Back again

My dad worked in electronics. Having had his education rudely interrupted by WWII in the form of a surprise Japanese invasion followed by a brutal occupation that killed a fair chunk of my family, he didn't quite get the "normal" education that most of us take for granted these days. So, he studied for and received a correspondence certificate in electronics, quite a respectable certification back then seeing how most schools were in ruins from the war.

To say that my dad loved electronics would be an understatement. So, it was quite disappointing for him when he discovered that none of his offspring shared his interest. I can't say for my brothers but I was certainly interested, at least at first. However, the shouting and the abuse I received whenever I made a mistake got to be a little too much so I stopped trying.

So, I'm feeling a little odd going back into electronics again after a hiatus of nearly 30 years. I'm trying to program Arduinos because I think it's time for the kids to get into something a little more challenging for their age. I've got an Uno as a primary test platform and a LilyPad for fun. For the kids, I've got an Earthshine starter kit which should get them well on their way, should they have the interest to do so. If not, I'm sure I'll find some way to repurpose them later.

I'm still feeling around the capabilities with my Uno - part of being successful with my kids is to find lessons that pique their interest. Although most adults will find making the pin 13 LED blink to be of interest, it simply won't help with getting the kids started, so I'm working on a set of tutorials that will lead them (hopefully) to bigger and better things.

The LilyPad is fun. If the kids take a serious interest in this, I'm giving my Uno to them so that they each have one to program. However, I'm keeping my LilyPad! I take a far more playful approach when I'm tinkering with my LilyPad. I've got an idea on how to make a scarf into a sensor station but I'll need some time to play around with it first.

It feels good to come back to programming after several years of being management. I had forgotten just how much I miss it.