
I Quit My Job To Teach People About Hardware - ChrisGammell
http://chrisgammell.com/i-quit-my-job-to-teach-people-about-hardware/
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noonespecial
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
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.

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Aaronneyer
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.

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tostitos1979
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!

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janineyoong
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!!

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VLM
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.

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

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

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

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jmgrosen
Cached:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Otv2U_j...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Otv2U_jc25wJ:chrisgammell.com/i-quit-
my-job-to-teach-people-about-hardware/&client=firefox-
nightly&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1)

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

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mmilano
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!

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

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dccoolgai
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.

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seddona
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.

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contingencies
Congratulations on the best decision of your life.

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

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mathattack
Bravo!!!

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

