Project update 2 of 6
Free e-book for Christmas
You believed in us, and so on Christmas day, the PDF of "When Thea LED the Way" will be released to the public!
We got this idea from your tweets to @bunniestudios. You suggested it’d be great for schools and also asked for translations to other languages. Based on your feedback, we decided to release the e-book for free download on Christmas day. The book is shared under a Creative Commons license license. Educators can print the e-book and buy Chibitronics components in bulk so that students can use this book. Linguists will be able to translate the book to another language and share it with others.
Backers who have purchased our electronic kit — be assured, you can start immediately and won’t have to fiddle with printer settings or slicing and dicing paper. (Printing instructions are here, and you can see it’s a multi-step process.) $5 backers will receive the PDF earlier, when the kit starts shipping.
A little story while you sip your morning TEA (technology, engineering, and arts)
When I was growing up, I lived in the shadow of my sister. She was pretty and popular while I was the strange misfit. Because we were similar in age, teachers viewed my sister as the "one who could write" while I was "the one could do math." Thus, I was placed in advanced Math and Science classes, but in average English and History classes.
And so it would be.
Until one day, my English teacher passed out English workbooks. The workbook had a fantastic story about talking Tasmanian devils and treacherous pirates. I loved the story so much that I raced ahead to finish the workbook so that I could read more of the plot.
My teacher noticed my sudden interest in English so he transferred me to an advanced English class. I remember being upset because the advanced English class had different reading material, so I never got to finish the end of the story. Did the Tasmanian devil ever find his treasure?
However, from that day forward, I was no longer the nerdy math kid. I was well-rounded. And because I was well-rounded, I was viewed differently. Now my teachers and counselors thought I had the potential for top-10 colleges.
And it all started with a workbook. I saw a subject through a different light, and consequently my teachers saw me through a different light.
It is my hope that this craftbook will help someone see engineering in a different light.
Several of you have asked the age range for this book. In our last update, we suggested an age range based on readability tests and government regulations on batteries. While there is a lower age limit for safety reasons, there is no upper limit.
Truly, this book is meant for anyone who is curious about circuits and would rather not learn from dry facts. This could be a child; it could also be for a maker or a crafter who has a stirring interest in electronics, but finds textbooks intimidating or boring. It is for those that like to play while they learn, and those who learn while they play.
Thank you once again for your overwhelming support!