Re-write of Project 1
Introducing Arudino
I felt like a tortoise in a race against a hare, actually against hundreds of them. While the majority of my high school graduating class figured out what they wanted to pursue as a career or a major to study in college, I was still way behind and could not figure out what I wanted to do. I felt the pressure bearing down on me, as if I were diffusing a bomb waiting to go off, to make a decision about my intended major. Which wire should I cut? There were so many to choose from. My parents suggested nursing school; however, my gut feeling said that was not the right career path for me. Fortunately and unfortunately, I figured out what I wanted to do after a year of college. I decided to major in Information Technology. I say fortunately because I eventually found the major I wanted to study and I say unfortunately because I only found that out after I was in college, just a little late. I believe that if I were given technical classes in high school, I would have had a better idea of what I wanted to study in college.
I have not used this specific technology before; however, after reading and doing research on it, I believe Arduino has concepts that would be valuable to someone pursing a major in computer science or information technology.
By looking at what Arduino is, we can begin to educate students about technology they might not have known about in the past. Arduino is an open-source microprocessor. One can think of a microprocessor as the “brain” of a computer. It is the central unit that takes in information and processes it out. A term to note in this definition of Arduino is that it is open-source. Open-source means that we can see how this microprocessor was made, to the point that we can actually create it ourselves. One might hear the term open-source more often in conjunction with the operating system, Linux. Linux is open-source because the source code is available to everybody. In other words, we can see the recipe used to cook up Linux. Unlike a common operating system that I'm sure most of us are familiar with, Windows, it is not open-source. Microsoft hides its secret recipe for the Windows operating system. Just in this definition of Arduino, we can inform students that there are other operating systems besides Windows and MAC. An open-source operating system is available for students to explore and learn about.
As I had mentioned before, one can think of a microprocessor as the “brain” of a computer. However, you will not find an Arduino microprocessor inside a desktop computer. Unlike a desktop computer, an Arduino microprocessor will use switches and/or sensors to take in its environment. An example of this is the Botanicalls Kit. (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10334) This is an example where sensors are used to read the moisture levels of the soil and Tweet when the moisture levels are low. Thus, letting the owner know, hey, you need to water your plants! Giving students this kit to build would be a start at introducing concepts of electricity and learning terms like ohms and resistors.
You might be thinking, how is this possible? To me, Arduino is a developer’s tool. It is highly customizable. One can think of it like Play-doh. With Play-doh, you can mold it into anything you want. Or you can even think of it like Lego. You can work with one, large, flat Lego board and the Lego blocks stacked on top of it to make whatever you desire. Arduino is similar in that you can add other components to it in order to make it do what you want. What makes it possible for the plant to Tweet when it needs water is a combination of the Arduino microprocessor, wires, resistors, cables, sensors, and most importantly the code, or the instructions. A lot of mechanical products you buy will come with instructions. For instance, a game console will come with instructions on how to use it, how to turn it on, how to insert a game, what the buttons will do on the controller. Or a microwave will come with instructions on how to set the timer, or the power level, or perhaps the clock that is built in. The Arduino microprocessor is not going to know what to do without instructions.
The instructions are not written in sentences like you would find in a manual, they are written in a programming language similar to C++. However, I would not be discouraged as Arduino was originally created for designers, architects, and artists, all whom of which may not have a science and/or engineering background. “From its inception, the Arduino was developed to engage artistic and design-oriented minds.” I believe this is a language that will be easier to learn than other languages like Java or Ruby. This will give students an idea of what programing is like and may inspire them to learn other languages in the future or avoid programming entirely. Nonetheless, it will broaden their knowledge about computers.
From this comes my stance. I believe that Arduino should be introduced to us at an early age. At the least it should be presented to us in high school. If I had a class in high school that taught students about Arduino, I might have found out early on that this was the field that I wanted to get into. Nevertheless, learning about the Arduino microprocessor and how to use it would be valuable. We are surrounded by technology. Almost everywhere you go, you will find a computer. Arduino can be a tool to teach students how to program, and have a better understanding of electrical circuits. Arduino can have instant gratification which may be appealing to younger students in that the basic tutorials can be accomplished within a class period. There is a growing support community of people using Arduino and a plethora of real world examples of where Arduino is being used today.
(http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Projects/ArduinoUsers).
>For students making a decision about their career, working with Arduino can be a first step at making that decision. Working with this technology involves problem solving, troubleshooting, understanding electronics, integrating components with other objects, and programming. If a student finds interest working hands on with the equipment, information technology may be the direction to head. On the other hand, if a student enjoys programming, perhaps computer science would be best suited for him/her.
Overall, Arduino may help give insight to students trying to figure out a major to study, or a career to pursue. Like Play-doh, Arduino is malleable and can stretch the creative mind to make amazing things. I'm looking forward to see what others can create and see Arduino evolve.
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