Difference between revisions of "March 2011 Hackerspace Challenge"

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== Ideas from Meeting on March 8th 2011==
+
[[Draft letter to Mitch Altman]]
 +
* See [http://lists.hackerspaces.org/pipermail/discuss/2011-March/003582.html] for guidelines
 +
* Due 8PM EST 3/11/2011
  
* Trig. Tablet: a right angle device, reads trig functions as angle of armature changes -PROBABLY NOT -jcrews
+
[[Challenges in elementary education]]
* "Player Piano Pen": pen or car with LEDs and light sensors, reads and plays notes as it's rolled along a musical score
+
== Project Focus ==
* The Baroo Indicator: students can anonymously register their confusion during a clss  ''Rather than be anonymous, it might be helpful for such a device to be inconspicuous to use so students could register confusion without attracting attention of their classmates but it would probably be important to identify the feedback of identified individual students to teachers.  That way, teachers could use the data more intentionally to group students for learning.''
+
* Accelerometer eggdrop: ball reads force as intensity, color, blinkrate, then plays it back
+
* Blocks: communicate w/ eachother to teach sets, arithmetic, etc
+
  
* A Cartesian coordinate game system: 2 axes, buttons or touch pads at all intersections of the coordinates. Games are all built around (X,Y) format: variation on Battleship, or punching given coordinates for speed, etc.
+
Currently, we're focusing on three projects.
* Fraction teacher: a grid of 5x5 LEDs. Select the denominator and the proper number of LEDs turns red. Select the numerator and the proper subset of those turns green and the decimal equivalent is shown on the readout. (I am using the simple red/green LEDs here).
+
  
''Dream ideas from teachers in the field'':
+
* "Player [[Piano]] Pen": pen or car with LEDs and light sensors, reads and plays notes as it's rolled along a musical score
 +
* [[Project Bouncy Ball|bouncy ball]] that uses accelerometers and LEDs to teach kids about force and motion.
 +
* [[Project Numeric Blocks|numeric blocks]]: blocks with numeric displays that communicate w/ eachother to teach numbers, counting, sets, arithmetic, etc
 +
 
 +
== The Project Team ==
 +
People who are definitely in:
 +
* Alan Dipert (1-2 hours a week + a marathon: C programming, miscellany, CAD (sketchup and rhino)
 +
* JC Sackett (2 hours a week + a marathon: arduino programming, software development (python, lua, ruby))
 +
* Justis Peters (5 hours a week: project management, software development, and Arduino)
 +
* Skippy Hope (2-3 hours a week + a marathon: C, perl, some Arduino, degree in music, has taught private lessons)
 +
* Jeff Crews (2 hours a week until later: fabrication, CAD)
 +
* Peter Reintjes (8 hours a week: electronics and PIC microcontrollers, schematics)
 +
* Mike Broome (3-4 hours a week (no weekends): programming (C, perl, java), low-level chip stuff, electronics, minor fabrication)
 +
* Dino Segovis (3 hours a week: hardware, electronics, 555 timers, fabrication, electronics CAD (FreePCB))
 +
* Darren Boss (4-5 hours a week + a marathon: perl, ruby, java, photography)
 +
* Ashley -- I'm in. 1-2 hours week, lots of experience in classrooms and how to keep things "educator friendly" :) I'm interested in using this somehow: http://www.modk.it/ w/ our microcontroller integration so that even educators w/ no programming experience could "program" the project. I promise to be at the next meeting :)
 +
 
 +
Here are the breakout groups:
 +
=== floaters ===
 +
* Kristin Bedell
 +
* Peter Reintjes
 +
* Jeff Crews
 +
 +
=== numeric blocks ===
 +
* JC Sackett
 +
* Ashley
 +
 
 +
Jeff C: from last night, it looks like 2" solid hardwood blocks (may be purchasable as is), drilled out and with male-female pairs of large clothing snaps on opposite faces. One face forms the cap to cover the drilled out part. Other faces for display.
 +
 
 +
A "Master Block" (maybe in the shape of a spaceship: we can call the blocks "Dock Blocks!") would be snapped on one end of the block chain to supply power/determine instructions.
 +
 
