Kudos for Classes @ DMS!

[Adam_Oas]

Just wanted to call out a few committees with a big THANK YOU! Even with the hullabaloo around classes, these areas of the makerspace are still offering a good selection of classes on the calendar!

I’m seeing a good selection of Ceramics, Science, Metal Shop, 3D Fab, Blacksmithing, Creative Arts, Jewelry and a few others on the calendar.

I’d like to issue a bit of a challenge to some of the other committees to get some more classes on the calendar!

If you’re unsure as to whether you (YES, YOU IF YOU’RE READING THIS) can teach a class, please feel free to private message me and I’ll work with you to get you going on something! I’ve got a few ideas of classes that pretty much ANYONE can teach!

[bpamplin]

Great topic Adam! I have stumbled into being the unofficial cheerleader for Electronics training and have helped several teachers get started there. Contact me also if you are considering electronics training.

[heyheymama]

@NickWebb Eagle project construction is over. DMS needs an Arduino class.

[bpamplin]

@NickWebb has used his Boy Scout Eagle construction project as an excuse to not offer his awesome Arduino: Sensors for Fun and Non Profit class for tooooo long. Watch the Event Calendar. I think it is coming soon!

Congratulations on completion Eagle Scout Nick!

@heyheymama

[Russell_Crow]

HeyHeyMama,

What would you like to see in an Arduino Class?

I’m pretty good (so I’m told); do you want basic, sensors, motors, devices, web, oscilloscopes?

I’ve done some interesting things; drone ESCs, pyro ignition systems, frequency counters

What do you think?

[heyheymama]

I would like to see this smiling face in an Arduino class. - signed, his Mom

[Scott_Blevins]

What would you like to see in an Arduino Class?

I suggest you get in contact with @bpamplin, @NickWebb and @artg_dms.

They would be in a great position to respond to your inquiry. Sensors are a great option. I also think anything and everything related to addressable LED’s (think Adafruit or similar neopixel applications).

[bpamplin]

[Edit: This should have been a reply to @Russell_Crow.]

Here is a little background on our probably confusing Arduino class comments. I’ve developed seven Arduio-ish classes and presented them 36 times at DMS. In the process, I got to know @heyheymama’s 16 year old son @NickWebb. I asked him to help with classes and then to present a few slides and then we alternated presenting my Arduino: Sensors for Fun and Non Profit class. After Nick did a great job on this class a few times, I gave him the class. He offered it a few times and then got bogged down on class work and an ambitious Eagle Scout project. Comments from Stephenie and me above are gentle encouragement to Nick to start offering his class again since the Eagle project is complete.

I have somehow become an unofficial cheerleader to those considering doing electronics training. The interest in electronics classes at DMS is high. I had been advertising my classes recently but slow in scheduling them. Three classes I posted a couple of weeks back filled within 48 hours.

There is plenty of room for other microcontroller and electronics classes here. The most often request I have had is for a new class is Raspberry Pi. (Yeah… I know its not a microcontroller but folks keep asking me.) I am looking at developing a couple of new Arduino-ish classes but have no plans for RPi. I’ll be glad to help you develop a class any way I can.

class_descriptions.pdf

[bpamplin]

Full disclosure: Scott’s positive opinion of me is biased because I put together the Arduino program and LED strip circuit used in his prize winning 10x10 Sunflower entry. Artists and nerds work together at DMS.

[Scott_Blevins]

Artists and nerds work together at DMS.

Which is one of the founding principles of the global Maker Movement! People willing and able to share what they’ve learned to help other makers is one of the most exciting aspects of our local and global maker community.

Makers at DMS (and beyond, around the World) who are willing to share, mentor and impart their knowledge onto other makers is every bit as important and integral to Makerspaces as the ‘sexy tools’ we amass for the use of our members.

[Holliday]

Artists and Nerds working together brought us Disney World. I’m a fan!

[Holliday]

Would anyone be interested in a beginning crochet class? I could teach one.

[kyrithia]

Re teaching crochet

If you get a class going, you might want to know that we do keep plain worsted weight yarn (blue member yarn box) and a set of size H crochet hooks (enough for 6-8 folks I think) for teaching

Usually just have folks use that stuff in class and then can get their own at any hobby store. No need for supply fee since yarn used in class is minimal.

And if you haven’t been, I’d like to invite you to come hang with us at any of the Fiberholic Fiberfrolics. It’s a social hangout with other fiberarts folks. Bring a personal project and chill. Most of us spin, knit, crochet, what have you. Great way to meet others. Often Tuesday nights, but sometimes others.

~Jeannie
(Fiberarts SIG coordinator)

[Sarah_Hustwit]

I need to learn more /refresh the crocheting i learned a couple of months ago… And expand on it.

[kyrithia]

If you’re feeling really rusty and a class is coming up, then I say do that and support a teacher

If we don’t have a class coming up soon or you don’t need the whole thing again, come to a fiberfrolic. Several of us can teach it or just be training wheels while you refresh what you need

Generally, a class will have more structure and a group of folks doing the same thing

Fiberfrolics will be one-in-one and can learn from beginning or just refresher, but it’s a more informal setting

If you’re particularly making a special trip to a frolic to get crochet help (or whatever help) might check ahead and we can usually say who will be there that knows it. (Best way is posting either here or fb group). Or bring a backup project in case no one with the skill you need is there that night. Unlikely, but could happen.

