We came to the conclusion a while ago that for the sake of keeping people, especially kids, enthusiastic, they should get their feet wet with code first. Once they are comfortable with that, then tackle the hardware. To provide the shortest possible route to the first moment of glory, we developed a new arduino shield built specifically for the process of teaching arduino code. By initially bypassing the electronics theory and postponing the breadboarding stage, it takes much of the frustration out of the learning process. Those things can come later, once they’ve already got a pocket full of victories.
The Diyode Code Shield has: Inputs: switch, button, potentiometer, rotary encoder, thermistor, photocell, and hall effect sensor. Outputs: Piezo buzzer, servo motor, RGB LED, Yellow LED, and a relay with screw terminals.
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
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Adafruit should consider a package that puts the proto-screw shield and this collection of parts together, maybe adding a couple extras? it would make a great started kit.
I like this a lot! Much to be said for postponing the foray into breadboarding until the first coding successes are under the belt.
Adafruit should consider a package that puts the proto-screw shield and this collection of parts together, maybe adding a couple extras? it would make a great started kit.