 +
I'm looking for some ready-made blocks that I can drill out with the drill press, and add snaps. Should have this by Tuesday? Depends on if the blocks are local or not. Up to 10 or so blocks are doable by hand w/o the Shopbot. Do the 4 corners, take out the middle with a Forstner.
 +
 
 +
=== bouncy ball ===
 +
* Mike
 +
* Tom Billman
 +
 
 +
Justis, Jeff, and Mike will meet at 17:15 on IRC
 +
 
 +
Jeff C: I will pursue a large hollow Kong ball, split and then held together with a large O ring for security vs. ease of removal for service/programming. I'll build some kind of simple light board to work out the kinks of putting it in the ball and running lights to the outside (probably holes filled with translucent silicone caulk to secure the LEDs).
 +
 
 +
The large (softball size) Kong balls are hollow but very thick-walled rubber and very bouncy. May need to pot the electronics with 2 part casting urethane or similar. I want to keep it simple and replicable and cheap. I think the Kong will work for this.
 +
 
 +
it looks like large Orings might be a McMaster item but for now we can use a big rubber band.
 +
 
 +
=== player piano ===
 +
* Darren
 +
* Skippy
 +
* Alan
 +
 
 +
Jeff C: is there any physical fab/ construction I need to be doing in the short term? It doesn't look like it needs much beyond what Peter R did, except for a casing. And that comes later.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
People we need to chase down as potential team members:
 +
* Tom Karches (audio synthesizers, electronics, circuit bending, old electronics)
 +
* Tom Billman
 +
* Bill Farrow
 +
* Dirk and Sarah
 +
 
 +
People we need to chase down as potential project advisors:
 +
* Kristin Bedell
 +
* Maria Droujkova
 +
* Greg Dekoeningsberg
 +
* Paul Overton
 +
* Robin Mays
 +
* Emily Mays
 +
* Michael Stewart
 +
 
 +
Lenore will take pictures.
 +
 
 +
== The Project Team ==
 +
People who are definitely in:
 +
* Alan Dipert (1-2 hours a week + a marathon: C programming, miscellany, CAD (sketchup and rhino)
 +
* JC Sackett (2 hours a week + a marathon: writing, software development (python, some lua, some ruby), some arduino programming
 +
* Justis Peters (5 hours a week: project management, software development, and Arduino)
 +
* Skippy Hope (2-3 hours a week + a marathon: C, perl, some Arduino, degree in music, has taught private lessons)
 +
* Jeff Crews (2 hours a week until later: fabrication, CAD)
 +
* Peter Reintjes (8 hours a week: electronics and PIC microcontrollers, schematics)
 +
* Mike Broome (3-4 hours a week (no weekends): programming (C, perl, java), low-level chip stuff, electronics, minor fabrication)
 +
* Dino Segovis (3 hours a week: hardware, electronics, 555 timers, fabrication, electronics CAD (FreePCB))
 +
* Darren Boss (4-5 hours a week + a marathon: perl, ruby, java, photography)
 +
* Ashley -- I'm in. 1-2 hours week, lots of experience in classrooms and how to keep things "educator friendly" :) I'm interested in using this somehow: http://www.modk.it/ w/ our microcontroller integration so that even educators w/ no programming experience could "program" the project. I promise to be at the next meeting :)
 +
 
 +
People we need to chase down as potential team members:
 +
* Tom Karches (audio synthesizers, electronics, circuit bending, old electronics)
 +
* Tom Billman
 +
* Bill Farrow
 +
* Dirk and Sarah
 +
 
 +
People we need to chase down as potential project advisors:
 +
* Kristin Bedell
 +
* Maria Droujkova
 +
* Greg Dekoeningsberg
 +
* Paul Overton
 +
* Robin Mays
 +
* Emily Mays
 +
* Michael Stewart
 +
 
 +
Lenore will take pictures.
 +
 
 +
==Dream ideas from teachers in the field==
 
*A device that helps ELL students understand syllabication in English (e.g., you say a word and a light flashes to represent the number of syllables)
 
*A device that helps ELL students understand syllabication in English (e.g., you say a word and a light flashes to represent the number of syllables)
 
* Digital Divide conquering: a way to provide low-cost connectivity to students who lack connectivity in the home/some sort of inexpensive handheld device that students could transport between home and school that would enable students to continue working on their projects outside of school hours
 
