Makerspaces - ETEC-568
Introduction
In our makerspaces course, we were given weekly challenges using the Arduino circuit and breadboards, with the associated coding software programs to complete and document the process of the experiences in our weekly blog journals. For this particular week's activity, I was getting acquainted with the Arduino circuit, components, and software. During week five, we were given the opportunity to choose a challenge. I chose the buzzer to work with and the Arduino sketch and circuit. I enjoyed this challenge because of the addition of coding that I found and learn to add and program this week to play music. I was able to set up the Arduino circuit and breadboard with minimal issues, and with the sketch coding, I learned various methods to incorporate to get the songs to play, which included the addition of the pitches.h file tab, which was one way, and the other was to include the pitches.h tones directly into the original coding sketch, but that makes the file size larger than some. Either way, I learned and tweaked did work on programming the sketch, which directed the Arduino circuit to play the songs. I programmed it to play Silent Night and a few others too. My confidence is growing despite continuing to make mistakes. I learn as I go, and I learn from my mistakes, which become ingrained in my brain so that I do not duplicate those same mistakes again. I am proud of myself as I was capable of learning about circuits, electronics, and coding too!Game of Thrones from Arduino Piezo Buzzer
Reflection
Reflecting on this activity in my makerspaces course, I was really enjoying learning more about knowledge and skills like working with the Arduino circuit and breadboard with the associated coding software to program tasks such as music and theme songs to popular movies, and series on the television. Otherwise, I may not have ever ventured outside of my comfort zone to try my hand at computer programming, even with the Arduino kits we used throughout this course. I learned a lot from this experience, and I enjoyed this journey of learning unlike I have ever learned previously, even when I would not successfully complete a weekly challenge, which did happen for me in a week or two of this course. Still, I wasn't afraid to try, and I enjoyed the process. As I am learning more about working with these electronic and coding/programming activities, I am gaining a greater appreciation for the coding/programming involved in my current job in information technology. Moving forward, I have learned that I will continue to strive as an educational technology teacher and learner to provide more learning experiences such as these I have experienced in this makerspaces course.