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Overview, Introduction & Prerequisites:

Life-Long Learning - It is always good to expand your connections, networks and join organizations that can help you learn.  This Resource Page is provided to give you access to lots of professional organizations, links to technology news sites, and other connections that will help you develop professionally & keep a pulse of the current events in the world of Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology.

• Use a personal Email when you register... Why, because you want to have control of these sites long after you are out of this class.

Author: Jim Burnham - TopClown@STEAMClown.org. License: Distributed as Open Source. 

Caution & Safety  Considerations:

Primer:  "Aaron, I can imagine no way in which this thing could be considered anywhere remotely close to safe. All I know is I spent six hours in there and I'm still alive... You still want to do it?"

• You will be sharing personal information with new organizations.  Please consider what you want to share.

Sites to Organize and Links to Categorize.

• https://opensysmedia.com/embedded-computing-design/ see newsletters and add them

What Username and Password To Use:

The following is also my recommendation for what Email to use and usernames and passwords.

• EMAIL - Use an email that you will have control of in a year or more from now. This should  NOT be your school email, because you will eventually lose access to that. I recommend using or getting a personal Google Gmail (Links to an external site.) address.  If you don't have a Google email already, you could try to get your firstName.lastName.Awesome@gmail.com... then your name is always followed by Awesome... Awesome right? Or maybe firstName.lastName.42@gmail.com as a nerd reference to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy...

• Username - Pick one you will remember.  More often than not, you can use your email as your UserID.  As your teacher, I will not be able to help you if you forget this...

• Password - Again, pick one you can remember... As your teacher, I will not be able to help you if you forget this...

Signing Up For An Industry Site:

First, remember, these sites are typically based around a business or organization, and they will want to collect information that they can use to market to you.  That's a good thing.  Let's use their questions to get them to provide you with the best information that matches your goals.

They are sometimes going to ask you for information that you may not know how to answer very well... It's all good.  Remember, these sites are thinking of you as a potential customer.  They are going to ask their questions, as if at some future time you might buy something from them...

The following should help you navigate these registration forms.  It's always best to answer honestly as you can... We are not trying to "trick" them, we are just trying to answer the form questions in the best way to get the best information... 

• When they ask for an Email: Please use your personal email.  Why? Because you want to keep getting this information long after your have graduated from my class. 

• When they ask for an Address: What name and address do you give them?  I always use my real name, and so should you.  Most times, I’ll use my home address… Sometimes I give them my school address... it depends on what they are sending.  If they are going to send me a “print” version of the material, then I typically give my home address… and so should you. 

• When they ask for a Phone Number: What about your Phone?  I always put my cell phone.  They virtually never call you.  In 90% of the cases where they do call me, it is a year later when they are updating your subscription…  You probably want that call, so you can keep getting the material.  Otherwise I never get actual phone calls.

• When they ask for about your Job Function: Sometimes, the subscription “Registration” will ask you questions about what your job function is.  I always try first to see if “Student / Educator", "Academic"  or "Education” is an option.  If not, I pick something that is close to “Design Engineer” or “Research and Development”... The point is they don’t really care, but you should represent yourself as close to a  “Student/Engineer/Learner as you can… use your best judgment… just don’t make yourself a CEO or Vice President…

• When they ask if you have "Buy" or "Recommend" authority: Don't worry about this.  You will also typically get a list of components or products you “Buy or Recommend”.  Again, your a student, and you don’t really do any of that… so  you should answer this by selecting everything that your interested in.  Their goal is to build a database of product they may want to send you information about… so pick a list of things you are interested.

• When they ask you about your "Current Project": They will ask you about your “Project”... like “Are you starting in 3 months, 6 months, Year, Never”… I almost always pick the largest option available.

• When they ask you about your "Company": They will ask you about your “Company”... like “How many employees are at your site”… I almost always pick the smallest option available.

• For anything else:  Just do your best to select the option that represents you most like a “Student”, “Educator” or a “Design Engineer” or “Research & Development”

Subscribe To These News Groups, News Letters, Web or Print Magazines:

The following sites are Industry news and current event sites that you will want to subscribe to:

These are sites that will keep you updated on Industry Blogs, News Groups, Email lists and Web and print magazines. Please use your personal Email and cell phone.

Industry Technology Vendor and Company sites that you should subscribe to...

