tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post602549542262371676..comments2024-02-16T08:32:46.618+00:00Comments on Donald Clark Plan B: BBC’s Micro Bit: useful gadget or more school junk Donald Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-70850585871157896792018-04-04T22:04:10.627+00:002018-04-04T22:04:10.627+00:00If anything my views on this have deepened. It was...If anything my views on this have deepened. It was doomed from the start - plagued with problems, poorly marketed and, as you say, up against better product with a proven track record and market presence. The BBC are neither a manufacturing outfit nor do they have any real expertise in education, especially computer science and coding. IT projects are famously shabolic in their own organisation. There was no demand for this device - so it failed. Bottom line is that there's too many dreamers at the BBC with no real skills in design manufacturing and marketing. They should not be in this business. I was right on BBC Jam - a £75 million disaster, and feel that I was right on this one as well. No dobt they'll be wasting money on some other daft scheme soon.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-42859869499144676922018-04-04T20:57:50.480+00:002018-04-04T20:57:50.480+00:00Donald, I'm interested to see if after three y...Donald, I'm interested to see if after three years your opinions have changed any?<br /><br />As an education specialist myself, and no stranger to coding right down to the ones and noughts level (which possibly explains my lack of hair now!) Im sat here with yet a Micro:bit (yes that makes no sense logically or gramatically) that still stubbornly ignores any attempts to flash it via bluetooth and I find myself wondering yet again why the beeb didn't take Ebens offer of the Raspberry Pi instead of trotting out this uninspiring little biscuit of disappointment and confusion.<br /><br />Dont get me wrong, I love python, I love block based coding as a teaching tool... But I really struggle to enthuse anyone to use the microbit over either a raspberry pi - which lets face it actually does some cool stuff, or even the humble arduino which does a much better job of teaching basic uC coding and robotics... and actually answers its programming interface every time - even the cheap clones of knockoff ones made in a garage in lord knows where!<br /><br />I know this will not be a popular resurrection of an old post for some, but my reason for revival is simple. Three years have passed. A lot has gone on, and still no one has addressed many of the most fundamental issues that exist with the device both from a teaching and from a hobbyist perspective.<br /><br />In a couple of weeks I shall be called upon to pen a report into the state of play as far as the Microbit and education goes, and sadly I feel Im going to be quoting you Donald, because not enough has changed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-44201029601144256312015-03-21T00:01:53.082+00:002015-03-21T00:01:53.082+00:00Obviously hit a raw nerve here! Involved in the pr...<br />Obviously hit a raw nerve here! Involved in the project? And I love the stupidity of using a BBC character as an expression of disgust about my critique of the BBC. Your grasp of 'logic' is a bit thin old boy.<br />If you are a teacher, and I hope for the sake of the kids you're not, you seem to be incapabe of putting any sort of critical thought together. Covered the branding issue in the previous post. There was nothing on the BBC website that indicated it was a 'working title'. In any case, launching something like this, so late in the day for a September distribution in schools, without a brand, is just plain stupid. Branding is something I do know about - build and invest in businesses. My guess is this is all a bit foreign to you. You also don't see the irony of accusing me of delivering a rant, which is precisely what you did? Not sure that you really understand what a non sequitor is. Never mind, logic's a troublesome business.<br />I have taught; secondary school, adult and at University level. I'm also famously critical of Ken Robinson and have no time for his vague TED talks, a bit vacuous, like your post. As for the Clarkson bollocks - don't like him either. I don't even drive. Bye Sean.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-58232254624629255972015-03-20T21:04:16.921+00:002015-03-20T21:04:16.921+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-52704788646557208182015-03-20T19:36:31.838+00:002015-03-20T19:36:31.838+00:00Interesting that you should invoke Clarkson when y...<br />Interesting that you should invoke Clarkson when you are clearly channelling him.<br /><br />You open with a non-sequitur rant about a the working name of a project(*really*?), followed by a red-herring about a tiny part of the whole project, followed by various straw men plus any other logical fallacies that you could jam into a page.<br /><br />You talk a lot about education yet your attitude and comments make it pretty clear that you are not, and never have been, a teacher. Like Ken Robinson (who I reckon must be one of your superheroes), you haven't got a clue about education in the real world. Nice soundbites, shame about the evidence.<br /><br />Shouty, lazy, ill-informed, out of touch and self-satisfied. Like I said: Clarkson.Seannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-78835621010817723922015-03-17T11:55:09.056+00:002015-03-17T11:55:09.056+00:00This was the main story published by the BBC on th...This was the main story published by the BBC on their website...