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Category Archives: Learn with videos

First Steps with the Arduino-UNO R3 | Maker, MakerED, Coding | Ultrasonic Radar

Maker, MakerED, Coding | Ultrasonic Radar

On previous blog post I discovered “Processing Software” and I was such impressed about hat I was looking to find some other Coding tutorials with Arduino which use it; so I discovered this one using an Ultrasonic Sensor (HC-SR04) and a servo motor. As I had bought already a “Sensor-Kit“, please check my blog post, First Steps with the Arduino-UNO | Maker, MakerED, Coding | Sensor-Kit SKA-36 so I have the necessary parts…

Please check the video tutorial below, to find out about yourselves about what incredible is possible.

You will remark that there is only a provisionally fixing of the “Ultrasonic Sensor” (HC-SR04); there one can do better! So, I had a look on Amazon to find a “Pan & Tilt Kit“, here it is:

As I didn’t know how to make the assembling, I was looking on YouTube and I found this video tutorial which helped me a lot, please check below.

The assembling wasn’t that difficult actually, a bit puzzle around with tiny screws and juggling… The “Pan & Tilt Kit” is delivered with two (2) servo motors which will get fixed, but we need only one of them for our project. Once everything assembled we fix the “Ultrasonic Sensor” with hot-glue on the top of the “Pan & Tilt” socket like shown on the images below.

SO, we have made the mechanical part, the most difficult in this project… Let us go now for the wiring, check the wiring schema below, please.

Click image, please, to enlarge.

It doesn’t look that difficult, isn’t it 😉 SO, once finished we will have a look on the code, “Copy & Paste” it and upload it into the Arduino IDE. Please check the tutorial here step by step for the how to ===> https://howtomechatronics.com/projects/arduino-radar-project/

In the above mentioned tutorial we have the codes for the Arduino, as well as for the Processing software. For those who haven’t yet installed the software, here a reminder for download:

Once uploaded both codes you will be astonished about what is possible with coding and maker 😉 Have fun and stay tuned for next projects…

Click image, please, to enlarge

Advice for EDUcators, Teachers:

Using Coding, MakerED is THE perfect way to GET Students, LEARNers interested for Maths, Physics (e.g.) by using THEIR hands in Practice for understanding while guided by a (two, three…) Coach(es) ===> LEARNing-By-Doing and Team-TEACHing with FUN.

L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure). L’auteur était aussi gagnant d’un concours en électronique en 1979 ( Pays germaniques ) et voyait son projet publié dans le magazine électronique “ELO”.

The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”.

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..
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Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Radar, Ultrasonic Sensor, HC-SR04, Arduino UNO R3, Processing Sowtware, Pan & Tilt Kit, Video Tutorials, Coding, Maker, MakerED, MakerSpaces…

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, Arduino, best practices, Coding, Courses, creativity, Education, FREE, free courses, Gust MEES, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Processing, ProcessingSoftware, Radar, Servo motor, teachers knowledge, technology, tutorials, Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04

First Steps with the Arduino-NANO | DHT22 Temperature/Humidity with Meter | Maker, MakerED, Coding

25 Mar

Click image, please, to enlarge it.

Arduino-NANO | DHT22 Temperature/Humidity with Meter

I was looking to find the most easy way to show people and to GET them interested into “Coding” with a minimum of components and expenses, as well as having directly a “success feeling” to be motivated to continue slowly but surely! Here it is; ONLY three (3) wires to connect and ONLY two (2) components to buy for a low budget as well. Temperature and humidity are words well known by everybody and so WE will use a Temperature/Humidity Sensor to run this project. By using terms which the learners know already (Temperature/Humidity) they will NOT GO into “Unknown Land”, makes them feel comfortable 😉

WE will use the tutorial shown below in the video, please check it:

The link for the tutorial blog is here, please check it:

YOU will find all the necessary information in it such as the how to connecting the components as well as the codes for the “Arduino IDE” and the “Processing code“.

As YOU will remark: there are ONLY three (3) wires to connect, you can count until 3, isn’t it 😉 SO, very easy…

Here below how I did wire it, and you will see how easy it is actually…

Click image, please, to enlarge it.

You need to install now the Processing software, please check the link below; install it and open it:

https://processing.org/download/
…

Concerning the code for the “Arduino IDE” AND the “Processing IDE“, we will follow the steps on the proposed tutorial…

First copy the code for the Arduino, check below:

Click the image, please, to enlarge

Next step: Connect the USB cable to your computer, copy the code, paste it into the Arduino IDE and upload it.

Now copy the “Processing Code” paste it into the Processing IDE and upload it.

Click the image, please, to enlarge it.

