The photo here is nothing more than a group of 12 light emitting diodes (LED) wired together and being controlled by an Arduino controller. The wiring is an example of Charlieplexing — who knew that was even a word? This is a project I’m working on as part of a physical computing workshop I’ve been participating in for the last couple of weeks. And this simple experiment represents 4 or 5 hours worth of my time!
Now the point here isn’t that I have a lot to learn about electronics (which I do.) It has reminded my, however, that learning is just plain hard work. Full of mistakes, mis-direction and frustration. It also can be a lot of fun and quite engaging — also time consuming. In the instructional technology world it is easy to focus on the new technologies, and ways of enhancing instruction. Some of which can actually have a positive impact on learning. But it is important to not lose sight of the fact that whatever the delivery method, real learning is still made up of individual, personal, revelations. And, unfortunately the most memorable ones often come only after a journey filled with as many dead ends as eureka moments. Like Thomas Edison said- mostly perspiration.
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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