A little preview of next episode's show topic plus fun links...

Have you ever tried to explain pointers to someone and said something “and so, this variable points to that one, this can be used to reference that one’s?memory”? Of course not, me neither!** Because that would be silly and confusing. (**Lie.)

Teaching something is a good way to realize what you don’t understand. On the flip side, there is also a point where you have internalized something so well that it is difficult to remember learning. Either way, teaching can be difficult.

However, there are people who find the teaching more fascinating than the information. These people usually light up when you use the word pedagogy (OED: the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept).? While usually the purview of professors and teachers, thinking about how to teach something is a good way to learn, especially topics that are boring or tedious.?

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has a special edition of their Hello World magazine calledBig Book of Computing Pedagogy. It focuses on approaches to teaching computing in the classroom, similar to NCCE/RPi’sPedagogyon TeachingComputering.org.? Compare these to Greg Wilson’sSoftware Carpentrywhich has already done the pedagogical heavy-lifting so teachers can run through the curriculum without needing to design it.?Specifically for Embedded Systems, I spent a lot of time looking at Jay Carlson’sHow I Teach Embedded Systemswhen I developed my classes for Classpert.?

In this week’s upcoming show, we’re going to talk to Professor Colleen Lewis about using physical models for teaching computer science ( 3D Java). Since I spend a lot of time thinking about parallels and metaphors, her methods make me happy.

-Elecia

Memfault is a leading embedded device observability platform that empowers teams to build better IoT products, faster. Its off-the-shelf solution is specifically designed for bandwidth-constrained devices, offering device performance and product analytics, debugging, and over-the-air capabilities. Trusted by leading brands such as Bose, Lyft, Logitech, Panasonic, and Augury, Memfault improves the reliability of devices across consumer electronics and mission-critical industries such as access control, point of sale, energy, and healthcare. To learn more, visit?memfault.com.

Can't quite remember something from a show? Check out the transcripts!

Links!

• A nice overview of what Tiny Tapeout is all about and pointers to a ton of resources for getting started. Check out Tiny Tapeout's Demoscene Competition if you're looking for motivation.
• The ambitious LibOpenCM3 project aims to provide a low-level hardware and peripheral support library from Cortex M processors. Worth a look if you want to keep your whole software stack as open-source as possible.
• Chances are your house still is wired for landline phones, but maybe you don't use them? Here's an idea for turning that wiring into a home CAN network for sensors.
• Zephyr brings many Unix-like features and structure to embedded micros, including the concept of user-mode vs. kernel mode code. This intro to user mode on Zephyr explains the benefits and how to structure your code. (Note: your micro needs and MPU or MMU to implement this meaningfully)

Elecia's second edition of Making Embedded Systems is now available everywhere. Buy now at?Amazon?or?eBooks.com!

Upcoming Show

Tomorrow's show will feature?Colleen Lewis from University of Illinois Ubana-Champaign. We'll be talking with her about her unique approaches to teaching computing concepts, sometimes using stuffed animals!?

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