Workshop 3: Programming Edge/IoT Systems with AI
BBC micro:bit in the MakeCode simulator + LLM-assisted coding — build a two-node IoT system without any hardware.
Learning Objectives
- Explain Edge Computing and IoT as a two-role system: sensing nodes and aggregating/display nodes
- Program a sensor node (collect + radio.send) in the MakeCode simulator
- Program an aggregator node (radio.receive + aggregate + display) in the MakeCode simulator
- Pair two simulated micro:bits on a shared radio group so they talk to each other
- Use an LLM to write, debug, and extend two-node micro:bit code
- Optionally port MakeCode to MicroPython (python.microbit.org) — simulator or real hardware
- Align a sensor-and-aggregator activity to NGSS and CTE pathways
- Plan a CRAFT-structured IoT lesson for their classroom
Key Activities
- Simulator warm-up in makecode.microbit.org (no hardware needed)
- Role A: Sensor Node program — read a sensor, radio.send the value
- Role B: Aggregator Node program — radio.receive, running average/min/max, LED display
- Paired breakout: one participant builds Role A, partner builds Role B, share a radio group
- Level-up: multi-sensor mesh (2+ senders → 1 aggregator) or MicroPython port
- Sensor verification in simulator (known-good inputs, edge cases) + discussion of real-hardware calibration surprise
- IoT lesson template customization (two-node design)
Talk:Do Ratio
~30 min facilitator-led / ~150 min participant activities (1:5.0)
Participant Takeaways
- BBC micro:bit V2 kit — SHIPPED AFTER the session to participants who complete both surveys + submit a draft IoT lesson (yours to keep)
- MakeCode .hex files for Sensor Node + Aggregator Node (ready to flash when hardware arrives)
- MicroPython radio starters (sender + receiver)
- Sensor reference guide
- NGSS alignment crosswalk
- Two-node IoT lesson template
Date: April 25, 2026 · 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM PST · Virtual (Zoom)
Zoom: Join Workshop 3 (Password is in your calendar invitation.)
Focus: Edge Computing + IoT as a two-device conversation — sensor node ↔ aggregator node — built entirely in the MakeCode online simulator.
Talk:Do Ratio: ~30 min facilitator / ~150 min participant activities (1:5.0)
Hardware: None required for the live session. Everything runs in makecode.microbit.org in your browser. Participants who complete both surveys + submit a draft IoT lesson receive a BBC micro:bit V2 kit in the mail — yours to keep, to bring this into your classroom.
Take computing out of the browser — conceptually — while still teaching it in one. The MakeCode simulator gives every participant a fully-functional micro:bit inside a browser tab, and the moment you drop in a radio block, MakeCode spawns a second simulator so you can build and test a two-node IoT system without owning any hardware. That same code flashes to a real device the day your kit arrives.
Surveys
- 📝 Pre-Survey — complete at the start of the session
- 📊 Post-Survey — complete at the end of the session
- 📦 Completing both surveys + submitting a draft IoT lesson unlocks your mailed micro:bit V2 kit.
Shared Workspace
- 📋 Group Workspace (Google Doc) — collaborative document for all breakout and group activities
- 🗓 Live Agenda (Google Doc) — facilitator-maintained timing board, updated in real time during the session
Pre-Session Requirements
- A modern browser (Chrome or Edge recommended) with makecode.microbit.org accessible
- An LLM of choice open in a second tab (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini)
- A pre-session email will confirm your browser can load MakeCode and that both simulators render
- No hardware needed. If your shipped kit has already arrived, great — but you do not need it for any activity today.
