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> Soldering just isn't practical in the classroom (at least where I teach, middle school) Really? I had wood shop in (public) middle school, I'm talking about
by n00b101 11y ago
> Soldering just isn't practical in the classroom (at least where I teach, middle school)
Really? I had wood shop in (public) middle school, I'm talking about a room full of 13 year olds with industrial sized band saws, tables saws and volatile chemicals. And that was somehow ok (once in a while the teacher would hit the kill switch if he saw someone horsing around). Soldering is like knitting compared to that. I don't see the problem.
Also not sure why you think breadboarding is barely workable, it seems totally workable to me.
Limiting students to alligator clips and "built in hardware" seems like short changing them. I suppose it's better than nothing.
Anyway, Lady Ada and Adafruit are really awesome. If you are doing something for schools, I would contact them directly and let them know.
- analog31 11y agoIndeed, my kids soldered in one of their middle school classes.
- esmi 11y agoKeep in mind a proper solder station has things like fume extraction, hazard waste disposal, anti-static pads, etc. etc. In short, I can think of reasons why a proper station is not practical for a given middle school. But I definitely agree with your breadboarding point and overall sentiment. In college I recall a series of labs that built a fairly workable 4-bit computer on breadboards. They're very workable, even preferable, for the right type of circuit/project.
- Hydraulix989 11y agoWe didn't even have these proper things at my top engineering university -- just a bunch of Wellers on a bench.