Month: December 2016

12 Days of Code Club

Partridges in pear trees are very nice, but we think that winning Code Club badges and stickers for your club is even better!

Welcome to the Twelve Days of Code Club: from 13 December to 24 December, we’ll be giving you the chance to win some lovely prizes for your club. The prizes will be different each day, but could include badges, stickers, posters and some other surprises too!

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To be in for a chance to win, all you need to do is keep an eye on the @CodeClub Twitter feed. Each day we will be tweeting details of how to enter and win.*

This is our way of spreading some Christmas cheer and saying thank you to all our fabulous club hosts and volunteers for running fantastic Code Clubs this year.

See you @CodeClub for a chance to grab some swag!

*In order to be in with a chance of winning, you must be following the Code Club Twitter account, so that if you are selected, we can DM you for your address! All swag will be posted by our Christmas elves in the new year.

Another chance to get your hands on micro:bits!

Over the summer we gave away free BBC micro:bits to active Code Clubs across the UK. We’re really pleased that we are now able to run another micro:bit giveaway to clubs that may have missed out the first time!

The micro:bit, measuring just 4cm by 5cm, is a micro controller which children can use to code and create anything they set their minds to. It’s intended as a starter device to give children a basic introduction to physical computing and tinkering.

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In order to qualify for micro:bits, you’ll need to make sure your club is registered and active on our website by Wednesday 14 December. If you applied for micro:bits over the summer, unfortunately you won’t be able to apply again.

In the new year, each eligible Code Club will be able to apply for micro:bits. Applications will open at midday on 11th January, and close on 1st February at midday, so stay tuned for more information then.

As before, clubs will need to pay £5 for postage, and shipping will be fulfilled by our lovely friends at Pimoroni after the applications close.

In the mean time, why not check out Code Club’s micro:bit projects at jumpto.cc/microbit. You can also find out more general information about using the micro:bit here.

Free online training from Raspberry Pi!

The Raspberry Pi Foundation Education Team have been working on a new way for people to learn about digital making: two free online CPD training courses, available anywhere in the world. The courses will run alongside the current live educator training offerings (Picademy, Skycademy and Code Club Teacher Training) and are facilitated by FutureLearn, a leading platform for online educational training. Here’s the lowdown on what you can expect:

Course 1: Teaching Physical Computing with Raspberry Pi and Python

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This 4 week course will introduce you to Physical Computing, showing you how easy it is to create a system that responds to and controls the physical world, using computer programs running on the Raspberry Pi. You’ll apply your newfound knowledge to a series of challenges, including controlling an LED with Python, using a button press to control a circuit, and making a button and LED game.

If you’re a teacher, you’ll also have the chance to develop ideas for using the Raspberry Pi and Python in your classroom, and to connect with a network of other educators.

SIGN UP FOR COURSE 1

Course 2: Teaching Programming in Primary Schools

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This 4 week course will provide a comprehensive introduction to programming, designed for non-subject-specialist primary or K-5 teachers. Over 4 weeks, you’ll be introduced to key programming concepts. You’ll have the chance to apply your understanding of them through projects, both unplugged and on a computer, using Scratch as the programming language. Discover common mistakes and pitfalls and develop strategies to fix them.

SIGN UP FOR COURSE 2

Sign up begins today with the courses themselves starting in mid February 2017. We hope they will inspire a new army of enthusiastic makers around the world!