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🔔 In This Issue
📣 Introducing the B4 Spark – A hands-on journey into digital systems
🐍 Online Now: Python Intro Course – A coding adventure
🚀 Curriculum Search Engine – Smarter, faster lesson planning
🎓 Teach AI with Confidence – Register now
🧠 Explore student learning on MyComputerBrain
📝 Fresh off the Blogsphere – New ideas and insights
🎬 Video Explainers – Ready to use in your classroom
📣 Meet us at QSITE Conference – Sept 22–23 in Townsville
📣 Hello, B4 Spark
Introducing the B4 Spark – A Hands-On Journey into Digital Systems
We’re excited to launch the B4 Spark — a brand-new kit, designed and manufactured in Australia, that takes students on a step-by-step journey inside the computer.
Aligned with the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies, the B4 Spark helps students explore data representation, digital systems, and algorithmic thinking through practical, classroom-ready activities.
Available in two versions:
B4 Spark Core – introduces the foundations of computing
B4 Spark Master Programmer – extends learning into cybersecurity
Together, they offer schools a flexible, scalable way to bring Digital Systems to life.
🐍 Online Now: Python Intro Course
We're seeing fantastic adoption of our free MyComputerBrain: Python Intro course, a free, browser-based adventure designed to teach students in Years 7–10 the fundamentals of Python coding through an intriguing, story-driven mission. In this engaging course, students don’t begin with a simple “Hello World.” Instead, they uncover a strange program on the school server. With each discovery, they awaken a dormant system.
👉 Watch the promo video.
The activities are crafted to challenge students to:
Use Python to interact with and repair the mysterious system.
Apply coding concepts like `print()`, `input()`, variables, decisions and loops through immersive problems.
Encode information in a binary matrix.
Hack an Artificial Intelligence
Curriculum Search Engine
Looking to build a lesson around climate change or data analysis in Science? The Curriculum Search Engine helps you find exactly where these topics align with the Australian Curriculum V9 — in seconds.
For example, a quick search for “climate change” instantly shows links to learning areas, subjects, content descriptors, etc. You’ll also see cross-curriculum priorities such as Sustainability, and suggested activities generated by our AI Advisor— perfect for turning a search into a lesson. Click on any output to explore the curriculum in more detail.
This tool is designed specifically for Australian educators and includes:
Smart visual filters across learning areas
Direct curriculum code references
AI-generated lesson idea starters
This tool turns inspiration into actionable teaching resources within minutes. Try it now and revolutionise your curriculum planning. The first month is free, and there are no annoying auto-renewing subscriptions.
Teacher PD: Learn, Grow, Inspire
Our live Professional Development series continues in September. 📅 Register early to secure your spot!
If you prefer to do AI-related PD at times that suit you best:
The DTI Classroom offers an interactive, self-paced AI workshop. It includes everything teachers need to get started with AI teaching. 👉 Check it out
You can subscribe to our AI video channel to watch three webinars at your convenience. 👉 Check it out and scroll to the bottom of the page.
📝 Fresh on the Blog
We’ve published exciting reads that dive into the heart of digital learning and AI education. Check them out!
The B4 Spark is a hands-on computing kit designed to let students see and build the inner workings of a computer.
What if your next Python unit was not just about syntax — but about saving, or perhaps unleashing, a powerful system?
Every teacher dreams of crafting lessons that spark curiosity, build deep understanding, and connect learning across subjects.
Student Learning through MyComputerBrain
MyComputerBrain is our online learning system that lets students explore the exciting world of Digital Technologies. The newest releases are the Python Intro and Generative AI Course. Visit MyComputerBrain and check the Getting Started guide.
🎬 Video Explainers
Scroll to the bottom of MyComputerBrain to find our course promos and AI explainer videos, perfectly crafted for your students. Our main website also features an entire section of additional AI and digital technologies videos to support your teaching of Digital Technology.
📣 Meet Us at the QSITE Conference!
We’re proud to be exhibiting at the QSITE “CreativITy 2025” Conference in Townsville – Sept 22–23. 👉 Learn more about the event
Visit our table to see the Curriculum Search Engine, explore MyComputerBrain, and get hands-on with the B4 Computing Kit.
I will also be holding sessions/workshops on:
Decoding Generative AI – How it works and what it teaches us about learning
Code That Captivates – Teaching Python through story and suspense
Search. Map. Teach. – Exploring the Curriculum Search Engine
If you’re attending, be sure to drop by and say hello!
