Week 7 Personal Reflection- Maker Space

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

The multiple LEDS. This is the first one that I completed and was successful on the first try. I was able to figure out the wires and the code right away. Then I was proud of myself because we had to combine the LED with the POT for an extended challenge and I was able to successfully complete this as well. I  felt like this is the point where it all finally clicked and I really understood what we were doing and how it all worked. I truly felt accomplished and I was so proud of myself! From this point on in the class my confidence was so good. Normally on the challenges I struggled with something and had to get help, but this was truly 100% on my own with just the book! 

 

 Where were you when you started and where did you end up?

When we first started, I honestly had no idea what we were doing and how to do it. I was just copying down the code not really understanding anything. Each week I slowly understood more and more. What really helped me was when I would record talking about the code. This helped me understand it more because I had to explain everything. I knew what everything for the most part was doing in the code and wires and why you needed them. The wires I understood the difference week when explaining those in my video. I was slowly able to understand how those all worked and what all needed to be connected on the board and why. This was actually the part I enjoyed the most because I understood it and looked forward to putting everything together each week. On the last challenge, I was successful in combining different types of sketches with a POT, motor, and LED. Having the boom really helped because I am a visual learner, so seeing the sketch in the book helped me put everything together each week. 

 

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

What did I not learn that I didn't know before. As I  mentioned in our very first post, I had little experience with coding. I had taken a BCIS class in high school but that was only to make a little game. I have learned so much over the past 6 weeks. I learned all about how each part of the board has a job that then connects to the program and sketch. With the coding, I learned  you always have to have  ground power  to connect resistors to the negative side of the bread board and 5v power if you're  connecting something like a POT to the positive side of the bread board. I also learned that the digital ports are what connect the board to the Arduino program to run lights and lights also need a resistor connected to them to control the flow of power. The POT and sensors have to be connected to Analog Ports. 

For the code, I really do not remember much about it when I learned how to complete it in high school. All I really remember is that certain functions make certain things happen and if it's not right, it will not work. First you always have to initialize any thing you will be working with such as pins and values. Then you have to have the set up which tells what will be an input or output. The loop is what you want the board to do. This is where you include analog and digital write and delays. Analog write is for resistors/POTS and digital is for LEDS and buttons like the board. The function tells it to do something if something else happens and or else tells it to do something else. The map function helps to convert numbers in a range and the constraint function helps to constraint numbers between a higher and lower limit. Also, in the void loop when working with LEDS you have to set them to HIGH and LOW for them to turn on and off. When wanting to control the LEDS or anything with the POT or sensor you have to include a sensor Value code and in this code will be what it controls which will mostly be a LED. 

 

 How did you actually come to learn this new knowledge? 

Each week as we were trying something new, I would learn something new by completing the challenge. I would set up the board, then type in the code. As I was typing  in the code I would be looking at the example sketch that came with my Arduino program. This explains what each function would do. I would actually not truly understand it until I was explaining it in my video. I also learned so much from my peers in the class. When we were talking in the discussion someone was always sharing tips and websites that helped them. I also had to occasionally turn to websites and videos. One of the websites that I went to mostly was the instructables website and the Arduino website was also very helpful. I definitely could not have done and learned any of this on my own. 

 

What did you learn about yourself?  

When we first started this class, I really thought that I would not be able to do the board and coding because I really had no idea how they worked. Once we started with the challenges, I found that I slowly started to understand what we were doing. I learned that if I take the time to really understand what each wire and part is doing on the board and pay attention to how they all connect together, then I am able to understand how it works. I learned about myself that I am very determined to get the challenges to work and try to figure out how they work. 

I also learned about myself that I am really resourceful and can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I just have to really take time and focus on what I am doing. I learned how to problem solve more than I really have had to in the past few years. I also learned how important it is to collaborate with others because we all really helped each other out during this course.

 

 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?

 Looking back I can tell that at first I was very hesitant and not confident in myself to be able to complete the challenges because I admitted  it in my reflection but also in my challenge thinking, I was very detailed typing out every little detail and step I took. I think I did this to make sure I knew what I was doing and so I could go back later and understand the steps and process. I think I was also afraid if I did not do this, I would forget what something did or how it worked then I would not be able to remember. I find this happens sometimes in other areas, I easily forget details, so I tend to take a lot of notes. I think also in explaining it this way, I would be helping others understand each part of the challenge. 

 

Where did you say your challenges were? 

I think my biggest challenge was working with the code; I would tend to leave things out or forget to put something in. I also really struggled with combining different things, especially the RGB LED. Any time that I had to work with that, I just could not figure out how to make it do anything except blink through the colors. I also struggled with remembering which way the LEDs and RGBs went. Most of the challenges with LEDs, I would have them backwards on my board. I would double check them and not be sure which way was correct and would have to go back to the guide book. The same was for the code. I would have to look back at the example code

 

Did these challenges change over the time of the class?  

For the most part, I feel I made the same mistakes each week. I think this is mostly because I did not go back and see what mistakes I had made the previous week, so I would forget I messed up on it and then make the same mistake again. 

 As you entered the world of the maker, what do you see as your next adventure in the world of making?

My next adventure in making is to hopefully see part of my Makerspace Vision come to life. I had actually been planning to start incorporating coding lessons into my lessons during our extra time that we have. This would be easy to do because we already have this time and have made a rotation for students. The other teachers will be doing art; which now that I think about this is technically ,makerspace as well. When the students rotate to my class, we will begin the coding.com program that I had in my Makerspace Vision. 

 

 What are your next steps?

 My next steps are to talk with my principal about getting my makerspace idea going and also planning out how to make this happen next year. This would be a little harder to do, because we would have to figure out how to fit it into the schedule with the other teachers. I think since we are starting with just the code.com website, this is something they could have a training on this summer and then guide their students through it. As far as the second part with the LEGOs coding kits; this would require some scheduling. After Christmas break out students go to Band, and we are only left with about a third of our students. So, it would only be those students that get to work with the kits. This might not be bad to start with a smaller group because we could work out any issues then try it with a bigger group next year, or try to put it after school.