WAM Programs - Downloadable? Also, teaching an 11 yr old pointers?

FreezeSukka

Was wondering if there was somewhere that I can download all of the programs for the What's A Microcontroller book.· Yeah, I know that sounds lazy, not to just type them on the computer myself....(I have typed them all myself and lost them almost a year ago when my hard drive took a dump)

What I'm trying to do is get my 11 yr old son involved in learning this stuff, however,·his attention span·isn't the greatest.· I have found it mighty hard to keep him from getting bored with it, although he does·really like the aspects of building the circuits and seeing what they can do.

I was thinking that if he already had the programs available and could build the circuits and just run them, maybe he would stay a little more interested for now and then add the "program typing" part of it later on, after he's hooked even further.· He does understand what the code in the programs makes the Stamp do. (For the most part, anyway)· I think·the typing just·slows him down just enough to get him thinking of other things and then, of course, he loses interest and puts it up for the time being.

So, any help on if and where I can find these programs available for download would be really nice.· Also, if anyone else here has any pointers from their own experience in getting this stuff over to an 11 year old would also help a bunch.

Thanks.
~Jeff~

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P.S. This is what this part of the alphabet would look like if "Q" and "R" were eliminated.

doggiedoc

Jeff,

What I do when I am feeling lazy (which is always) is open the pdf file of the WAM text and cut and past the code from there. I have found, however, that typing the code in manually helps me understand it a little better.


Doc

Jonathan

Jeff,

As noted below, you can cut and paste from the PDF.

As to the 11 year old, that sounds normal to me. I teach a Sumbot class using Parallax's Sumos, and have students of that age group all the time. Short sessions with visible results are best. I don't expect my students to have a real in depth understanding of the code at that age. I concentrate on loops, variables, and reading sensors at that stage. We use all premade code templates for every project, and then students modify but never write from scratch. I don't even make beginner high school students go all the way from scratch. We are starting a WAM class this year (high school) and will begin with the pre-made code examples. Once we have the basics under control, each student will do a project of their choice comlpetely from scratch.

Also, make a game out of everything you can. For example, I teach the resistor code to younger students using M&M candies. I lay out 3 M&Ms and ask them to figure out the value, then they can eat it. Find projects that appeal to them. I have students use a Hall sensor and a magnet to make a "intruder detection system" that can tell if a door or drawer has been opened. Another they like is the "annoying cricket", a device which chirps a piezo speaker at semi-random intervals, making it hard to find and very annoying. Another is a "proximity alarm" which uses IR to detect a person and then sounds an alarm. Oooh, I bet their parents just *love* me....

The other thing they like is challenges like, "ok, now that you know how to make an LED blink, make it blink 5 times really fast, then 5 times really slow". Stuff like that they like. We also have often done a "Rube Goldberg" class, and this year might incorporate a Stamp into each RG project. Students love a RG project, and the Stamp would be a great RG controller.

If your son has a pal that is interested in this sort of thing, consider the Sumobots. Young males of that age are delighted with them, and they can continue to grow in complexity virtually forever. It does take at least two and a ring to make them fun however.

HTH,

Jonathan

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www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot

FreezeSukka

I cannot copy and paste from the .pdf file.· Is it because I only have the Adobe Acrobat Reader instead of the whole package?

And thanks a bunch Jonathon!· I guess I was thinking that there were a ton of kids his age, and possibly even younger,·that were already learning this stuff in depth.· I was maybe trying way to hard and way too fast.· I consider myself very good with kids, just never had to do the "Instructor" aspect·of it.· (Well, except for your normal, everyday, way of life teachings.)· I will try your methods and see how they work for us!

Thanks again.
~Jeff~

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P.S. This is what this part of the alphabet would look like if "Q" and "R" were eliminated.

Orion

You should be able to with Adobe Acrobat Reader. You have to use the select tool from the toolbar to do it. You can't do the normal drag and select with just the mouse.

FreezeSukka

Wow, thanks Orion! I feel really stupid now though! Works like a charm... Gotta go get busy copying and pasting.

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P.S. This is what this part of the alphabet would look like if "Q" and "R" were eliminated.

HomeSchoolDad

I teach my 7 and 9 year olds. I make them do it from scratch. I am so mean.

Seriously, they do quite well - but they do have a problem with syntax. I find that they understand the syntax better (and the reason for the parameters) when they look at it, look it up, read about it and then key it in - and then debug it.

Jeff

Paul Baker

Jeff, you may want to consider the Scribbler robot, it is the newest Parallax bot and comes with a GUI flow chart based programming interface. This was specifically designed for younger children since the geo-spatial section of the brain develops faster than the analytical section. The drag and drop method of the GUI may keep you son's attention longer since there is a more immeadiate feedback of program->robot behaviour. Its a great way to teach a child the principles of programming without them having to comprehend things like syntax.

PS Im not an employee of Parallax, I just think the Scribbler is a great idea to introduce younger minds to robotics.

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·1+1=10

Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 9/6/2005 7:32:32 PM GMT

FreezeSukka

I truly appreciate everyone's help with my questions. I feel like I have to pick and choose which questions to ask because I, at the moment, only ASK the questions and I am not knowledgable enough to actually ANSWER anyone else's questions, as of yet anyway. So I really do thank you guys for all of your help!

~Jeff~

I am actually almost done with the WAM cut/paste project. Gonna get to the BOE-Bot book as soon as I am finished. (It helps knowing how to do it! lol)

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P.S. This is what this part of the alphabet would look like if "Q" and "R" were eliminated.