Warm Regards,
Dr. Karsten Schulz
The Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies expects students to understand how data is represented, how hardware and software work together, and how digital systems process information. Yet for many students, computers remain a black box — they type in code and something happens, but the inner workings stay hidden.
The B4 Spark makes these concepts visible. Through hands-on missions, students wire components, store and process data in binary, and watch a simple computer come to life — building the exact knowledge and skills required by the curriculum.
From Black Box to Hands-On Learning
The B4 Spark is a hands-on computing kit designed to let students see and build the inner workings of a computer. Instead of abstract diagrams or textbook descriptions, students plug in wires, connect modules, and watch data flow through the system.
Through a carefully structured set of 16 missions, students move step by step from simple beginnings — representing numbers in binary — to constructing a simple, yet functional, programmable Calculator. Along the way, they learn about:
Binary numbers and data representation
How a computer adds, subtracts, stores, and retrieves data
How hardware and software work together to process instructions and thereby form a digital system.
A Journey in Three Parts
The missions are grouped into three phases, making the learning journey clear and achievable:
Part 1 (Missions 1–7): Students explore the fundamental building blocks and build their first programmable calculator.
Part 2 (Missions 8–11): Students automate operations and write their first programs in table form and extend their system.
Part 3 (Missions 12–16): With the Master Programmer extension, students connect the B4 Spark to their laptops: advanced program design, timing and synchronisation, and even cyber security experiments.
With the B4 Spark, students begin their journey the way the computer pioneers did — plugging wires and pushing buttons to make the system work. This historic approach is intentional: it grounds students in the fundamentals before showing them how a computer gradually automates each step. The progression from manual wiring to full automation brings together the history of computing and the skills students need in Digital Technologies.
Curriculum-Aligned, Classroom-Ready
Knowledge and Understanding
Digital Systems: Students wire up modules and see how these internal components connect to form a working system.
Data Representation: By entering values directly in binary and watching them light up LEDs or move through memory, students gain an intuitive grasp of how computers store and process information.
Processes & Production Skills
Data: Students acquire data by entering numbers in binary through switches, manage it by storing and updating values in RAM, and analyse it by comparing expected results with the actual outputs shown on LEDs.
Investigating and Defining: Each mission begins with a challenge — e.g. “How can we add more than two numbers?” — which students explore by breaking down the problem. This leads to simple algorithms.
Generating and Designing: Students design program tables that describe, step by step, what the computer should do.
Producing and Implementing: They wire up the B4 Spark and run their own programs, seeing results in real time.
Evaluating: Students test outputs against expectations and refine their solutions.
Collaborating and Managing: Missions are designed for pairs or small groups, encouraging teamwork in building, debugging, and explaining their systems.
Privacy & Security: Advanced missions show how data in RAM can be inspected, altered, or misused — a practical entry point into cyber security.
The B4 Spark comes with lesson plans, giving teachers the scaffolding they need to deliver rich, hands-on experiences without requiring specialist background knowledge. Each mission is carefully designed with cognitive load theory in mind — introducing one new concept at a time, building on prior knowledge, and avoiding unnecessary distractions. The B4 Spark also balances explicit teaching with guided exploration: students learn step by step how each component works, then apply their understanding through open-ended challenges that encourage discovery and problem-solving.
Flexible Options for Schools
The B4 Spark is available in two versions:
B4 Spark Core – everything needed to get underway for Missions 1-11, taking students from wires to a programmable calculator.
B4 Spark Master Programmer – an optional extension for Missions 12–16, where students connect the B4 Spark to their laptops, design a programming language and hack the B4 Spark in a sandboxed Cybersecurity space.
Schools can start with the Core and later add the Master Programmer, or dive straight into the full journey.
Why you will love It
The B4 Spark makes the invisible visible. Students aren’t just coding; they’re building the machine that runs the code. This tangible experience demystifies computing, sparks curiosity, and helps students see the logic behind every program they’ll write in the future.
👉 Interested in bringing the B4 Spark into your classroom?
- Digital Technologies Institute PTY LTD
- Jul 29
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 4
🔔 In This Issue
🚀 Curriculum Search Engine – Smarter, faster lesson planning
🐍 Our new Python Intro Course has landed! And it's free!