Learning Objectives
- Explain Edge Computing and IoT and why the two-role pattern (sensor + aggregator) is the backbone of real-world IoT
- Build a Sensor Node program that reads a sensor and broadcasts the value on a radio group
- Build an Aggregator Node program that receives values, aggregates them (running average, min/max, counts, thresholds), and displays a result
- Pair two participants on the same radio group so one’s sender talks to the other’s receiver — all in simulation
- Use an LLM to assist with writing, debugging, and extending both halves of the system
- Optionally level-up from MakeCode (blocks) to MicroPython (text) — still in a simulator
- Align a two-node sensor activity to specific NGSS performance expectations and CTE pathways
- Identify CRAFT phases in the session and plan how to replicate the structure
Session Resources
- 📋 Planned Agenda — participant-facing timeline with activity links and print view
- 🖥 Web Slides — keyboard-navigable presentation (← → arrows, F for fullscreen)
- ⬇ Download Slides (PPTX) — import to Google Slides
- 📄 IoT Lesson Template — template for designing two-node sensor/aggregator STEM lessons
- 🔬 Sensor Reference Guide — all micro:bit V2 onboard sensors with code and calibration notes
- 📊 NGSS Alignment Crosswalk — IoT activities mapped to NGSS Performance Expectations
- 📚 Prompt Library — includes physical computing + radio communication prompts
- ✅ CtM Template — for sensor verification activities
- 📄 CRAFT Cycle One-Pager — printable overview of the CRAFT framework
MicroPython Starter Scripts
Ready-to-flash equivalents of the simulator activities — run in the python.microbit.org simulator today, flash to your kit when it arrives:
- 01 — Sensor Node: Temperature Sender
- 02 — Aggregator Node: Running Average Receiver
- 03 — Sensor Node: Multi-Sensor Sender (temp + light)
- 04 — Aggregator Node: Threshold Alert Display
- 05 — Comfort Index (single-device, level-up)
Programming Environments
- MakeCode Editor — block-based, runs two simulated micro:bits side-by-side when you use radio (primary)
- MicroPython Editor — text-based, also has an online simulator (level-up)
Key Activities
| CRAFT Phase | Activity | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Opening: Simulator Check + Icebreaker + Pre-Survey | 15 min | You Do |
| Contextualize | CRAFT Orientation + IoT as a Two-Device Conversation | 15 min | You Do |
| Reframe | Poll + “Physical Computing Lives in the Browser Too” | 15 min | Listen |
| Reframe | Breakout: Barriers to Teaching Hardware Without Hardware | 15 min | You Do |
| Assemble | Server Room Guardian: live-build sensor + aggregator, then swap in your own sensor | 30 min | You Do |
| Assemble | Enhancements + Brainstorm: liveness ping, Data panel graphing, LLM-driven extensions | 30 min | You Do |
| Assemble | Level Up: Multi-Sensor Mesh (A) or MicroPython Port (B) | 30 min | You Do |
| Fortify | Experiment: Verify Simulated Data + Calibration Preview | 15 min | You Do |
| Transfer | Build: Two-Node IoT Lesson + Pair-Share + Post-Survey | 15 min | You Do |
The Two-Role IoT Pattern
Every IoT system — a smart farm, a weather station, a wearable, a traffic monitor — is at its heart a conversation between two kinds of devices:
| Role | Job | What It Looks Like in MakeCode |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor Node | Read the world. Broadcast the reading. | on start: radio.setGroup(N) · forever: radio.sendNumber(input.temperature()) · sleep · repeat |
| Aggregator Node | Listen to one or many senders. Aggregate. Display. Decide. | on start: radio.setGroup(N) · on radio.receivedNumber(v): update running average, show on LEDs, trigger alert |
When you drag a radio block into MakeCode, the simulator automatically shows two simulated micro:bits so you can watch the message go from sender to receiver in real time. That’s your classroom-ready IoT demo — no mailing list required.
Level-Up Tracks
Track A — Multi-Sensor Mesh: Add a second sensor node by opening your Sensor project in a second browser tab (MakeCode pairs two simulators per tab, but tabs on the same origin share the radio channel). Two senders broadcast on the same group with different IDs; the aggregator tracks per-sender averages and flags which node is out of range.
Track B — MicroPython Port: Port your Sensor Node and Aggregator Node to MicroPython using python.microbit.org. Ask an LLM to translate your blocks. Run both scripts in the MicroPython simulator and confirm the message still goes through.
Participant Takeaways
- MakeCode project files (.hex) for Sensor Node + Aggregator Node + level-up extensions
- MicroPython radio starter scripts
- Sensor reference guide for all micro:bit V2 onboard sensors
- NGSS alignment crosswalk (IoT activities mapped to performance expectations)
- Customized two-node IoT lesson template with student-facing CtM prompt
- Digital Toolkit PDF with all resources
- BBC micro:bit V2 kit mailed after the session — for participants who complete both surveys and submit a draft IoT lesson
Reframe Theme
“IoT is a CONVERSATION between devices — and you can have that conversation in a browser tab.” — The MakeCode simulator runs two full micro:bits side-by-side the moment you add a radio block. Your students don’t need hardware on day one. You don’t need hardware today. When the kit arrives, the same .hex flashes to the real device — the code doesn’t change.
Acknowledgement
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation award #2230997. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Other Workshops: Workshop 1: AI for STEM · Workshop 2: Verifying AI Outputs
You just built a two-node IoT system in a browser, with AI as your co-pilot, and verified it like an engineer. When your kit arrives, the same .hex files flash to real hardware. Your students can do this too — even in schools with zero hardware budget.