Kingswood Hosts First Hack Jam Event

On Tuesday, Kingswood hosted its first ever Hack Jam with 66 students from Years 7-10 taking part.

Students were required to design a solution to a problem using a BBC microbit and then develop a prototype. Pupils considered a range of potential products, including an alarm clock for an igloo, a pitch measurement tool for musical instruments and a temperature gauge for outside a submarine.

Initially students took part in a game which culminated in a range of ideas being developed from which teams chose the solution they would prototype. They then had an hour and a half to develop their prototype and write some sample code.

All of the staff who attended the event were delighted to see the level of effort and engagement from every single student. Alan O'Donohoe, who ran the event, commented on how well everyone worked together.

Teams were judged for their creativity, team working and problem solving skills. Mr Snell, Dr Wood and Mr Shah scored the teams with prizes being awarded at the conclusion of the event. Prizes included Arduino micro experiment kits, flow paws, Raspberry Pi's and a range of coding books.

The judges named the two teams of Oscar, Joe and Oliver, and the team of Will, Alex and Zac as the overall winners of the event.