I Quit My Job To Teach People About Hardware

http://chrisgammell.com/i-quit-my-job-to-teach-people-about-hardware/

by ChrisGammell • 12 years ago

123 16 12 years ago

chrisgammell.com

jmgrosen• 12 years ago

Cached: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Otv2U_j...

ChrisGammell2• 12 years ago

Heh, thanks. I'm a hardware guy for a reason ;-) Trying to recover the site.

derwiki• 12 years ago

I've known Chris since undergrad and this is going to be great. Congrats and good luck!

mmilano• 12 years ago

It's neat to open HN and see very relevant topics. I'm taking Chris' Contextual Electronics course. It's structured around an 8 week period, but fortunately for me, it's still effective going at my own pace since life & work has been busy. Congrats Chris, and Thanks!

noonespecial• 12 years ago

I'm right where you are, brother. I was more or less content until last year when I taught a beginners robotics and electronics class to local kids. I decided then that this was something I had to do and not just on a "free-time" basis. I'm trying to figure out how to make the jump myself.

I'll be watching your adventure with great (and also selfish) interest. Very best of luck.

TarpitCarnivore• 12 years ago

What small piece of advice I can offer is this: if you truly want to teach please do so outside of a public school. When I went into teaching (elementary k-5) I was under the impression that as a computer teacher I would have more freedom than a typical classroom, but I quickly found out I was just as constricted. Rather than spend time talking to the kids about pieces of a computer, how they work, etc, I had to spend 2 months watching them type.

In NJ the core curriculum standards have gotten better but I still find them to be incredibly inadequate for the elementary level. Even at the middle school level (8th grade) one of the requirements is to basically take digital notes for a project and then use "digital authoring tools".

So if you want to do this maybe find a place to volunteer, after school program, etc. This will allow you to see if you enjoy and also allow you more flexibility.

VLM2• 12 years ago

Looks like a good plan. Only slightly off topic I LOLed at the electronics / milling machine connection. In our generation those two go together just like ham radio and amateur film photographer went together in my dad's generation. Sherline mill with Geckodrive powered steppers here.

This is probably some kind of trend or whatever that a startup could bounce off of.

ChrisGammell2• 12 years ago

I mean...both are just so awesome! :-)

Do you have the 4th axis on your sherline? I haven't made that jump yet.

VLM2• 12 years ago

Yes although I don't use it very much. Gear cutter sets are expensive. You can do other things with it of course.

seddona• 12 years ago

There are so many people dipping their toes into hardware now, it's great to see a course designed around the practical aspects for them.

janineyoong• 12 years ago

Chris has been a longtime supporter of our mission to open up part data for hardware hackers at Octopart, so we know how much of a passion project this is. Congrats!!

dccoolgai• 12 years ago

That's awesome - I have been a fan of Gammel's work (ChipTV, etc.) for a while. I've been more and more convinced that the next billionaire will be from hardware.

contingencies• 12 years ago

Congratulations on the best decision of your life.

I sent you a message inviting you to participate on project over here in Asia.

mathattack• 12 years ago

Bravo!!!

The one thing you may find is that the old workaholism is hard to shake, but at least you own the calendar.

Aaronneyer• 12 years ago

Congrats on the decision , always glad to see Case grads doing awesome things :) It was great to meet you at our link-state conference this fall. I was the one organizing that, although I only spoke to you briefly. Always glad to hear people doing what they truly live to do, which it seems you're doing.

tostitos1979• 12 years ago

A word of unsolicited advice. I purchased a few courses from two online vendors of good repute. They both included the free "lifetime" access to course material. One got bought out and changed the policy, and the other just changed their policy midway. As a buyer, I was a bit annoyed. It would have been far better from the vendors to not make the lifetime access promise. Frankly, their content (and it seems yours) is pretty high value anyways - just don't take promises you make lightly (specifically, lifetime access).

Best of luck to you! I'm likely going to sign up for your 1A course in the audit track!

I Quit My Job To Teach People About Hardware

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