Introduction to Arduino Boards

For this class, Mr. Mike Jortberg, director of Services for Sales force, came in to introduce Arduino Boards to us. I personally have never used Arduino Boards, so today was an excellent experience for me. What i discovered was that Arduino Boards are extremely similar to the Snap Circuit toy I used to play with at home. The Arduino set includes a variety of items, ranging from a breadboard, to LED lights, to diodes. We started out with learning how to program LED lights to blink at certain speeds. As the lesson progressed, I discovered how to connect and program multiple LED lights rather than just one.

This first video shows the setup for only one LED light. I connected the breadboard to the computer using the red USB cord provided.  The light in the video was programmed to blink with a delay of 15. That's really fast! The original video I had was in slow motion. Unfortunately, due to uploading problems, it was converted back to original speed; however, if you look carefully, you can see the light turning on and off.

 

 

 

This second video shows how I connected and programmed six LED lights. As you can see, many more wires and resistors are required than earlier.

I had a great time using the Arduino Boards. I am finally forming answers to technology questions I've had for years. Additionally, now I know what I'm putting down on my wish list for Christmas. :)

Hour of Code - Friend or Family Member

Our homework assignment was to get a friend or family member not in the STEM Learning Community to complete an Hour of Code. I had my younger brother Stephen do so. Even though he is only in fifth grade, Stephen has quite a bit of experience in coding. Here is the certificate he earned from completing the activity found through this link.

Hour of Coding Certificate of Completion

Hour of Code

I have done some coding in the past, but this program was a good refresher. The program was well set up; it began with the basic controls and gradually worked up from there. The instructions were clear and concise, and it allowed the user to solve each puzzle using the skills explained. The graphics were kid-friendly, and I believe it will help many students of all ages learn fundamental coding. When finished with all practice problems, the program presented you with a certificate of completion... Very motivational.

Here is a link to code.org 
Here is a link to the Hour of Code activity I used.

Hour of Coding Certificate of Completion