If I’m going to be there, I teach crochet. I think two other regulars do. Knitting, at least three regulars teach. Spinning, at least 2-3 regulars could teach. Felting, several of us

[Russell_Crow]

I looked through the Syllabus for Arduino Sensors For Fun & Profit. It looks good. Is there a Kit at DMS with all those goodies? Is the Code on the Committee drive, with schematics, or will I have to bring my own? When is the best time to offer this class? I just checked events and found NO UPCOMING Arduino classes…EEEK!

I was thinking about adding some of the more advanced I2C sensors (RBG Color Sensor and Accelerometer Compass), as well as an Allen Bradley angle encoder, so we can instill the concept of adding Libraries, and exploiting the Calls, as well as edge triggered events. That sort of makes this an Intermediate level class, but that’s where the meat and potatoes of Arduino gadgets live.

[bpamplin]

I do not know of any specific rules on it but I have always considered that if you develop a non-required class, you control its usage at DMS unless you give it away or give someone else permission to present it. I have developed eight Arduino-ish classes and gave the Sensors class to @NickWebb. I have offered another class to another potential teacher and have assisted others in developing their own classes. I’ll be glad to help you develop your own classes in any way I can.

EEEK! is correct for my classes through probably mid September due to my schedule. I think @Dale_Wheat has posted some electronics classes that are not on the calendar yet put I’m not sure what they will be. All my classes and Nick’s Sensors class are here with presentation and program files. http://pamplin.com/dms/

Interesting that you use the word schematics which would be expected to be in classes. My classes probably average about half total beginners so I just list the connections to be made and do not discuss schematics. This would be a great subject for a class or as part of a class. I purchase and furnish all my own parts for the classes. Check with @artg_dms. I pushed him to purchase a bunch of official Nanos for other teachers to use.

While there is plenty of room for other beginner classes, intermediate and advanced level microcontroller classes seem to not show up often at all. Your comments are great. The accelerator,… family of devices are fascinating but I’ve not played with them.

Thoughts on developing and running a class

While helping several teachers-to-be develop electronics classes, I throw out quite a few suggestions. I’ve been asked to make a list which follows. Some items may be controversial. I look forward to your view. Let’s be civil and expand this thread into a list of additional things that we think is useful in developing and running a class. Much of this, like slide presentation info, may not apply to other areas. I hope some thoughts here may be helpful. When you are ready to submit a class…

[Russell_Crow]

I saw your syllabus for “Sensors…”, it’s very good. It’s a bridge between basic and intermediate level, and invites the student to dig deeper.

I once attended a class hosted by Louis Bright; he had been a tech on Shockley’s Team at Bell Labs in 1947, when they developed the 1st transistor. Dr. Bright began the talk with the Quantum Theory of semi-conduction, Arsenic doped into Silicon. He continued onto transistors; building gates (and, nand, nor, etc…), and ended with a Von Neumann architecture for a CPU.

We were dying. Even our CS Instructor was glazed over, it was just too much raw information to process.

I don’t want to do this, but I’m thinking about splitting the class because of A TOTAL LACK OF CLASSES.

Maybe Basic Arduino: load the IDE, flash Blink, write some button sense and LED response, then razzle dazzle with NeoPixels.

Then, Intd Arduino: hook up some I2C devices, load libraries, use the calls, read some real world data…drive some devices.

If I do them back-to-back, it’s easier for me, but worthless to complete initiates unless they are ridiculously smart. Or back-to-back with a warning: take the 1st, go home and study, take the 2nd a week later…what do you think?

[bpamplin]

I saw your syllabus for “Sensors…”, it’s very good. It’s a bridge between basic and intermediate level, and invites the student to dig deeper.

I don’t want to do this, but I’m thinking about splitting the class because of A TOTAL LACK OF CLASSES.

I’m not sure I follow this. Are you talking about splitting @NickWebb’s Arduino: Sensors for Fun and Non Profit class and presenting it. Do you have permission from Nick? It is not my class. I gave it to Nick and he has presented it several times.

Arduino Sensors class - the changing of the guard

Of my four Arduino-ish class, the most popular has been Arduino: Sensors for Fun and Non Profit. Nick Webb, 16 year old son of Stephenie Webb, was a student in a class, then an assistant, then a partner teaching every other Sensors class. Tonight I announced that I am retiring from teaching this class and Nick will be taking over. Three members came in to help the class celebrate the event. @heyheymama said how proud she is of Nick. @Kriskat30 mentioned how happy she is to have another te…

Otherwise your comments are excellent. I had some glazed over eyes in my early classes but backed off some details and added more simple programs since I describe my classes as for beginners in electronics and programming. I think it is important for the announcement to describe the level of background recommended. I probably average one software engineer or EE per class. They may come because they have not used some component or just for fun. They are very welcome and often help a lot as we move into the lab section and several beginners need assistance at the same time.

What do I think about how to handle a follow up class? I will pass on that because it will depend heavily on the audience and how you present it. While some would recommend having a class totally planned before you start preparing material, I find that as I prepare slides and consider what to say, the original plans evolve some. After presenting a class the first time, you will have even better insight.

Good luck on your class. There will probably be rough spots but you will find that DMS students are the best in the world!