Beginning Stamps in Class

Jeff_Bledsoe

I'd like to help a junior high school get started in a Stamps In Class curriculum.· I have some questions before I approach the science teacher and the headmaster with this idea.· I welcome any and all opinions·for the following:

What is the maximum number of students who should work with one BASIC Stamp?· (I thought 2·would be the ideal number)

Can a PDA be used to create/debug/load the PBASIC code?· (I'm thinking of minimizing the costs here but it could be that enough students will have their own laptops that this won't be an issue)

I'd like to start them with basics of logic and circuits before going on to apps such as robotics.· Which book/class should we use to get started ?·

What peripherals (sensors, displays, buzzers, etc.) work best for junior high students learning the basics?

Any other suggestions for getting started are appreciated too.

Thanks,



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Jeffrey Bledsoe, PE

jpbledsoe@yahoo.com

Steph Lindsay

Hello Jeff,

We always recommend "What's a Microcontroller?" as the best place to start with the Stamps in Class series;·we know it is being used successfully in·grades 7-12 and in colleges too·(at various paces!)· This book has pointers to other subjects at the end of each chapter if you want to expand your discussion. You may download the book for free from this product page:

http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28152

This book was written for the complete beginner so no programming or electronics prerequisites·are required - just use a mouse, type, and navigate Windows.· The experiments were designed with a selection of components that give multisensory feedback to keep the students engaged: visual with LEDs and a 7-segment display, motion with a servo, tactile with a pushbutton switch and a potentiometer dial, and auditory with a piezospeaker (there is a chapter on making music, very fun!), plus a photoresistor to interact with light levels. The kit also includes a digital potentiometer and a transistor to introduce ICs.

After completing WAM, your students can move on to another Stamps in Class Parts and Text Kit, such as Robotics with the Boe-Bot, BASIC Analog and Digital, or the latest book Smart Sensors and Applications (being released tomorrow I believe.)·

Two students per BASIC Stamp is a not-uncommon setup for pre-college classrooms, but one per student is reccommended.··For each setup, you will need a BASIC Stamp 2 (BS2), a development board, power supply, and programming cable suitable for your computers.·Here are some details to help you compare the options:



Both the BASIC Stamp Discovery Kit and the BASIC Stamp Activity Kit include the What's a Microcontroller Parts and Text, so you can·try out·either hardware platform and the first tutorial before making a decision.

The BASIC Stamp Editor software is written for Windows NT4/2K/XP.· I am not aware of a CE version that would be appropriate for PDAs.· We do distribute but not officially support versions for other platforms; all can be downloaded free from here:

http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/downloads/software/software_basic_stamp.asp

Parallax offers BASIC Stamp Educator Courses to prepare teachers who want to use the STamps in Class program at their schools.· These classes are held in Rocklin, CA and at host schools around the country.· You can read about the course here; we will be scheduling our 2007 lineup when we return from the holidays.

http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/edu/courses/information.asp

To support our educators, we have a private Parallax Educators Forum.· Here you can download private solved sets of questions, exercises, projects, and solutions, powerpoint presentations, and test materials created by other educators, and contact other teachers using Stamps in Class products.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to email mailto:stampsinclass@parallax.com·if there is anything more we can do to help you come up with a gameplan.

-Stephanie Lindsay

Editor, Parallax Inc.





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Jeff_Bledsoe

Thanks for the info.· After I posted the questions, I found the "flow chart" and other information concerning·Stamps in Class at parallax.com.

The school has 'enrichment' classes Friday afternoons and another (engineer) parent and I would be very involved with the science teacher in teaching Stamps In Class at those times.· Nevertheless, I'll check the link with educator course schedules.

Thanks again,

Jeffrey Bledsoe

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Jeffrey Bledsoe, PE

jpbledsoe@yahoo.com

Jeff_Bledsoe

Stephanie,

I've begun setting up cost spreadsheets for some optional paths, going with BOE and WAM in the beginning, printing our own WAM manual, and acquiring our parts in bulk (if possible). Are there any bulk parts options for WAM from Parallax?

Also, has Parallax produced introductory videos to help a class and its instructors understand the proliferation of microcontrollers in everyday products and the importance of learning to use them? If not, can you recommend a good source for this type of introductory instructional multimedia?

Thanks,

Jeff

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Jeffrey Bledsoe, PE

jpbledsoe@yahoo.com

Steph Lindsay

Hi Jeff,

I'm not sure·if this qualifies as "bulk" but you can purchase the WAM kits without the books for $35.96 each for·quantity 10, they are·$39.95 individually.···Most of the components are also·available separately if you need to replenish your kits from time to time; they are listed on this page:

http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/edu/curriculum/sic_wam.asp

I'm checking with Sales to see if there are other options for you.

-Stephanie