IMPORTANT: In the above code in “Line 14” is marked “COM4”! Check if it is the same PORT as in your Arduino IDE, else change the PORT number; for me it was “PORT 8”, but it depends on your computer… JUST change the number, e.g. “COM8”. Click now the button “RUN” on Processing and you will GET the shown result below…

PROCESSING-METER-TEMPERATURE-HUMIDITY-DHT22

Click the image, please, to enlarge.

Easy isn’t it? Have FUN!

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”.

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..
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Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Arduino NANO, coding, learning to learn, learning by doing, sensors, temperature/humidity sensor, DHT22, Processing Software, Meter, Analog Meter simulation with software, easy projects, Arduino NANO clones,

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Posted by Gust MEES on March 25, 2018 in 21st Century Skills, 21st-Century-Teaching-and-Learning, Arduino, Autodidact, BEE CREATIVE, Coding, Competency, Connected Educators, Creating Mind, Creativity, Digital4EDUcation, DQ, Education, Education 4.0, eLearning, Electronics, Electronics Circuits, Electronics Tutorials, eSkills, Free courses, FREE-courses, Future Work Skills, HowTo, Key Instructors, Learn with videos, Learning By Doing, Learning to Learn, Luxembourg, maker, Maker PracTICE, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Modern EDU, Personal Learning Network (PLN), Personalized Learning, PracTICE, Professional Development, Professional EDUcators TEACHers, Right use of Technology, Rise Of The Professional Educator, Self-directed Learning, Skills, STEM, Students 21st Century Survival Guide, Synthesizing Mind, Teacherpreneurs, Technology Integration

Tags: Arduino, Arduino NANO, Coding, DHT22, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Measuring Temperature and Humidity, Processing, ProcessingSoftware

First Steps with the Arduino-UNO R3 | Maker, MakerED, Coding | Super Starter Kit UNO R3 Project | LCD and Sensors Project

22 Jan

Super Starter Kit UNO R3 Project | LCD and Sensors Project | Temperature/Humidity Sensor DHT11

SO, as I got my new Super Starter Kit UNO R3 Project I am playing around a bit with it. In my previous post WE were wiring and testing a LCD-Display and coding to display a bit text on the LCD. That was actually very easy, so lets try out now some “Sensors“, e.g. a Temperature/Humidity Sensor and a Ultrasonic Sensor to measure distances. The measured values of those sensors will get displayed on the LCD-Display.

Let us start first with the Temperature/Humidity Sensor DHT11 which is included in the Kit:

WE will use the following tutorial from Dejan Nedelkovski (How To Mechatronics) as it is very well documented and explained (no need for me to create a new one…). First we will check the video below, please, where we will get explained the How-To and some theoretical explications:

SO, now after knowing what will be necessary to do, we will first make the wiring of the LCD-Display, please check below:

Click the image above please to access the tutorial

As you can see in the above wiring diagram, there isn’t that much wiring to do. When following the tutorial <===> Arduino LCD Tutorial <===> you will get proposed some examples of code to play around with. Try them out to repeat the learned from previous blog post or just leave the wiring as it is to proceed to the next step, the wiring of the Temperature/Humidity Sensor DHT11.

We will continue to follow the tutorial <===> DHT11 & DHT22 Sensors Temperature and Humidity Tutorial using Arduino <===> where the Temperature/Humidity Sensor DHT22 is used. As we use DHT11, you need only to forget about the resistor as it is not needed, replace it by a connection cable (strip).

Click the above image please to access the tutorial

The wiring ready now, we go for the coding. The sketch is available here <===> DHT11 & DHT22 Sensors Temperature and Humidity Tutorial using Arduino <===> Upload it into the Arduino IDE and give it a try. You will see the result as shown in the image below:

There is something strange on the displayed values, isn’t!? WHAT happend!? Let us make some trouble-shooting: the wiring is OK, otherwise the wouldn’t be anything displayed, is the sensor defective!? If you have a second one, replace it to make sure. Same results again, hmmmm!? OK, it’s mysterious on some way, but there must be a solution for it… Let us check the sketch, the code, again to try to understand WHAT the Arduino is getting told to do and WHY the display shows something completely different, the problem is certainly then in the code. Let us review the video tutorial, perhaps we missed something (I did…). In the video, if really listened to, it get explained the two possibilities, using a sensor DHT11 or a DHT22. The code is written for a DHT22 sensor and we use a DHT11 sensor; so WHAT to change now in the code!? Please check the screenshot of the sketch below:

Click the image please to enlarge it

Once change that code line upload it to the Arduino IDE and see WHAT happens on the LCD-Screen. See PIC below please.

Well, that’s success!! It works correctly now 😉 Play around with it to see the difference on the LCD-Display while blowing on the sensor. Give it a bit time that the measured values go back again to the previous shown one. SO, as we had now a positive experience and where we can see WHAT is happening on the LCD-Display, let us try another project, we will measure distances with the Ultrasonic-Sensor. But befor we ared going for a NEW project we need to save our project, check the video tutorial below please.

