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Am I up for the challenge?
Tuesday, February 11
Debrief
Debrief
Project 1: share out
SRL Lab: Circuit Playground Express
SRL Lab: Circuit Playground Express
Project 3: interactive scenery (due 2/20)
Project 3: interactive scenery (due 2/20)
You will use the skills from class to create your own interactive scenery project using the CPX to sense user interaction and respond with at least 1 one external LED/fairy light.
Decide on what component(s) will be activated in response (LED/fairy light, vibe motor). You can use more than one, but beware they don't always play together nicely! Please ask the instructor and TAs for help :)
Design/sketch your circuit; you may wish to refer back to the Guide: Glowing Flower Pot for a sample.
Plan/do/evaluate!
The primary goal here is to for you to practice the design process and reflect upon the experience!
Push yourself to be just outside your comfort zone, depending on your prior experience with circuits and/or programming.
Not sure what to do? You can use this guide to make a dandelion scene! I encourage you to challenge yourself by not just following each step, but rather by trying one step at a time and using the guide as solutions if you really get stuck.
Requirements
On your web site, post:
(A) Documentation of your process, including successes and failures. You should include:
A design (sketch) of your circuit plan
Pictures/video of your process
A final video or collection of photos that demonstrates the final product
(B) A two-part reflection:
Consider the CPX labs and this project. Were you in a (dis)comfort zone? Did it shift over time? Reflect on how your experience might relate to some of the topics we've seen thus far (self-efficacy, mindset, self-regulation, active listening), using the prompts below. You can choose to write the reflection (1-2 paragraphs) or record it as video/audio (1-3 minutes). You do not need to respond to all prompts or even use them at all; they are meant as a jumping-off point.
Did you find yourself hearing any (internal) talk signaling a fixed or growth mindset? Did you notice your self-efficacy for particular tasks shift in response to a particular moment?
Did you find that explicitly applying the SRL cycle changed how you engaged with the lab? How might your learning have been impacted without the explicit SRL framing?
How, if at all, did the active listening activity impact your interactions on the subsequent CPX lab?
Challenge yourself to step back and think about any parallels you can draw to your learning journey at large, using the prompts below. You can choose a written format (2-4 paragraphs) or recorded video/audio (2-5 minutes).
Think of a moment when you were asked to engage in an academic task or activity that was new to you. What internal dialogue supported/blocked your engagement? What resources (would have) helped you? Were there any that were not available, but in retrospect, would have supported your learning? Did you find yourself (not) interacting with others, such as the instructor or peers, as you moved through the endeavor?
Topic refreshers
Topic refreshers
Here are some takeaways for the topics we've seen so far:
Active listening
When you engage in active listening, you are not listening to find weaknesses or ways to respond; you are listening to understand.
[Be open] Create space by pausing and slowing down to notice what you are feeling, and focus on listening actively instead.
[Practice mirroring] You can act as a mirror by clarifying what you heard. By asking “Can I repeat back to make sure I’m with you?”, we are not only signaling that we are listening, but also ensuring that we understand correctly.
[Seek perspective] We can try on other perspectives to gain a deeper sense of where they’re coming from. We may still disagree with what they’re saying, but the goal is to see the situation. Instead of immediately jumping to a conclusion or giving advice, take the time to reflect on their words and digest their point of view.
[Intention vs Impact] Consider the perspective of the listener and how our response might impact them. A well intended message can still come across otherwise.
Self-regulated learning
The capacity to step back and study our own thought process is called metacognition. It is the foundation for an iterative process called the self-regulated learning (SRL) feedback cycle.
Effective learners use this SRL plan/do/evaluate cycle to come up with a plan, try it out, and use feedback to revise a new plan.
When coming up with a plan, we can be strategic: break a large challenge into smaller pieces, research what others have done for similar tasks, keep a log of what did (not) work, seek feedback from others.
Mindset
Perhaps you have found yourself thinking, "No way I can do this. I'm not a _____ person." or "This is totally up my alley! I've always been a _____ person." This self-talk is indicative of a fixed mindset.
Compare this with "I can't do this... yet." or "With practice, I'll be able to do ____." These phrases are indicative of a growth mindset.
When you believe that you can get better with practice, you are embracing a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset.
Self-efficacy
Your belief in your ability to succeed at a task is influenced by your current skills, past experiences and availability of resources. How do these factor into your self-efficacy for a task or activity?
You can increase self-efficacy by noticing small successes. Can you imagine building upon them?
Self-efficacy can be impacted by comparing yourself to other people. Are you making a fair social comparison?
Tips
Tips
Start early so you have time to take breaks and get help!
Consider scheduling time with a classmate to work on your projects in the same space; it can help to have another person to bounce ideas off of or to troubleshoot.
Don't forget about TA hours! And office hours! And email!
You have a lot of creative freedom in this project, which can be exciting and daunting. If you are wondering about some ideas, it can help to add in some constraints. Here are some potential constraints (not required!):
Use only paper.
Use only fabric (you can use conductive thread/material or you can use alligator clips and/or copper tape).
Make something 3-dimensional.
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