Most of these Magazine or Technology News sites will ask you to register.  Use an email you will have control over 2 years in the future... So, a personal one, not a School one...  typically you will state that you are a student when selecting the registration information... but if "Student" is not an option, then select Design Engineer... or the closest category like that.  Provide your Email, and if required, your Phone (Typically I never get calls) 

• Digilent - Electronics Education product, mostly focused on FPGA and Microprocessor.  Sign up for the blog, then check out  their site for students and tutorials.

Reference, Attribution & Resources:

Teachers - Unit, Module and Lesson Plans

If you are a teacher and want to connect and teach this Lesson or Module, discuss how I teach it, give me feedback, please contact me at TopClown@STEAMClown.org 

To access this Lesson Plan and the Teacher collaboration area, you will have needed to connect with me so I can Share the content with you.  Please go to  the Teachers & Partner Page, check out my Licensing and fill out my Collaboration and Curriculum Request Form.  I'll review and then grant you access to the requested areas and lesson plans if they exist.

If you have questions or feedback on how I can make a presentation, lesson, lab better please give use my Feedback Form.

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Resource Key:

<Unit> - <Module Name> - Lessons - Daily/Weekly Lesson Plan

Key: 📰 Slides / Audio 🎧 / 📽️▶️ Video/YouTube / 🎧▶️📽️ Audio/Video / ✨ Resources /  🖼️ Tutorial / 📖 Reading Activity / 📝 Writing Activity / 📖 📝 Reading/Writing / 📟 Coding / 🛠️ LAB Activity / 🚀 Quiz /  🔎 Review /  ✔️ Mastery Check / ✍️ Sign Up /🍕 Extra Credit / 🕸️ Web Links / 👩🏽‍🎓🧑🏽‍🎓🧑🏿‍🎓👩‍🏫 Class / 🏵️📜📃 Certificate / 🗂️ 📈 Collecting Survey Data

/🧟 Review / 🦾 Practice / 🆙Level Up /

🎚️🦑📤🎯  🚧

- 🦑 Special Project -

Assignment Type: ⚓ Establishing (Minimum Standard) / ⛏️ Developing (Digging Deeper) / 💎 Aspiring (Putting It Together)

This is an ⚓ Establishing Assignment (Minimum Standard)  - "Everyone Do" Assignment

This is an ⛏️ Developing (Digging Deeper) - "Everyone Should Do, To Stretch" Assignment

This is an 💎 Aspiring (Putting It Together)  - "When you have done the ⚓ Establishing and⛏️ Developing" Assignment

• 🚀 Formative Quiz - 🔎 Review

• 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path

• 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check

Quiz - verify that they are all listed as a "Formative", "Mastery Path", or "Summative" 

• 🚀 Formative Quiz - These are quizzes that the students can take a few times. I have them either set for unlimited times, or 3-5 times, where the final score is their average. The idea is that these Formative Quizzes are designed for students to learn and master a skill.  while I want them to ger 100%, and when it's set to unlimited tries, the student should get 100% eventually.  When the quiz is set to 3-5 tries with an average, then they should be prepared and should take the quiz seriously. I set the quiz to not show the right answer, but I do let them see their wrong answer.  I also put the explanation of the right and wrong answer in the right and wrong answer prompt for each question.  That way they can see why they got the answer wrong and learn from that experience.  

  • 8.1.0.3.2.4 - Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Quiz #2 -Built-In Functions - 🚀 Formative Quiz

• 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path - These Mastery path quizzes are to be presented after the student has had a chance to do some labs and some Formative quizzes.   The goal is to let students have 2 chances to take this quiz, and take the average of the 2 attempts.  Based on the average, they will be presented with a Canvas Mastery Path, where they will have an option for take additional quiz and assignments to help with remediation.  This will get them ready to take the Summative Quizzes.

  • 8.1.0.3.3.1 -  Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Mastery Quiz #1 - 🚀 Quiz -🔀 Mastery Path

• 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check - These Mastery path quizzes are to be presented after the student has had a chance to do some labs and some Formative quizzes.   The goal is to let students have 2 chances to take this quiz, and take the average of the 2 attempts. That will be their final module/subject topic grade.

  • 8.1.0.3.3.1 -  Python - Ch 3 - Functions - Skills Mastery Check Quiz #1 - 🚀 Summative Quiz -✔️ Skills Mastery Check