Super Starter Kit UNO R3 Project | LCD and Sensors Project | Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04

We will keep exactly the same wiring diagram for the LCD-Display and taking away the Temperature/Humidity sensor with its wires from the Breadboard. Then we will have a look on the following tutorial, we will use the tutorial from Dejan Nedelkovski (How To Mechatronics) again, check please <===> http://howtomechatronics.com/tutorials/arduino/ultrasonic-sensor-hc-sr04/ <===> as the previous one was working well! SO, remember that you have to remove the DHT11 Sensor and the wires from it to the Arduino board and follow the next wiring diagram, please. First we will watch the video tutorial.

Here below the wiring diagram.

ULTRASONIC-HC-SR04-Wiring diagram-LCD-Display

Click the image please to access the tutorial

Next step is to load the code, follow <===> If you want to display the results from the HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor on an LCD you can use the following source code from <===> http://howtomechatronics.com/tutorials/arduino/ultrasonic-sensor-hc-sr04/ <===> and to upload it to the Arduino IDE. That’s it folks, check below please to see the result!

It works up from the beginning, a success experience! Well folks, as you see it isn’t that much difficult to play around with the Arduino and Coding; don’t forget to save your project so that you can use it again if once needed and try out other projects as well, check the <===> Elegoo UNO R3 Project Super Starter Kit <===> PDF download to GO for NEW LEARNing-By-Doing adventures 😉

Was this post helpful for you!? Please let me know by your comments, thank you!

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”.

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..
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Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Arduino UNO R3, Super Starter Kit UNO R3 Project, LCD 1602, Sensors, DHT11, Temperature/Humidity Sensor, Ultrasonic Sensor, HC-SR04, coding, learning to learn, learning by doing, trouble shooting,

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Posted by Gust MEES on January 22, 2018 in 21st Century Skills, 21st-Century-Teaching-and-Learning, Adult Learning, Arduino, Autodidact, BEE CREATIVE, Better Learning, Better Learning about ICT, Better Teaching, Coaching, Coding, Collective Intelligence, Competency, Connected Educators, Creating Mind, Creativity, Digital Lëtzebuerg, Digital Luxembourg, Digital4EDUcation, DQ, Education, Education 4.0, Electronics, Electronics Circuits, Electronics Tutorials, eSkills, Europe, Free courses, FREE-courses, Future Work Skills, HowTo, Key Instructors, Learn with videos, Learning By Doing, Learning to Learn, Luxembourg, maker, Maker PracTICE, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Modern EDU, Personal Learning Network (PLN), PKM, PLN, PracTICE, Professional Development, Professional EDUcators TEACHers, Project Based Learning, Quality Courses, Right use of Technology, Rise Of The Professional Educator, STEM, Students 21st Century Survival Guide, Teacherpreneurs, Technology Integration, Tutorials, understanding

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, Arduino, Arduino UNO, Arduino UNO R3, best practices, Coding, Courses, creative thinking, creativity, Education, eLearning, FREE, free courses, Gust MEES, LCD and Sensors Project, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Measuring distances, Measuring Temperature and Humidity, teachers knowledge, technology, Temperature/Humidity Sensor DHT11, Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04

First Steps with the Arduino-UNO | Maker, MakerED, Coding | Playing Music

27 Dec

Playing Music

I was looking for a quick project with the Arduino which could get realized in less than half an hour and with the components from my Arduino Starter-Kit. I found this one for Christmas Music playing <===> Christmas songs with an Arduino Uno and a piezo buzzer <===> which I tried out as actually it was Christmas time. It was very easy to follow on the How-To… Please check the video below, where you can see and hear it in action.

There is not much to say about it as it is very well described in the tutorial. Check below please:

And as you know me, when creating a blog post, I give a bit more information about the theory and useful knowledge… Digging into it to understand about what it is 😉

Play Melody

This example makes use of a Piezo Speaker in order to play melodies. We are taking advantage of the processors capability to produde PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signals in order to play music.

A Piezo is nothing but an electronic device that can both be used to play tones and to detect tones. In our example we are plugging the Piezo on the pin number 9, that supports the functionality of writing a PWM signal to it, and not just a plain HIGH or LOW value.

The first example of the code will just send a square wave to the piezo, while the second one will make use of the PWM functionality to control the volume through changing the Pulse Width.

Learn more:

How to convert sheet music into an Arduino Sketch…

You might be interested also on the How-To to convert sheet music into an Arduino Sketch. please follow the link below:

Learn more:

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..
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Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Arduino Starterkit, Piezo Buzzer, Music, tones function, Coding, Xmas tones, converting tones into coding,

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, Arduino, best practices, Christmas, Coding, Courses, creativity, Education, FREE, free courses, Gust MEES, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, music, teachers knowledge, technology, tutorials, Xmas

Tips To Become an Autodidact, Self-Directed Learner

09 Dec

You may read my following blog posts as well for more insights:

For EDUcators, TEACHers, Instructors; my book selection:

AND, once you have learned about creating a blog, use it ALSO for your hobbies, you will have pleasure (fun) to do so and you will learn NEW things also 😉 (secret tip!).

