The continuing mission to seek out new ways to get my Dad’s old Apple IIc working – an update.
Looks like a capacitor on the main board might be the culprit. All chips now re-seated (first time using ‘spodging’ tools!)
Thank you to Graham and all at Great Western Academy for the invitation to lead their Coding Enrichment Club this term. The fact that every child operates their own laptop, and the marvellous resources were impressive – but what impressed me most was the polite, attentive and eager approach from pupils who were determined to get the most from their time, and to learn how to extend their coding skills into the realms of physical computing and Python.
Thanks to Beverly, Shirley and the team for a fascinating series of lectures and workshops in the beautiful surrounds of Plymouth University.
I came away feeling ever more inspired to take Computing further, and to broaden what we can offer in schools
A first play with Code Bug..
Code Bug, it transpires, is capable of producing 9 data sets and will soon feature WiFi & Bluetooth connectivity.
It has huge potential for Connected Technologies , Maker Education and the promotion of real world applications / data-driven decision making skills.
My grasp of core networking theories deepened thanks to Duncan Maidens and his simple-but-brilliant hands on approach to unravelling what data transmission is actually all about.
The whole faculty reverberated with exciting applications of tech.
from dawn to dusk, Plymouth is a beautiful spot.
..and a relay unit..
Beginning to run out of room in the box now! Amazingly the Rav power block continues to provide sufficient mw and voltage level.
Had to dissassemble the Pi 3B to reach the camera connector. Added a double height pin rack for the GPIO to allow access to the pins even with the Astro Pi / Sense Hat reattached.
!
Now that the Year 11s are beginning to unpack what is possible with connectivity kit that is new to them, it is fascinating to see how quickly they can comprehend the potential applications – cue notebooks out for initial design diagrams..
Having enjoyed sharing this with Primary School pupils quite a few times, now it is time to see what Secondary School pupils make of it: answer they mastered the Kodu When / Do system at lightening pace then proceeded to apply the Microbit control to make a first-person jet flying game in an impressively quick jump – the sky is no limit to Year 11 Computer Science students!
With some of the new circuitry that I have extracted form old toys being in need of higher current switching than I would like to strain a Pi GPIO with, tis time for a relay or two..
the oldest and most broken MaKey MaKey board is now re-soldered and ready to connect with an earlier item of salvaged switch-gear: the Electric Window unit. Connected coding fun to follow..
Just begun assembling and preparing the parts for what I hope will be a self watering plant mechanism..
Stage 1: take delivery of a battery-powered water pistol, then open it up..
This is our Primary School audio recording of some steps to take to stay safe online..
This base was able to provide 3v and 4.5 v as well as having a useful switch and speaker point.
The connector block is to simplify connecting it up to the Pi / Microbit / Circuit Playground Express
First comes the opening up, then comes the moment of truth: has it got potential for inclusion into a new project?
Consideration must be given to the old battery / leaked battery / corroded connectors scenario as well as the voltage that it will be happy to operate with..
tinfoil is a great help..
There is a distinction between where a child’s toy meets a tool meets a gadget, but there was no need to draw that distinction in today’s Year 11 Computer Science class. After a brief introduction I threw open the wooden toolbox (from Sammy’s Garage – just the thing..) to reveal a smorgasbord of delights awaiting connection and coding up.
What every discerning newt desires: a pond probe to illuminate the deepest reaches of the wild with:
sample bottle, spikes, absorbent foam, Velcro and a magnet to collect deep water samples and:
a {on-borrowed-time} bulb, lump of fool’s gold and a cat’s eye to shine / reflect so that location can be determined.
sorry newts!
What to do with a calculator that has sustained damage resulting in some missing buttons?
Remove most of the remaining buttons then create a game with a complex dossier of rules that seek (not entirely successfully) to put the ‘fun’ into ‘functionality’!
It doesn’t get much earlier than Pong – my thanks to my sisters who, on occasion, let me loose the family gaming system. This required:
a/ nobody being able to watch tv for the next hour
b/ a hunt around for new C size batteries
c/ twiddling the tuning button with extraordinary patience until the flickering on the tv resolved into white lines on a black background
PS there is an Apple Watch pong now!
Honorable mentions must go to Tomy and Nintendo for these gems too (albeit 10 years later):
here’s one from the archives: my first PC, a 286 running at 16mhz
(Turbo, 8mhz otherwise) a full 1 MB of RAM and a whopping 10MB RLL hard disk! In 1992 the KB was still a thing.
Once the hdd got too full it was time to run ‘Stacker’ which compressed that precious space to squeeze more on.
After some upgrading fun, this hulking machine became a 486 (sx) with 4 MB of ram and 420 MB IDE of storage. Not much by today’s standards but quite a transformation, resulting in the ability to run Windows 3.1 and, eventually even Encarta ’96 !
Take on Pi 3B+ and add an Adafruit GPIO header then solder wires for plugging into newly attached breadboard..
For great value electronic kit (broken toys for the most part) Scrap Store is hard to beat.
Now for some dismantling and corroded battery removal.
I had some help making an initial assessment of the loot..
Note a startled expression when the dog sat up and barked.!
farewell to Delicious (now read-only) and hello to Tagpacker – I will keep the links coming..
*thanks to everyone who has made site recommendations to me over the years – a veritable plethora awaiting!
Left for the start of my Secondary adventure this morning having watched my son bond with Big Trak – tis time for his father to ensure that he can stay one step ahead!
My thanks to Lydiard Park Academy Trust who gave me a perfect welcome today. The IT / Computing team are brilliant – seamless in their vision for excellence in delivery of this fabulous subject. Looking forward to teaching tomorrow – feeling a welling up of excitement that the time has come to focus on one subject – and to be able to explore that subject alongside a truly great team.
a range of apps – set up in stations which the pupils cycle through every 7 mins
Programming Club, Technology Club, Coding Club, Digital Making / editing / design / craft / etc
all amounts to an opportunity for extra fun!
joining with three other schools, via our VLE, to peer-assess our (Year 5 and 6) pupil writing
‘Exploration’ of the playground beamed into the classroom via Skype
The weather on Mars in real-time
Space as a natural fit for tech ventures
the nativity being animated
animation has been our constant companion at Bishopstone – supporting learning in almost every subject
electric window controller – for controlling Kodu carts in a race
We loved connecting up computers as soon as it became an option in schools.
