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Ann:$25 PCB to help novices/protect Arduino. Schools. Parents?

Former Member

I hope it is okay that I marked this as a question? It IS an announcement... but also a question in that feedback on the item described is my main reason for posting! If experts find problems if they are kind enough to review the page offered below,their thoughts will be very welcome.

 

This is NOT "crowd sourced" vaporware! The boards exist. They work. But I am inviting Mr Murphy to the party, AND involving kids... I am not so egotistical to believe that there is nothing that could be improved. Before I put a lot more time into this, I want to be sure there are no fundamental flaws at the heart of the work to date!

 

I now have six copies of a PCB which, along with it's components, cost about $25 each.

 

NoviceGuard, as I call it, is an attempt to make an Arduino Pro Mini "novice friendly", and also novice SAFE... i.e., the user can't damage the Arduino, if just one basic rule is kept.

 

I hope it will make the Arduino something that can be used in schools with children as young as 10.

 

I have a general page about it, but also a page for teachers/ parents, and one written to tell "experts" what I've tried to do. I hope experts will look at their page, and write to me if they can see things that I've overlooked... is there a way to damage the board that I've overlooked?

 

Experts' page: Call for review: for experts, a plea for input: NoviceGuard (PCB261) ModGeeInt.htm

 

Parents', teachers' page: Introduction for teachers, parents: NoviceGuard (PCB261) ModTeaInt.htm

 

(There are links to the general page from both.)

 

I am looking for suitable people to LOAN a prototype to, for comment. Details in both pages.

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    I don't want to rain on your parade, but I dunno, teaching Arduino to that age group seems precarious at best.  I've seen some simple block electronics kits that snap together to make something light up or buzz or what not and that may be more age appropriate.  Heck some of the old spring type electronics sets might even work.

     

    If you are going to try and gear it for a slightly older kids, maybe in high school and you are looking to protect the product from damage, let me tell you a little story. In high school, I took a Ham Radio course.  We had access to all kinds of cool technology and equipment, but kids will of course be kids.  We found that in the ham shack there was a switchable outlet.  We decided to stick resistors into the the outlet, flip the power on and hear/watch them go bang.  Took the teacher a good 10+ resistor explosions before he figured out what the hell we were doing and for him to evict us from the shack.  If you are looking to protect a board from this slightly older crowd, I'm telling you right now, good luck.

     

    You could potentially program a simulator to drag virtual wires from terminal to component and teach that way without blowing anything up, but I honestly think that kids learn better when they use their hands.  Breaking things is just a solid part of that learning process.

     

    If I were a teacher, which I am not, and I was going to teach an Arduino class, I would probably ask for an activity fee at the beginning of the class, buy a crap ton of good cheap boards and parts and roll with it, as mentioned.  If someone blows a board up, then guess what?  We take that board front and center (in front of the class) and show why it got destroyed and get some participation from the class on how it could be avoided in the future.  Turn the destruction into a learning experience.  You could even pre-teach some DO's and DONT's before they get to touch their first board.

     

    Our society sometimes I think goes too far to protect the general public and products from harm.  Sometimes I think Darwin just needs to kick in.  Smoke and fire are fun anyhow.

     

    4RINGFAN

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  • 0

    I don't want to rain on your parade, but I dunno, teaching Arduino to that age group seems precarious at best.  I've seen some simple block electronics kits that snap together to make something light up or buzz or what not and that may be more age appropriate.  Heck some of the old spring type electronics sets might even work.

     

    If you are going to try and gear it for a slightly older kids, maybe in high school and you are looking to protect the product from damage, let me tell you a little story. In high school, I took a Ham Radio course.  We had access to all kinds of cool technology and equipment, but kids will of course be kids.  We found that in the ham shack there was a switchable outlet.  We decided to stick resistors into the the outlet, flip the power on and hear/watch them go bang.  Took the teacher a good 10+ resistor explosions before he figured out what the hell we were doing and for him to evict us from the shack.  If you are looking to protect a board from this slightly older crowd, I'm telling you right now, good luck.

     

    You could potentially program a simulator to drag virtual wires from terminal to component and teach that way without blowing anything up, but I honestly think that kids learn better when they use their hands.  Breaking things is just a solid part of that learning process.

     

    If I were a teacher, which I am not, and I was going to teach an Arduino class, I would probably ask for an activity fee at the beginning of the class, buy a crap ton of good cheap boards and parts and roll with it, as mentioned.  If someone blows a board up, then guess what?  We take that board front and center (in front of the class) and show why it got destroyed and get some participation from the class on how it could be avoided in the future.  Turn the destruction into a learning experience.  You could even pre-teach some DO's and DONT's before they get to touch their first board.

     

    Our society sometimes I think goes too far to protect the general public and products from harm.  Sometimes I think Darwin just needs to kick in.  Smoke and fire are fun anyhow.

     

    4RINGFAN

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