You may find some inspiration and ideas from my Hobby Blogs:

TIP: keep the below in mind 😉

Have fun in your learning adventure and leave me a comment in case of questions 😉

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..
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Posted by Gust MEES on December 9, 2017 in 21st Century Skills, 21st-Century-Teaching-and-Learning, Adaptive Learning, Adult Learning, Analyzing, Andragogy, Autodidact, BEE CREATIVE, Better Learning, Better Learning about ICT, Better Teaching, Blog creation, Blogs, Collaboration, Collective Intelligence, Competency, Connected Educators, Creating Mind, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Culture, Curation, Digital Luxembourg, Digital4EDUcation, DQ, Education, Education 4.0, eLearning, eSkills, Europe, Free courses, FREE-courses, Future Work Skills, How To stay organized, HowTo, Key Instructors, Learn with books, Learn with videos, Learning about Social Medias, Learning about Twitter, Learning By Doing, Learning to Learn, Luxembourg, Modern EDU, Motivation, Open Mind, Personal Learning Network (PLN), Personal profit, PKM, PLN, PracTICE, Professional Development, Professional EDUcators TEACHers, Quality Courses, Reflecting, Right use of Technology, Rise Of The Professional Educator, Seniors, Skills, Social Media, Sustainability, Synthesizing Mind, Teacherpreneurs, Twitter, understanding

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, autodidact, best practices, communication, Courses, creative thinking, creativity, critical thinking, curation, Education, eLearning, europe, FREE, free courses, generations, Gust MEES, innovative technology, Life-long-learning, self-directed learning, Social Medias, teachers knowledge, technology, Twitter

First Steps with the Arduino-UNO | Maker, MakerED, Coding | Sensor-Kit SKA-36

04 Dec

First Steps with the Arduino-UNO | Maker, MakerED, Coding | Sensor-Kit SKA-36

Got my package delivered with my ordered Arduino Sensor-Kit today (2 days later than expected…). First impressions: nice plastic suitcase (helps me to keep order…), 60 pins quality breadboard and cable-set, 40 sensors and a download link (www.joy-it.net/sensorkit/) for the code and description in German. The mentioned link isn’t up-to-date anymore and one gets redirected to another website http://sensorkit.joy-it.net/index.php?title=Hauptseite in German.

Some basic knowledge is necessary to get started with the sensors:

We need to know that for some project with sensors there is a special library which needs to get included into the sketch and that the results (measures) will get shown in the “Serial Monitor” as the “Sensor-Kit” doesn’t include a LCD-Display.

Find out more yourself with the links below, please:

Learn more:

Getting Started with Arduino and Genuino products
95 Sensor Projects
Setting up Arduino Uno to read Temperature and Humidity from a sensor
Install Arduino and MySensors Libraries
KY-015 Kombi-Sensor Temperatur+Feuchtigkeit
Arduino projects on YouTube
Arduino UNO tutorials for beginners (Makerspaces.com)
The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Arduino
Arduino UNO For Beginners
Getting Started With Arduino: A Beginner’s Guide
Arduino Project Hub
Arduino Project Ideas
Arduino Libraries
- Arduino Library for DHT11 (GitHub)
- NewPing Library for Arduino (DHT11)
- Installing Additional Arduino Libraries
HOW TO SET UP AN ULTRASONIC RANGE FINDER ON AN ARDUINO
…
…
…

TIP for beginners: first copy&paste the code and let it run; check where are variables in the code, change them and see WHAT happens. You will understand the about how the code works 😉

KY-050 with Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 and Arduino Tutorial

Well, I didn’t like much the German description, so I was searching on the internet and I found some tutorials in English with a video tutorial, one simple sketch and one sketch with an LCD as well, very interesting <===> Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 and Arduino Tutorial

Please check the videos below who explains very well how the code works:

Another GREAT tutorial (my favorite), also with a video tutorial from Circuit basics could be found here HOW TO SET UP AN ULTRASONIC RANGE FINDER ON AN ARDUINO

And here below the video tutorial:

Here below some values measured shown in the “Serial Monitor“:

The Temperature/Humidity Sensor KY-015

In the original IDE this sensor isn’t included yet, WE need to install it on the IDE. By checking the description website of the Sensorkit-SK36-KY-015, WE get told that the module needs a library to get included in the sketch and it’s also mentioning some download links. Actually the description (in German) is poor and I got worried! So I decided to look around on the internet and I found a BETTER description (in English) on the official Arduino website <===> Installing Additional Arduino Libraries <===>

BUT the BEST tutorial I have found is on the Arduino website itself <===> DHT11 Temperature/Humidity Sensor <===> with a lot of screenshots and a step by step instruction from where to get the code of the library, how to install it, and an example sketch.

