ETEC 597: Course Retrospective

Final Course Retrospective

 

What was the build that you are most proud of and why?

The build that I am most proud of is the musical circuit that plays Jingle Bells.  That build took the most research to successfully complete and I was able to involve my students and family.  I was impressed by the resemblance to the actual tune of Jingle Bells.

Go back to your first week and read each week’s submission with an eye for personal growth. Where were you when you started and where did you end up?

I gained an appreciation for hardware programmers after taking this course.  My skills as a CS teacher and developer were pushed beyond what I was accustomed to doing.  After the last project, I discovered that I had a yearning for more projects.  I am hoping to be able to pick up on Arduino development as a hobby.

What did you learn that you didn’t know before?

I was aware of some C++ syntax before the course but I didn’t know exactly how the programs were implements (especially how OOP came into play with C++.)  I learned how to write functions with C++ and my previous Java knowledge enabled me to make the connection on how to call those programs in the main loop.

How did you actually come to learn this new knowledge?

I learned this knowledge by building on my previous programming knowledge and learning through the Arduino reference site and tutorials.

What did you learn about yourself?

I learned that I enjoy experiential learning more than following prescribed instructions.  I have always felt that I did not really think outside of the box but this course made me more astute to the fact that I enjoy a challenge.  I feel better about challenging  my students more now that I have been challenged myself.

Look at your words for each week and see how they might read if one of your students turned in that submission. What were you telling yourself about yourself?

I feel that I was a little brief in some of my responses although I completed the challenges.  I am sure that this was because of my busy schedule and having so much on my plate.  I now feel the way that most of my seniors do at any point during the week; having a lot to do doesn’t excuse me from having to do the work, though.

Where did you say your challenges where?

My biggest challenge was managing my time effectively.  Having 6 preps, graduate school, and a 2-year old at home causes some serious issues when trying to find the time to test and build a circuit.

Did these challenges change over the time of the class?

The main challenge did not change but my ability to adjust did.  I started setting aside some time at the end of each school day to work on Arduino projects and the students that I had in my room for extra help or Computer Science club began to get into the testing process as well.

As you entered the world of the maker, what do you see as your next adventure in the world of making? Is it to expand your abilities to work with microprocessor and move from prototype to the production of something fun and useful? Is it to see what you can learn about the world of 3D design and printing? Is it to see what aspects of making can be used with the younger children? It is to see what you need to do to bring your vision of a maker space to life in the real world? It can be anything.

My next adventure is going to be to actually implement the maker space into my school.  Given the technology support that my district gives, it will be a process where I will have to do the majority of the leg work.  This course gave me the background knowledge to rationalize the maker space and a couple of my colleagues have agreed to help me with this process.

What are your next steps?

My next steps will be to start the Education Foundation grant process for my maker space and keep tinkering with the Arduino.  I plan on purchasing several kits for my Engineering Design and Computer Programming classes to use in the spring.