* Digital Divide conquering: a way to provide low-cost connectivity to students who lack connectivity in the home/some sort of inexpensive handheld device that students could transport between home and school that would enable students to continue working on their projects outside of school hours
 
*A device that could attach to a SmartPhone, scan a word in text, pronounce the word and use the web to bring up an image of the word to illustrate meaning
 
*A device that could attach to a SmartPhone, scan a word in text, pronounce the word and use the web to bring up an image of the word to illustrate meaning
 
*Fraction blocks that can wirelessly communicate and work for adding unlike denominators/finding equivalencies.
 
*Fraction blocks that can wirelessly communicate and work for adding unlike denominators/finding equivalencies.
 
I was thinking last night/this morning about the kinds of mathematical teaching tools we currently use in elementary ed, given that much of the conversation last night revolved around mathematics. 
 
Common items include:
 
*counters.  Students in grades K-1 count everything, all the time.
 
*Unifix cubes.  Students use these to count, measure, add and subtract.  Students will frequently build "trains" of 10 cubes using 2 different colors, sets of 5 at a time to build understandings of 5 and 10 as benchmarks.
 
*snap cubes.  These are like Unifix cubes, but they are able to be combined in multiple directions, allowing students to build cubes or other shapes.  They can also be used for addition and subtraction and have more uses with area/perimeter/volume.
 
*Pattern blocks.  Used for a variety of applications, including shape names, patterning, fractions and operations.
 
*Base 10 blocks.  Apparently, when these were originally developed, there were blocks to model bases 2-10.  Only the 10 blocks seem to be in production still, but I would love to get my hands on other bases.  Used mainly to teach place value.
 
*Rulers, compasses, and protractors.  Used to teach measurement.
 
 
Places kids get hung up in foundational mathematics:
 
*place value (think more grouping/regrouping than "names of places")
 
*subtraction
 
*division
 
*fractions
 
*geometric logic, particularly with area/perimeter, transformations, and relationships among geometric figures
 
 
Thank you for taking on this challenge!  Hope this is helpful!
 

Latest revision as of 21:00, 8 April 2011

Draft letter to Mitch Altman

  • See [1] for guidelines
  • Due 8PM EST 3/11/2011

Challenges in elementary education

Contents

Project Focus

Currently, we're focusing on three projects.

  • "Player Piano Pen": pen or car with LEDs and light sensors, reads and plays notes as it's rolled along a musical score
  • bouncy ball that uses accelerometers and LEDs to teach kids about force and motion.
  • numeric blocks: blocks with numeric displays that communicate w/ eachother to teach numbers, counting, sets, arithmetic, etc

The Project Team

People who are definitely in:

  • Alan Dipert (1-2 hours a week + a marathon: C programming, miscellany, CAD (sketchup and rhino)
  • JC Sackett (2 hours a week + a marathon: arduino programming, software development (python, lua, ruby))
  • Justis Peters (5 hours a week: project management, software development, and Arduino)
  • Skippy Hope (2-3 hours a week + a marathon: C, perl, some Arduino, degree in music, has taught private lessons)
  • Jeff Crews (2 hours a week until later: fabrication, CAD)
  • Peter Reintjes (8 hours a week: electronics and PIC microcontrollers, schematics)
  • Mike Broome (3-4 hours a week (no weekends): programming (C, perl, java), low-level chip stuff, electronics, minor fabrication)
  • Dino Segovis (3 hours a week: hardware, electronics, 555 timers, fabrication, electronics CAD (FreePCB))
  • Darren Boss (4-5 hours a week + a marathon: perl, ruby, java, photography)
  • Ashley -- I'm in. 1-2 hours week, lots of experience in classrooms and how to keep things "educator friendly" :) I'm interested in using this somehow: http://www.modk.it/ w/ our microcontroller integration so that even educators w/ no programming experience could "program" the project. I promise to be at the next meeting :)

Here are the breakout groups:

floaters

  • Kristin Bedell
  • Peter Reintjes
  • Jeff Crews

numeric blocks

  • JC Sackett
  • Ashley

Jeff C: from last night, it looks like 2" solid hardwood blocks (may be purchasable as is), drilled out and with male-female pairs of large clothing snaps on opposite faces. One face forms the cap to cover the drilled out part. Other faces for display.