Here below some values measured shown in the “Serial Monitor“:

Find below some addresses where you can GET different stuff to play around with:

Adafruit
Sparkfun
Makershed
Radio Shack
Jameco
Digikey
Mouser
CONRAD
Maker-First steps in electronics-knowing WHERE to buy the stuff-Electronics Distributors
…

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Arduino, coding, Maker, MakerED, sensors, learning by doing, autodidact, self-directed learning, Sensor-Kit SKA-36, ultrasonic kit, temperature-humidity-kit, electronics,

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..
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Posted by Gust MEES on December 4, 2017 in 21st Century Skills, 21st-Century-Teaching-and-Learning, Adaptive Learning, Adult Learning, Arduino, Autodidact, BEE CREATIVE, Better Learning, Better Learning about ICT, Better Teaching, Coding, Competency, Connected Educators, Creating Mind, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Digital Intelligence, Digital Lëtzebuerg, Digital Luxembourg, Digital4EDUcation, DQ, Education, Education 4.0, eLeadership, eLearning, Electric Circuits, Electronics, Electronics Tutorials, eSkills, Europe, Free courses, FREE-courses, Fritzing, Future Work Skills, HackerSpace, HowTo, Key Instructors, Learn with books, Learn with videos, Learning By Doing, Learning to Learn, Luxembourg, maker, Maker PracTICE, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, PracTICE, Professional Development, Professional EDUcators TEACHers, Project Based Learning, Quality Courses, Right use of Technology, Rise Of The Professional Educator, Robotics, Self-directed Learning, Skills, STEM, Synthesizing Mind, Teacherpreneurs, Technology Integration, Tutorials, understanding

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, Arduino, best practices, Coding, communication, Courses, creative thinking, creativity, critical thinking, Education, Electronics, europe, FREE, free courses, generations, Gust MEES, innovative technology, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Sensor-Kit SKA-36, Sensors, teachers knowledge, technology

Xmas and Holiday Gifts Which Make Sense For LEARNing

21 Nov

WHAT gifts to buy for the kids for Xmas and Holidays?

Every year the same question, isn’t it!? WHY not thinking about to buy gifts from where and with that the kids will learn? It might be good to have a look on WHAT are the skills required for the future from youth, students, learners and upon that making your choice! Actually (2017) the trends are in the maker scene and coding scene! Engineers, coding people and ICT specialists are needed, the workforce, industry is searching!!

What is the maker scene?

I invite you to read my bog post about it below, please:

In the Makerspaces as well as in Maker-EDUcation the creativity and PracTICE are getting fostered to be prepared for what the workforce and the industry are needing! The kids, students, learners are Learning-By-Doing and that is with fun involved also! They are not only tinkering around but they get coached in a “NO Hierarchy” space; in Luxembourg. SO, they can communicate with each other to solve problems and as well later also doing the same through the Social-Media and forums. They learn also by that way to build teams and are able for team-work later once out of school.

Team-Work is one of the essential skills which students, learners need to have for the future! Read also my blog post below, please, which explains WHAT the skills for the future are:

Learn more by reading my blog posts from Makerspaces in Luxembourg:

In the above blog posts you will find information what is happening and you can contact the responsible persons for more information; let your kids go there and have fun by LEARNing-By-Doing! 😉

What is the coding scene?

Coding is the 21st Century skill. Coding enhances creativity, teaches young people to cooperate, to work together across physical and geographical boundaries and to communicate in a universal language. Technology is part of our life, and coding brings it closer to you!

I invite you to read my blog post below, please:

Coding, A NEW Trend In Education And A BIG Responsibility
My Curation about Coding
My Curation about Coding programs (very easy…)
…

Ideas to get people interested to become makers

Here, below, some ideas for the makers:

Ideas to get people interested into Coding

Here, below, some ideas for Coding:

WHERE to buy quality stuff?

Let your creativity go, let it flow! 😉 Just have fun with LEARNing-By-Doing!

But, WHERE to buy the stuff to be sure it is also quality!? Please check below my selection:

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..

Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Arduino website, tutorials, coding examples, step by step introduction, no fear, Arduino projects, Conrad, where to buy the stuff, creativity, communication, teamwork, future skills,

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Posted by Gust MEES on November 21, 2017 in 21st Century Skills, 21st-Century-Teaching-and-Learning, Adaptive Learning, Adult Learning, Arduino, Autodidact, BEE CREATIVE, Better Learning, Better Learning about ICT, Better Teaching, Books, Christmas, Code Club LTAM, Coding, Collaboration, Collaborative Learning, Competency, Connected Educators, Creating Mind, Creativity, Digital Intelligence, Digital Lëtzebuerg, Digital Luxembourg, Digital4EDUcation, DQ, Education, Education 4.0, Electric Circuits, Electronics, Electronics Art, Electronics Circuits, Electronics Tutorials, Engagement, eSkills, Europe, FREE-courses, Future Work Skills, Games, Gamification, Gaming, growth mindset, HowTo, Key Instructors, Learn with books, Learn with videos, Learning By Doing, Learning to Learn, Luxembourg, maker, Maker PracTICE, MakerED, Makerfest, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, Modern EDU, Motivation, Open Mind, Personal profit, Proactive Thinking, Professional EDUcators TEACHers, Project Based Learning, Quality Courses, Right use of Technology, Rise Of The Professional Educator, Self-directed Learning, Skills, soldering, STEM, Synthesizing Mind, Teacherpreneurs, Team-Teaching, Xmas, Xmas Gifts

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, best practices, books, Coding, communication, creative thinking, creativity, Education, europe, generations, Gust MEES, innovative technology, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, proactive thinking, teachers knowledge, Xmas, Xmas Gifts

Maker-Easy to build mini car with Battery-Holder case and motor, as also a self-made propeller

07 Apr

Easy to build mini car with Battery-Holder case and motor, as also self-made propeller

Battery Holder 2 x AA

In our last projects WE were using electronics, which is a bit more for teens up from 10 years. WE will now also create some projects where the younger ones can tinker around as well under the surveillance and guidance of coaches. Boys as well as girls like motors and cars, so WHY NOT trying to tinker a bit around with small motors. WE will use this time a battery-holder for 3 Volts (2 x 1.5 Volts AA batteries, or accumulators [BETTER]) where we fix the motor and the wheels of OUR car on it.

To make the propeller WE will use the top of a plastic bottle as it is very easy to tinker with plastic, as well as the propeller could get unscrewed and replaced by another one because of the cap. The cap will get mounted on the motor shaft and fixed with hot glue..

Check the video below please, We will use TYPE-3:

TYP: I used a hair dryer to heat the plastic and whiles heating I pushed down the propeller till it was (nearly) flat-bottomed. WHEN NOT flat-bottomed the propeller will be more as an unbalance as doing its affect as air propulsion! The mini car will jump as crazy then around; believe me I made the experience 😉

Learn more:

The components and how to fix everything

Please find below the components:

First step is to prepare the wheels: the 8 caps on the right-hand side in above photo must get drilled in the middle with the same diameter as the wooden sticks you use; OR as I did by using the solder iron. Next step is to glue together 2 caps with hot glue as shown in photo below.

Cut now the drinking straws and the wooden sticks to the measure as indicated in photo below and fix the drinking straws with hot glue.

Pass the wooden shafts through the drinking straws and the drilled holes in the caps and fix them with hot glue.

Prepare a piece of drinking straw from 3,5 cm and glue it on the upper side of the battery holder with hot glue, as shown in above photo. Pass through the cables of the battery holder and fix the motor with hot glue, as shown in above photo. Cut the cables to the right length and solder them on the motor.

That’s it, ONLY a bit work and a lot of fun once running; check the video below to see it in action please 😉 AWARENESS: the propeller is turning with high speed and there are sharp ends!!! DON’T touch the propeller whiles in action!!! DON’T let run the mini car WHERE persons, children and pets are around as they could get hurt by the propeller, as you can’t control the direction of the mini car!!!

Detailed parts list, supplier and prices

Please find below the detailed parts list as well as the supplier and the prices.

Item and quantity	Supplier and order number	Price
1 x drinking straw		0,10€
1 x Sourcingmap Propeller mit Motor mit hohem Drehmoment für Modellflugzeug, 1500–10000 RPM, 3–12 V Gleichstrom	AMAZON	6,28€
1 x Bambussplittstäbe FloraSelf® 50 cm, 20 Stk	HORNBACH: 7531902	1,79 €
1 x Battery Holder case with switch (2 x AA)	CONRAD: 1318437-62	2,59 €
2 x Batteries AA à 4,49 / 2 = 2,25 €	CONRAD: 658023-62	2,25 €
Total:		13,01 €

As you can see it is a very cheap project, ONLY 13, 01 € and easy to realize! ALL what YOU need is a bit time, passion and here we GO! 😉 Have FUN!

The tools needed

The video of our project

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉..

Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: drinking straw, hot glue, motor, battery holder 2 x AA, empty FANTA plastic bottle, screwable caps from plastic bottles (CONTREX),

.
.

