:bit is widely used in schools around the world, from Finland and Iceland to Singapore and Sri Lanka. And this organtation has dozens of fantastic activities and lesson plans geared towards primary and secondary school teachers.

5 The 25 pixel LED screen is somewhat controversial:

You'd be forgiven for thinking that there's not much you can do with 25 pixels. But I love it for getting beginners away from a focus on graphics. I find that kids expectations for how things should look are generally behind their ability to produce graphical assets (yes that's another problem to solve!) On the micro:bit those expectations are removed and kids are happy to create the best alien they can come up with in a 5 x 5 grid with only one colour. The ability to display text is really useful - it's an effective way to convey information.

6 Do loads of things without needing to add additional electronics:

The micro:bit is packed with inputs and sensors which means that you can do loads of things without needing to add additional electronics. Connecting things up to a micro processor can be a stumbling block for beginners as they struggle to know which components to buy and understand wiring diagrams. With the micro:bit you can do a lot of stuff without needing to add extra components.

7 The MakeCode graphical editor works great

The MakeCode graphical editor is excellent, free and runs in a web browser. The earlier editors for the micro:bit weren't so good (my Code Club refused to use one of them, they thought it was so bad!) The new editor makes the micro:bit really accessible to beginners. We love the way that it shows you how to connect up any components you reference in your code.

8 Connect up electronics using crocodile clips:

OK, kids find them a bit fiddly, but they're so much easier than trying to understand a tangle of jumper leads in bread board and struggling to identify which pin is which (with potentially serious consequences if you get it wrong.) And while soldering is a useful skill, lots of kids are ready for coding and electronics before they're safe to use a soldering iron.

9 Connect your headphones or a buzzer or speaker:

In some ways, it would be nice to have a built in speaker. But that's offset by the awesome ability to connect up a regular set of headphones. This really demystifies a piece of everyday tech and gets kids looking at the headphone jack that they probably use regularly.  

10 Designed to support digital making so it's suitable for use in craft and e-textiles projects. This encourages creative uses of the micro:bit by people who are just interested in tech for its own sake.

11 The micro:bit is physically small which makes it great for wearable projects and for mixing with LEGO, craft and 3D printing. It also means that you can easily take it with you when you go out, just in case.

12 The micro:bit has a low floor and high ceiling. While it's fantastic for beginners there's a path to move forward and code in JavaScript or Python and then C/C++.  You can attach more complex electronics and make use of the Bluetooth and radio features. It's easier to develop more advanced skills with a device you're familiar with.

Ready to get started with the micro:bit? Try to find some interesting toy with micro:bit and find out how it works?

one toy recommend:   Qbit