<br /><br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31834927<br /><br />"It will include a new drama based on Grand Theft Auto"<br /><br />"It is hoped that the Micro Bit"<br /><br />"One million Micro Bits"<br /><br />See also<br />From BBC Micro to Micro Bit mini-computer<br />http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/31854427<br /><br />I'm not privvy to press packs - I'm a practitioner!Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-45877278351940509482015-03-17T11:27:54.347+00:002015-03-17T11:27:54.347+00:00@Donald - thanks for your response. I re-iterated,...@Donald - thanks for your response. I re-iterated, the BBC press pack is clear that it is a "nickname".<br /><br />And I'm still not sure what your comments about GTA have to do with the device.<br /><br />Perhaps you could link to the article you are critiquing?dkernohanhttp://followersoftheapocalyp.senoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-47819017661590189352015-03-17T11:25:36.978+00:002015-03-17T11:25:36.978+00:00That about sums it up. So it was with BBC Jam and ...That about sums it up. So it was with BBC Jam and a hundred other projects I've known from broadcasters over the last 30 plus years. I have a long list.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-59360074519367652912015-03-17T11:13:09.713+00:002015-03-17T11:13:09.713+00:00I think it's utterly bizarre they think it'...I think it's utterly bizarre they think it's worthwhile investing OUR money in these devices and then EOLing them the same year!<br /><br />Again, stick to what they know. Work with the Pi guys to create the web series that talks people through great projects with their Pi. <br /><br />Looks like they just threw our money at the problem and refused to even consider helping to build up a community around this. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00563955226803729370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-35631337381175093972015-03-17T11:00:10.235+00:002015-03-17T11:00:10.235+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-89321671516537583732015-03-17T11:00:09.332+00:002015-03-17T11:00:09.332+00:00It was clearly called the Micro Bit in the publish...It was clearly called the Micro Bit in the published 'BBC' article (bad reporting then) and if it's just a working title, let me reiterate my claim that not having a branded name at this stage is typical of the non-commercial nature of the project. Even as a working title, it's crap nostalgia.<br />I like the BBC - as a TV company. I just think that they're hopeless on educational content and hardware. <br />On BBC Jam, it's easy to blame external forces. I know a lot about that project, and people who worked on the project and reviewed all of the content. It was a disaster through awful management by the BBC. The cost overruns were astounding, the content over-engineered and poor.<br />Again don't put words in my mouth about triple A games. I've worked in the games industry and love Rockstar and GTA. I just think it has no role to play in a product for kids at this age. You undermine your argument by putting words in my mouth.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-77452363096914149082015-03-17T10:15:01.838+00:002015-03-17T10:15:01.838+00:00I'm as leery as you are about "learn to c...I'm as leery as you are about "learn to code" initiatives, but you undermine your argument a little here.<br /><br />It's not going to be called the "MicroBit" - that's a working title as research at the level of reading The Register's coverage (or the BBC's own press kit) would tell you.<br /><br />And - we get it - you don't like the BBC. Fair enough, some do, some don't. It has little bearing on the success or otherwise of this bit of PCB (& I would agree, the quality of the learning materials will be key - though the BBC does do good learning materials. Which is why publishers threatened legal action and BBC Jam was closed.<br /><br />Your passage on GTA is fair comment (again) but has nothing to do with this device, which will not be able to run it. I don't like triple-A games either, but this doesn't mean all games are horrible.<br /><br />There is an argument to be made against instrumentalist "learn to code" initiatives (& I'd love a "year of sales" - or indeed a "year of social responsibility" - too) but this, manifestly, is not it.dkernohanhttp://followersoftheapocalyp.senoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-38299768777607634732015-03-16T22:10:10.756+00:002015-03-16T22:10:10.756+00:00Ouch, a very scathing critique but spot on. I woul...Ouch, a very scathing critique but spot on. I would love this to be a success but I can't see how it is going to work.techacadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07558048913731656721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-51147357329732997032015-03-15T18:50:01.047+00:002015-03-15T18:50:01.047+00:00While I have always been a fan of adding technolog...While I have always been a fan of adding technology to a classroom and I remain a fan of the Pi and iPad in an educational context, I see this move by the BBC as ....desperately silly.<br /><br />Or perhaps worse. First million. Sure. What about next years coders? Or are we blowing the budget on one year? And sod the rest?<br /><br />Who on earth advised them?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00563955226803729370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-6232678441853590302015-03-15T18:13:31.179+00:002015-03-15T18:13:31.179+00:00Absolutely spot on here. A devastating critique.Absolutely spot on here. A devastating critique.Hammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656171788262664718noreply@blogger.com