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, best practices, creative thinking, creativity, critical thinking, Education, eLearning, electric, Electronics, europe, FREE, free courses, generations, Gust MEES, Maker PracTICE, motors, propeller, teachers knowledge, technology, tutorials

Maker-First steps in electronics-The moving, rotating and lighting Mini-Brush

13 Feb

The moving, rotating and lighting Mini-Brush

In OUR previous electronics projects WE were tinkering around with vibration motors and flashing LEDs, well we will continue on the same schema to get a bit more soldering practice and to discover ALSO the use of heat shrink tube, accumulators and drinking straws. This is ALSO a soldering exercise with some fun, and knowledge acquirement as usually in my tutorials. WE will learn also about accumulators, rechargeable batteries. Using accumulators instead of batteries will save us a lot of money and it is ALSO providing LESS RECYCLING! 😉 WE do something GOOD for the nature <===> Sustainability!!

OHM’s Law, resistors and LEDs

As WE are using a 9 Volts accumulator (rechargeable battery) this time together with a LED, WE need to put a resistor in series to the LED to protect it.As

Learn more:

Practical Tip: LEDs are transparent, so the Cathode (Minus) looks always a bit larger as the Anode (Plus).

When working with electronics WE need to learn a bit theory and mathematics, BUT DON’T worry, it is very easy! First of all which is mandatory, is the “OHM’s Law“. YOU DON’T need to calculate! 😉 There is an online calculator who will do the job for YOU! Click the image below please to access the online calculator and play a bit around with it to get used to it, have fun.

Click the image please to access the online calculator

Let us make OUR calculation for the resistor: WE have a power supply of 9 Volts and the used LED has a maximum of 3 Volts while its current is 20 mA (milli Ampere). Thus meaning: 9 Volts – 3 Volts is 6 Volts which need to get dropped away from the LED to NOT destroy it! SO, on the resistor 6 Volts need to get derived away from the LED. Let us NOW convert the 6 Volts to milli Volts which gives us 6,000 mV. AND as R = U/I <===> 6,000 divided by 20 is 300! The resistor MUST have a value of 300 Ω, next standard value is 330 Ω!

WHEN YOU use the above online calculator YOU SHOULD give the values in VOLT and in Ampere; or WE have 20 mA which is 0,020 A. Check the online calculator below please:

Useful online help:

WHAT are accumulators and WHAT’S different from batteries?

Please read the below articles to understand:

The schematics of our project

Here below the schematics where YOU will see how the components are represented; ONLY five (5) parts.

Detailed parts list, supplier and prices

Please find below the detailed parts list as well as the supplier and the prices.

Item and quantity	Supplier and order number	Price
1 x Mini-Brush	CACTUS (Supermarket)	2,50€

A bit heatshrink tube		0,50€
1 x Switch	CONRAD: 701351-62	1,09€
1 x 9 Volts accumulator	CONRAD: 251290 – 62	11,99€
1 x 9 Volts Motor from Adafruit	Adafruit: ID 711	1,84€
1 x 5mm flashing LEDs from Adafruit pack of 10 is $4.95	Adafruit: ID 680	0,50 €
Just for fun: a plastic mouse	CACTUS (Supermarket)	5€

Total:	without the plastic mouse	18,42€
	with plastic mouse	23,42€

As you can see it is a very cheap project, ONLY 18,42€ and easy to realize! ALL what YOU need is a bit time, passion and here we GO! 😉 Have FUN!

Online ordering links:

The tools needed

Check below please WHAT the tools are that you will need for this project. The small saw is needed to cut off the handle of the mini brush.

Click image please to enlarge.

Working with heat shrink tube

[START text from Wikipedia] Heat shrink tubing (or, commonly, heat shrink or heatshrink) is a shrinkable plastic tube used to insulate wires, providing abrasion resistance and environmental protection for stranded and solid wire conductors, connections, joints and terminals in electrical work. It can also be used to repair the insulation on wires or to bundle them together, to protect wires or small parts from minor abrasion, and to create cable entry seals, offering environmental sealing protection. Heat shrink tubing is ordinarily made of nylon or polyolefin, which shrinks radially (but not longitudinally) when heated, to between one-half and one-sixth of its diameter. [END text from Wikipedia]

Learn more:

Heat-shrink tubing
…

Watch the video below please to see the How-To to work with heat shrink tube.

Optimizing the design

I first started to make a normal cabling and the mess I saw didn’t make me feel proud and comfortable, there was something embarrassing! I looked around on my working bench and I discovered some drinking straws which I bought (can’t remember for what, bought them as I was feeling to do so…). I took one and was plying it and suddenly the idea was there to hide the cables inside and WHY NOT to incorporate a super bright LED: the idea was born 😉

The video of our project

Check the video below please:

Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: instant glue, hot glue, 9 Volts Mini-Motor, resistors in series for LEDs, LED, switch, schematics, drinking straws, unbalance, hexagonal nut, hiding cables in drinking straw (Design Thinking), creativity, accumulators and batteries (difference), …

