The winners of the second place in our 3rd Coding Challenge come from Korça. The team members, Aleks Lime and Dhimitër Riza, came up with the brilliant idea to create this project in order help plants to better grow with the help of micro:bit devices.
In the lines below you can read the interview with the students and their teacher Luljeta Kapedani who supported them in their work and find more about their thoughts and opinions regarding their participation in the Coding Challenge.
1. What was the inspiration to choose this topic for the project?
Dhimitër Riza: Our school was recently reconstructed and we populated it with plants. After some time, it was difficult for us to water the plants when they needed to be watered so, we decided to use the micro: bit to water them when it should.
2. Are classes more interesting when micro: bits are used?
Andre Prenda: Yes, indeed. We have used micro: bits in classes and children liked it a lot. This way, the children not only learn how to do some basic coding but also, they showed great interest in technology and potentially they will be technology experts one day.
3. What industry would you like to work in the future and why?
Aleks Lime: We all would love to work in the IT industry in the future and it was the micro: bit that sparked this desire to us
4. What are the next projects you would be interested to create?
Noel Vila: Firstly, we would love to improve the project we presented this year but also, we’d like to create some new ones with the potential to help our school staff and students and why not beyond our institution too.
5. What would you say to your peers who are considering whether to apply for the next competition?
Dhimitër Riza: To our peers we’d love to say that micro: bit is a very interesting way to get started with coding where you create a basic idea about coding and it is very fun to do too.
Teacher's opinion
6 Is it easier or harder to work with children when you implement micro: bit to your classes?
Luljeta Kapedani: The use of micro: bit it is a very interesting innovation. Using micro: bit increases the children’s interest to work, it grows their desire to make their ideas and projects come to life in accordance to their everyday life.
7. How is school practice changed if you apply CTPS to classes?
Luljeta Kapedani: The application of CTPS in our classes leads to the materialization of learning topics, and increase the children’s commitment to deal more and more with technology.
8. What are your impressions about working with the students on creating this project?
Luljeta Kapedani: During our work I noticed the enthusiasm of children and their desire to work with micro: bits. They were in search of good results from the project and its improvement everyday. Even though their work was evaluated, they showed great interest in proceeding with new ideas and expand the group of work.