Have you ever taught a soldering class? Need some planning tips!

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easternstargeek
 
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Have you ever taught a soldering class? Need some planning tips!

Post by easternstargeek »

Hey, everyone-

I'm afraid this thread has drifted off-topic a bit.

My primary task right now is coming up with a budget, especially for tools and something to build, so for the time being, I'd like to know if there are any specific pre-packged kits that people have used, and if they thought they were a good value. I'm talking about teaching young people who may not even know what soldering is.

So, as much as I appreciate the other insight, I really need to hear from people who have actually organized classes, and who were responsible for obtaining the necessary tools and supplies.

I'm sorry that I didn't make myself more clear.

P.S: if The Lady is listening in... which of your kits have brought you good feedback from newbies and their instructors?

(================== My original post follows below ========================)

I am in the process of proposing an introductory soldering class to a local community center in my town. This center serves primarily urban kids from a nearby housing project, and they already have a number of after-school programs like arts and crafts classes, and sports- but no technology. I figure a soldering class would not only be fun, but potentially very empowering. There are very few engineers in this town, and none that I know of are doing much to popularize science and technology.

I would like to teach this class, and I figure I could probably manage OK with a class size of about a dozen kids. The task I am facing right now is estimating a budget for something like this. I've seen a number of kits out there that include a cheap iron, a basic tool or two, and some kind of blinky thing to put together.

I would love to hear from anyone who has ever conducted a soldering class to share their experiences- everything from which kits are a good value for the money, and which ones are stinko, to any other issues you may have encountered. I will attempt to write a grant for this, but even if I get nowhere, I'm gonna do it anyway- even if I have to put up my own money.

Many thanks!

(Please forgive the double-post... I wasn't sure where to post this)
Last edited by easternstargeek on Fri Sep 02, 2011 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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jim123e
 
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Re: Interested in your experiences teaching soldering and basic 'tronics

Post by jim123e »

What exactly is it that you want to teach the kids? Where will it be usefull in their lives? Remember, these kids have a $500 smart phone, so the blinking light will do little to impress them. If you really want to teach them basic circuits,start out with some simple radioshack or science fair kits. No soldering iron needed, no expensive PCB, Heck you can build a circuit by wrapping resistor leads around a nail on a 2x4. What do boyscouts do for their electronics MB? I'm sure it only requires simple tools.

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easternstargeek
 
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Re: Interested in your experiences teaching soldering and basic 'tronics

Post by easternstargeek »

Simple, jim-
I want to teach the kids (will probably open the class to the 12 - 16 year old range, depending on interest) how to build real electronic things, with the hope that it will spark a lifelong interest in electronics and technology as a fulfilling hobby, and possibly a rewarding and lucrative career.
Learning to solder is the first step. It certainly was for me, over 40 years ago.

While I don't mind breadboard things, and solderless kits, I am taking a different approach- what one would call a "Top-Down" approach to learning. Kids have notoriously short attention spans. Teaching a lesson with one of those kits is too much like school. When they are done, they will have something that looks like a rats nest.

I think it would be much better to show them that they CAN build something, using exactly the same skils that grownups and professional people use. Something that does something a handful of parts by themselves cannot do. By that time, I will know how far they are willing to go. I like those little blinky robot badges that the folks at Maker Shed sell.

http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails ... ode=MKLS01

Once the light bulb comes on (literally as well as figuratively) THEN we can start deconstructing what they just built in order to explain how it works. I have trained hundreds of adults in dozens of technical subjects, and this approach always works for me. Training adults is just like training kids- only more difficult.

Oh yes- I also want to teach the kids that there is one more adult in their community who thinks it's important to share what they know and pass the torch to the next generation.

P.S... what am I to make of your "$500.00 Smart Phone" comment? I've been around a lot of these kids, and some of them are lucky to get a decent meal for supper. I don't know anyone who has a smart phone.

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brucef
 
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Re: Interested in your experiences teaching soldering and basic 'tronics

Post by brucef »

I think I was maybe 13 or 14 when I started having fun with 555s, speakers and human resistors; basically a cut down drawdio taken out of one of the Forrest Mims books. That's probably about where I'd start. LEDs are fun, but when you can make different pitches by squeezing harder on a pair of wires or board pads, you get a little more sense of interaction.

Depending on how much time and equipment you had, you could even have the kids draw, etch and drill their own boards!

Almost anything that works would be a good enough place to start, though; kids just need to know that something is actually possible, and their imagination will have them building robots and rockets by bedtime.

meseta
 
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Re: Interested in your experiences teaching soldering and basic 'tronics

Post by meseta »

Robotics is always cool, even simple ones. For example I have retrofitted a plush doll (of Einstein) with three servos, and he sits on top of the computer and waves at me when I get an email, and he gets a lot of attention from all ages. The whole thing was extremely simple the servos are simply mounted on a small wooden board, and duct-taped to some wooden dowelling for the arms. And you can control servos with pretty much any microcontroller, which you could have the kids solder up.

I will post an Instructable for Einstein email notifier later maybe

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jim123e
 
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Re: Have you ever taught a soldering class? Need some planning tips!

Post by jim123e »

Sorry if I came off as a cynic, but please keep us posted on your progress. Yes I still stand by the fact that the poorest of the poor still have cable TV and contract smart phones. What those people need is money management skills. Teach them how to stay away from the BANNED loan shops.

For your class, I would suggest you build something useful. The make kit you referenced is very nice and the price is right. You can then branch out and build a reading light/flashlight/bike light/ flashing pumpkin light that turns on at night. Then perhaps external speakers/amp for MP3 player. I also like the empowering the kids idea, get broken electronics and try to fix them. VCRs and early video games, as stupid as that sounds, once they are rehabbed then they can be sold.

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zener
 
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Re: Have you ever taught a soldering class? Need some planning tips!

Post by zener »

Be careful how you advertise it since there are a lot of kinds of soldering: Jewelry, stained glass, plumbing...

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