WORKSHOP 03 · APRIL 25, 2026
Programming Edge/IoT
Systems with AI
A two-node IoT system built entirely in the MakeCode simulator — sensor node talks to aggregator node, LLM as co-pilot. Your kit ships after.
April 25, 2026 · 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM PST · Virtual
CRAFT PD Series · UCF DRACO Lab & School of Teacher Education
The CRAFT Cycle
Today's session IS a CRAFT cycle. You'll experience it — then learn to build your own.
CContextualizeWhy it matters — real-world framing
RReframeSurface the wrong model → install the right one
AAssembleI Do → We Do → You Do
FFortifyVerify with tools + AI; errors are features
TTransferConnect forward to your classroom
YOU DO
8:30 (15 min)
Simulator Check: Your micro:bit Is a Browser Tab
No hardware needed today.
- Open makecode.microbit.org
- Drop
show string "hi" in on start — watch the sim scroll - Drop
radio send number in — a second simulator appears - That's our IoT system. Complete the pre-survey.
→ makecode.microbit.org
8:45
C
Contextualize
IoT is a conversation between two roles: sensor nodes + aggregator nodes
YOU DO
Contextualize
8:45 (15 min)
Brainstorm: Two-Node Scenarios in Your Subject
In the shared doc:
- Name a real-world sensor → aggregator pair from a topic you teach
- E.g., soil-moisture sensors → irrigation controller; pedometers → class dashboard
- Star a favorite from someone else
→ Open Shared Doc
9:00
R
Reframe
Physical computing lives in the browser too — the simulator is a real micro:bit
YOU DO
Reframe
9:15 (15 min)
Breakout: Teaching Hardware Without Hardware
In small groups:
- #1 barrier to IoT in your building? (budget / shipping / breakage / absences / comfort)
- What does a simulator-first approach solve — and what do you lose?
- Post the trade-off in the shared doc
BREAK
9:30 (15 min)
Break #1
Stretch. Confirm MakeCode is loaded and at least one simulator is visible.
9:45
A
Assemble
Sensor Node → Aggregator Node — one conversation, two simulators
YOU DO
Assemble · Live Build
9:45 (30 min)
Server Room Guardian
Watch a live build of sensor + aggregator, then swap in your own sensor.
- Sensor broadcasts
input.temperature() on radio group 7 every 2s - Aggregator receives and displays — your hand warms the sim, the aggregator reacts
- Key move: LLM generates the code; toggle Blocks ↔ JavaScript to understand it
- Your turn: swap temp for light / accel / sound / compass — save TWO .hex files
→ makecode.microbit.org
YOU DO
Assemble · Enhance
10:15 (30 min)
Enhancements + Brainstorm
Two live upgrades, then you extend your own pair.
- Liveness ping: aggregator sends
PING, sensor replies ACK, dead-node warning on silence - Data panel: wire incoming readings into MakeCode's live graph instead of scrolling LEDs
- Brainstorm: what's possible when nodes talk back + trends are visible?
- Build time: thresholds, alerts, bidirectional commands — log prompt → response → fix
BREAK
10:45 (15 min)
Break #2 — Show & Tell
Screenshot your paired simulators (sender + aggregator) in the chat.
YOU DO
11:00 (30 min)
Level Up: Choose Your Track
TRACK A: MULTI-SENSOR MESHOpen your Sensor project in a 2nd browser tab for a 2nd Sensor Node (MakeCode pairs two sims per tab; tabs share the radio channel). Each sender includes an ID. Aggregator tracks per-sender averages and flags drop-offs.
TRACK B: MICROPYTHON PORTPort sender + receiver to python.microbit.org. Ask an LLM for the translation; run both in the MicroPython simulator and verify messages still flow.
11:30
F
Fortify
Does your two-node system tell the truth?
YOU DO
Fortify
11:30 (15 min)
Experiment: Verify Your Simulated Data
Stress your Sensor + Aggregator:
- Drag the sim's temp slider to extremes — does the running avg respond?
- Change the Sensor's radio group — Aggregator should fall silent
- Remove
radio set group — watch the failure mode - CtM: Task → Before → After → Takeaway
- Kit-arrives preview: real temp sensor reads CPU, not ambient (3–8°C hot)
11:45
T
Transfer
Two-node lesson for YOUR classroom — then unlock your kit
YOU DO
Transfer
11:45 (15 min)
Build: Your Two-Node IoT Lesson
Customize the template:
- What does the Sensor Node sense? Who holds it?
- What does the Aggregator Node decide / display? Who runs it?
- Student-facing CtM prompt · NGSS standard
- Post in shared doc + complete post-survey → kit ships this week
→ Open IoT Lesson Template
Your Resource Kit
Everything is yours. Bookmark, download, remix. Hardware ships after.
🧩 Sensor + Aggregator .hex
MakeCode files from today — flash when kit arrives
🐍 MicroPython Radio Starters
Sender + receiver in Python
📡 Sensor Reference
All micro:bit V2 sensors
📋 NGSS Crosswalk
IoT ↔ standards mapping
📄 Two-Node Lesson Template
NGSS-aligned, customizable
📦 micro:bit V2 Kit
Mailed after post-survey + lesson draft
You just built a two-node IoT system
in a browser, with AI as your co-pilot,
and verified it like an engineer.
Your students can do this too —
even in schools with zero hardware budget.
CRAFT PD Series · UCF DRACO Lab & School of Teacher Education
Dr. Mike Borowczak & Dr. Andrea Borowczak