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The BBC is helping kids learn to code with one million free Micro: bits computers

For a million kids in the United Kingdom, a version of Christmas came early this year. That is, if your version of Christmas includes a Micro: bit computer and the promise of a tech savvy future. On Tuesday, the BBC sent one million of these pocket-sized devices to teachers and students across the country, with hopes of catalyzing tech education in the next generation.

It’s akin to a similar program in the 1980’s, in which school children learned basic programming skills on the BBC Microcomputer — but now, decades later, the hardware is cooler, the knowledge base is wider, and it would seem that the possibilities are more endless than ever.

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The hope, the government broadcaster notes, is to assist in coding education and further ignite interest in STEM fields. The Micro: bit is a particularly interesting device of choice, consisting of a programmable array of red LED lights, two buttons, a built-in motion sensor, and a magnetometer.

In order to program the device, users are meant to write code on a website, then transfer it to the tiny gadget either by way of a USB cable or Bluetooth. The Micro:bit is also connectable to other machines (like the Raspberry Pi) to further broaden the realm of creation.

“The BBC micro:bit has the potential to be a seminal piece of British innovation, helping this generation to be the coders, programmers and digital pioneers of the future,” BBC director-general Tony Hall said of the new initiative. And while these devices have been a long time coming (they were initially promised to schools in 2015), now that they’re finally in the public realm, the BBC is looking for ways to make the Micro: bits even more accessible.

“Following the nationwide rollout, the BBC Micro:bit hardware, and much of the software,will be open-sourced,” the organization noted. “BBC micro:bits will be available to buy from a range of retailers. Money generated from these commercial sales will be used to further encourage as many people as possible to join the coding revolution.”

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