Forget the crumble you eat and think computer programming. Students at St Peter’s-in- Thanet CE Junior School, together with Hilderstone Radio Society G0HRS, will be swapping flour, butter and sugar for input, controller and output as part of National Coding Week (NCW), taking place from 18 September.
The school will be using Crumble kits, which are easy-to-use, low-cost electronics controllers, in a range of activities.
Pupils will first learn the basics of the Crumble by programming it to do simple tasks such as flash different colours, as well as introducing different speeds. They will then be tasked with a range of mini projects, such as programming the Crumble to do Morse code. Students will also have the opportunity to make a basic lighthouse and even a drink alarm – perfect for those who are worried about their favourite mug going missing.
John Hislop, G7OHO, Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) volunteer and Vice-Chairman of Hilderstone Radio Society, G0HRS, said: “So much of our modern-day technology has roots and inspirations from amateur radio and National Coding Week is a brilliant way to introduce this to young people.
“In fact, the RSGB is dedicating the whole of September to coding activities and amateur radio, in a focus that forms part of the Society’s commitment to encourage youngsters into amateur radio and to support lifelong learning.”
Nathan Williams, the school’s Science and Wider Curriculum Lead, said: “It’s all about introducing coding to the children in a way that they can enjoy, and importantly, to see how it can be used in ‘real life’. Learning the basics here in school will allow students to see that opportunities in coding are limitless and offer a gateway into numerous industries. We’re all really excited to see how the children get on.”
As well as the range of mini coding projects, students at the school will be introduced to machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).