🎓 Live PD Webinars are back – Register now
🧠 Explore the Courses on MyComputerBrain
💻 B4 Kits – Boost foundational computing with hands-on tools
📣 Meet us at QSITE Conference – Sept 22–23 in Townsville
📣 Decode the Universe: Space Signals with Micro:bit Workshop - Free!
Curriculum Search Engine
Discover the Curriculum Search Engine (CSE) — the smarter, faster way to plan curriculum-aligned lessons. The CSE is designed specifically for Australian educators. It allows you to search any topic and immediately see how it aligns with the Australian Curriculum V9 across learning areas, general capabilities, and cross-curriculum priorities.
With powerful visualisations and intuitive filters, the CSE makes lesson planning easier. It also features an integrated AI Advisor to help generate lesson ideas. This tool turns inspiration into actionable teaching resources within minutes. Try it now and revolutionise your curriculum planning. The first month is free, and there are no annoying auto-renewing subscriptions.
Online Now: Python Intro Course:
MyComputerBrain: Python Intro is a free, browser-based course designed to teach students in Years 7–10 the fundamentals of Python coding through an intriguing, story-driven mission. In this engaging course, students don’t begin with a simple “Hello World.” Instead, they uncover a strange program on the school server. With each discovery, they awaken a dormant system.
👉 Watch the promo video.
The activities are crafted to challenge students to:
Use Python to interact with and repair the mysterious system.
Apply coding concepts like `print()`, `input()`, variables, decisions and loops through immersive problems.
Encode information in a binary matrix.
Hack an Artificial Intelligence
Teacher PD: Learn, Grow, Inspire
Our live Professional Development series is back. 📅 Register early to secure your spot!
If you prefer to do AI-related PD at times that suit you best:
The DTI Classroom offers an interactive, self-paced AI workshop. It includes everything teachers need to get started with AI teaching. 👉 Check it out
You can subscribe to our AI video channel to watch three webinars at your convenience. 👉 Check it out and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Fresh on the Blog
We’ve published exciting reads that dive into the heart of digital learning and AI education. Check them out!
What if your next Python unit was not just about syntax — but about saving, or perhaps unleashing, a powerful system?
Every teacher dreams of crafting lessons that spark curiosity, build deep understanding, and connect learning across subjects.
Student Learning through MyComputerBrain
MyComputerBrain is our online learning system that lets students explore the exciting world of Digital Technologies. The newest releases are the Python Intro and Generative AI Course. Visit MyComputerBrain and check the Getting Started guide.
Video Explainers
Scroll to the bottom of MyComputerBrain to find our course promos and AI explainer videos, perfectly crafted for your students. Our main website also features an entire section of additional AI and digital technologies videos to support your teaching of Digital Technology.
The B4 Computing Kits: A Classroom Favourite
A strong understanding of computing fundamentals is vital for students. The Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies aims to build this foundation. The B4 is highly regarded in Australian classrooms. It helps students explore digital systems, data representation, and algorithms in an engaging and accessible manner.
The B4 also supports the teaching of complex concepts such as binary numbers, variables, and algorithm development. Did you know the B4 includes physical variables that students can hold in their hands?
Join the many educators who are using the B4 to bring computing concepts to life in their classrooms! Explore the resource today and see how it can enhance your students’ learning experience.
📣 Meet Us at the QSITE Conference!
I'm excited to announce that we’ll be exhibiting at the upcoming QSITE “CreativITy 2025” Conference, taking place in Townsville on September 22–23. 👉 Learn more about the event
Visit our table to see the Curriculum Search Engine, explore MyComputerBrain, and get hands-on with the B4 Computing Kit.
I will also be holding sessions/workshops on:
Decoding Generative AI: How It Works and What It Teaches Us About Learning
Code That Captivates: Teaching Python Through Story and Suspense
Search. Map. Teach. Exploring the Curriculum Search Engine
If you’re attending, be sure to stop by!
📣 Decode the Universe: Space Signals with Micro:bit Workshop - Free!
QSITE Gold Coast is hosting a free workshop for teachers, in preparation for Science Week. Explore how to use micro:bit technology to teach binary code, space science, and real-world data systems in a fun, meaningful way. Perfect for teachers looking to integrate coding and STEM into their classrooms!
🗓️ 7th August | 🕓 4–5pm
📍 Pimpama Community Centre | 🍰 Afternoon tea provided
🎟️ Free tickets here
📩 Questions? Reach out: goldcoast@qsite.edu.au
I hope you’ve found something you like. Please let us know how we can assist you further.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Karsten Schulz