A "Master Block" (maybe in the shape of a spaceship: we can call the blocks "Dock Blocks!") would be snapped on one end of the block chain to supply power/determine instructions.

I'm looking for some ready-made blocks that I can drill out with the drill press, and add snaps. Should have this by Tuesday? Depends on if the blocks are local or not. Up to 10 or so blocks are doable by hand w/o the Shopbot. Do the 4 corners, take out the middle with a Forstner.

bouncy ball

  • Mike
  • Tom Billman

Justis, Jeff, and Mike will meet at 17:15 on IRC

Jeff C: I will pursue a large hollow Kong ball, split and then held together with a large O ring for security vs. ease of removal for service/programming. I'll build some kind of simple light board to work out the kinks of putting it in the ball and running lights to the outside (probably holes filled with translucent silicone caulk to secure the LEDs).

The large (softball size) Kong balls are hollow but very thick-walled rubber and very bouncy. May need to pot the electronics with 2 part casting urethane or similar. I want to keep it simple and replicable and cheap. I think the Kong will work for this.

it looks like large Orings might be a McMaster item but for now we can use a big rubber band.

player piano

  • Darren
  • Skippy
  • Alan

Jeff C: is there any physical fab/ construction I need to be doing in the short term? It doesn't look like it needs much beyond what Peter R did, except for a casing. And that comes later.


People we need to chase down as potential team members:

  • Tom Karches (audio synthesizers, electronics, circuit bending, old electronics)
  • Tom Billman
  • Bill Farrow
  • Dirk and Sarah

People we need to chase down as potential project advisors:

  • Kristin Bedell
  • Maria Droujkova
  • Greg Dekoeningsberg
  • Paul Overton
  • Robin Mays
  • Emily Mays
  • Michael Stewart

Lenore will take pictures.

The Project Team

People who are definitely in:

  • Alan Dipert (1-2 hours a week + a marathon: C programming, miscellany, CAD (sketchup and rhino)
  • JC Sackett (2 hours a week + a marathon: writing, software development (python, some lua, some ruby), some arduino programming
  • Justis Peters (5 hours a week: project management, software development, and Arduino)
  • Skippy Hope (2-3 hours a week + a marathon: C, perl, some Arduino, degree in music, has taught private lessons)
  • Jeff Crews (2 hours a week until later: fabrication, CAD)
  • Peter Reintjes (8 hours a week: electronics and PIC microcontrollers, schematics)
  • Mike Broome (3-4 hours a week (no weekends): programming (C, perl, java), low-level chip stuff, electronics, minor fabrication)
  • Dino Segovis (3 hours a week: hardware, electronics, 555 timers, fabrication, electronics CAD (FreePCB))
  • Darren Boss (4-5 hours a week + a marathon: perl, ruby, java, photography)
  • Ashley -- I'm in. 1-2 hours week, lots of experience in classrooms and how to keep things "educator friendly" :) I'm interested in using this somehow: http://www.modk.it/ w/ our microcontroller integration so that even educators w/ no programming experience could "program" the project. I promise to be at the next meeting :)

People we need to chase down as potential team members:

  • Tom Karches (audio synthesizers, electronics, circuit bending, old electronics)
  • Tom Billman
  • Bill Farrow
  • Dirk and Sarah

People we need to chase down as potential project advisors:

  • Kristin Bedell
  • Maria Droujkova
  • Greg Dekoeningsberg
  • Paul Overton
  • Robin Mays
  • Emily Mays
  • Michael Stewart

Lenore will take pictures.

Dream ideas from teachers in the field

  • A device that helps ELL students understand syllabication in English (e.g., you say a word and a light flashes to represent the number of syllables)
  • Digital Divide conquering: a way to provide low-cost connectivity to students who lack connectivity in the home/some sort of inexpensive handheld device that students could transport between home and school that would enable students to continue working on their projects outside of school hours
  • A device that could attach to a SmartPhone, scan a word in text, pronounce the word and use the web to bring up an image of the word to illustrate meaning
  • Fraction blocks that can wirelessly communicate and work for adding unlike denominators/finding equivalencies.