This page contains information about the Arduino Bootcamp for Teachers and Trainers – Stage 1.

Please read this information carefully. Then, please continue to book a 30-minute consultation with the Bootcamp instructor, Dr. Peter Dalmaris, to discuss the details.

Please note that at the time of writing, December 26, 2017, some secondary aspects of the Bootcamp are not finalised. While some of the information contained below may change, the overall principles and outcomes will not.

Here are some quick points about this Bootcamp:

• • It is conducted exclusively online
  • It starts on January 22, 2018, and continues for 12 work days
  • It contains video lectures and downloadable PDF notes for the instructional component
  • It uses Facebook Messenger for 24/7 communication between participants and instructors, and to deliver tasks
  • You can work on your own time but must keep pace with the Bootcamp action plan
  • You learn by working on daily mini projects
  • All your project submissions are evaluated by my team, with feedback provided.
  • You have two, 30 minutes, one-on-one blockbuster video conferences with me to help you with any
  • Apart from your computer, you need a small number of easy to find components, like an Arduino, a colour LED.

We designed this Bootcamp for STEM teachers who are new to the Arduino as an educational tool but are tasked with the responsibility of teaching programming, technology, and electronics (and so much more!).

The instructor and designer of the Bootcamp, Dr Peter Dalmaris, has spoken with many teachers who while are tasked with teaching a STEM curriculum, don’t have the necessary technical or scientific background. While they have the right mindset, they indicate that they would have benefited greatly by having access to a training program specifically designed for preparing them for the responsibility of teaching others.

We have designed the Arduino Teachers Bootcamp for these teachers.

Whether you are a student, or someone with the responsibility of helping a student, learning to mastery is a principle of learning that guarantees that whatever you learn, you learn well, and you can depend on it.

Especially for teachers, this is very true. So much depends on it. Encouraging a student to try a different approach, stick with a problem for a little longer, recognise dead ends, know when to iterate a solution, and so much more, to a large extent comes from the teacher’s confidence in their skill and experience.

The Arduino Teacher’s Bootcamp is about helping teachers new to STEP and in particular to the Arduino as a teaching tool to get to a skill level and confidence to be able to be an effective mentor for their students.

Within the Bootcamp’s 12 days, our participants will travel the journey of the student. They will learn from the resources that we have created for our Arduino students, practice their learnings with our mini-projects, and test their knowledge with our quizzes.

The first Bootcamp curriculum builds a solid understanding of the Arduino as a platform for physical programming. Physical programming (sometimes also called “physical computing”) involves the composition of software programs that control hardware devices. This Bootcamp is a great way to learn how to program because the effects of your programs are real world: you can see, hear and even touch the result of your program executing, instead of being an abstract representation of data on a computer screen. The participant will learn to program the Arduino, the Arduino hardware features that are important in programming, and play with simple peripheral components, always centered around programming concepts.

At every step of the way, our participants will have an open line of communication with and my team through Facebook Messenger (dedicated to the Bootcamp). Time is allocated for dedicated one-on-one time with me, as well as group consultation, both using Zoom video conferencing.

Our guarantee is that any participant that completes the Bootcamp, having followed the daily instructions, and having done all the prescribed activities, will be a confident and competent STEM mentor for their students and will develop an understanding of the content covered, and be able to deliver the same material. If this doesn’t happen, the participant will be welcome to re-enroll to the Bootcamp next time it runs, and try again.

Of course, to succeed, our participants will need to invest more than money: time. Each Bootcamp day will be filled with study, activities, and communication. This time must be factored into our participant’s daily schedule. On average, depending on the participant’s prior knowledge, we estimate that two to three hours will be needed for each of the 12 days of the boot camp.

Success leaves a trail behind it. By the end of the boot camp, the successful participant will have left a trail of successful mini projects and other activities that will be proof of what they have achieved.

If you are still reading this, then you are halfway through to the Bootcamp!

The next step is to book a 30-minute consultation with me via video conference so that I can explain the details. Our 1st Bootcamp start date is Mon 22 Jan 2018. Please use this the form below to book the consultation at your earliest convenience to allow you enough time to prepare for the Bootcamp should you decide to join us.

Looking forward to talking to you about this Bootcamp very soon!

Dr Peter Dalmaris, Instructor