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉

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Posted by Gust MEES on February 13, 2017 in 21st Century Skills, 21st-Century-Teaching-and-Learning, Adaptive Learning, Analyzing, Annotum-Theme, Autodidact, BEE CREATIVE, Better Learning, Better Teaching, Coaching, Collaboration, Collaborative Learning, Collective Intelligence, Competency, Connected Educators, Creating Mind, Creativity, Design Learning, Digital Luxembourg, Digital4EDUcation, Education, Education 4.0, eLeadership, eLearning, Electronics, Electronics Art, Electronics Circuits, Electronics Tutorials, eSkills, Europe, Free courses, FREE-courses, Future Work Skills, Gamification, HowTo, Key Instructors, Leadership, Learn with videos, Learning By Doing, Luxembourg, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, PBL, Personal Learning Network (PLN), Personalized Learning, PKM, PLN, PracTICE, Professional Development, Project Based Learning, Quality Courses, Right use of Technology, Rise Of The Professional Educator, Self-directed Learning, Skills, soldering, Synthesizing Mind, Tutorials, understanding

Tags: 21st Century Teaching and Learning, best practices, brush, Courses, creative thinking, creativity, DC Motor, drinking straw, Education, eLearning, Electronics, europe, FREE, free courses, generations, Gust MEES, hexagonal nut, innovative technology, LED, maker, MakerED, MakerSpace, MakerSpaces, motor, nail brush, switch, teachers knowledge, technology, unbalance

Maker-First Steps in Electronics-Moving and rotating statue

07 Jan

Maker-First Steps in Electronics-Moving and rotating statue

In OUR previous electronics projects WE were tinkering around with vibration motors and flashing LEDs, well we will continue on the same schema to get a bit more soldering practice and to discover ALSO the use of heat shrink tube. This is ALSO a soldering exercise with some fun, and knowledge acquirement as usually in my tutorials. WE will learn also about Lithium batteries and their power by connecting them in parallel.

OHM’s Law, resistors and LEDs

Learn more:

Practical Tip: LEDs are transparent, so the Cathode (Minus) looks always a bit larger as the Anode (Plus).

Click the image please to access the online calculator

Useful online help:

The schematics of our project

Here below the schematics where YOU will see how the components are represented; YOU will remark that we have three (3) times a parallel circuit. Two batteries in parallel, two flashing LEDs in parallel and two vibration motors in parallel.The resistors are NOT shown in the schematic as THEY are NOT connected, they are just used as stabilization of the statue!

WHY connecting batteries in parallel!? Check below, please:

To find it out I recommend to make a bit PracTICE:

Try first to use ONLY 1 battery CR2032 and let run the statue.
NOW use two (2) batteries CR2032 and let run the statue.
Use NOW ONLY one (1) battery CR2430 (they are bigger in diameter and on power) and let run the statue.
NOW use two (2) batteries CR2430 and let run the statue.

Both batteries deliver 3 Volts, BUT there is a difference in the possible current they can deliver. The CR2032 delivers 225 mAh and the CR2430 delivers 280 mAh!

Through THIS “Learning-By-Doing” YOU will easily understand it!

Detailed parts list, supplier and prices

Please find below the detailed parts list as well as the supplier and the prices.

Item and quantity	Supplier and order number	Price
1 x Stripboard	CONRAD: 529531	2,19€
Silver wire 1 mm / 14 m <===> +/- 30 cm needed	CONRAD: 607657	0,40€

1 x Switch	Adafruit: ID 805	0,95€
2 x Button cell holder à 1,29€	CONRAD: 650546	2,58€
2 x Vibration motor from Adafruit	Adafruit: ID 1201	1,95€
2 x 5mm flashing LEDs from Adafruit pack of 10 is $4.95	Adafruit: ID 680	1 €
2 x Cell CR2032 à 4,19€	CONRAD: 651088	8,358€
2 x Cell CR2430 à 3,99€	CONRAD: 612987	7,98€
Total:		25,43€

As you can see it is a very cheap project, ONLY 25,43€ and easy to realize! ALL what YOU need is a bit time, passion and here we GO! 😉 Have FUN!

Online ordering links:

The tools needed

Check below please WHAT the tools are that you will need for this project. The small saw is needed to cut out a small piece of 55 x 45 mm from the stripboard.

Click image please to enlarge.

Working with heat shrink tube

Learn more:

Heat-shrink tubing
…

Watch the video below please to see the How-To to work with heat shrink tube.

The video of our project

Please check the video below to see our project on action.

Very important

In OUR above project we are using two (2) 3 mm red LEDs in parallel. It DOESN’T work when YOU take two different colors, I tried it out 😉 WHY!??? Please check links below:

Why exactly can’t a single resistor be used for many parallel LEDs?
Schaltungen mit LEDs (auf deutsch)
….

Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Power resistors, flashing LEDs, switch, CR2032, CR2430, Lithium Batteries, stripboard, heat shrinking tube,

The author was also a winner of an electronics contest (Germanic countries) in 1979 and got his project published in the “Electronics Magazine ELO”).

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