I got invited to do an electronics workshop at a Fall Girl Scout daycamp. I had been on a Maker hiatus since HP let me go back in February, and I was really missing the fun and joy of teaching. The camp was on the east side of the Oregon Coast Range, and although it was cool and a bit wet, the lodge was warm and dry and overlooked a serene pond.
The sessions were an hour and half which was more than enough time to assemble my simple LED kit and give the girls time to incorporate it into a craft project. Before starting, I talked about Ann Makosinski, a young lady who invented a LED flashlight powered by body heat, as an example of why you would want to learn to solder. I also gave the girls a "nanosecond" of wire and told briefly of the contribution of Grace Hopper to computer science.
The girls were positive and awesome and picked up the skills quickly. It always gives me warm fuzzies when I overhead comments like "this is fun" and see the girls helping each other! It is fun to learn, fun to do, and fun to teach others!
The final group was more advanced, and had purchased Adafruit LED goggle kits. I pre-programmed the microcontrollers, and the session was just enough time to assemble and test them. Since the theme of the camp was Steam Punk, they fit right in with the costumes the girls had prepared.
I am always grateful that my girls are growing up in an age when they can be independent and do anything their heart desires. I am also grateful for opportunities to help others find their passion.
The sessions were an hour and half which was more than enough time to assemble my simple LED kit and give the girls time to incorporate it into a craft project. Before starting, I talked about Ann Makosinski, a young lady who invented a LED flashlight powered by body heat, as an example of why you would want to learn to solder. I also gave the girls a "nanosecond" of wire and told briefly of the contribution of Grace Hopper to computer science.
The girls were positive and awesome and picked up the skills quickly. It always gives me warm fuzzies when I overhead comments like "this is fun" and see the girls helping each other! It is fun to learn, fun to do, and fun to teach others!
The final group was more advanced, and had purchased Adafruit LED goggle kits. I pre-programmed the microcontrollers, and the session was just enough time to assemble and test them. Since the theme of the camp was Steam Punk, they fit right in with the costumes the girls had prepared.
I am always grateful that my girls are growing up in an age when they can be independent and do anything their heart desires. I am also grateful for opportunities to help others find their passion.
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