Classroom Kit Fundamentals

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Do you have everything?

  1. Check that you have two boxes:
    1. A big black Tactix box containing Kookaberries, leads, batteries, a battery charge and a set of temperature probes.
    2. A clear plastic box containing an assortment of peripherals.
  2. Check that the numbers of components in each box matches the number on the laminated index sheets in each box.

Kookaberry Handles

Two 3D printed handles have been included in the Kit, and instructions for making more can be found in the tutorial Making 3D Printed Handles. Send the link to whoever in your school can print enough handles for your use.

     

Kookaberry Apps

The Kookaberries in the Kit have been pre-loaded with a set of applications. These are stored in the Kookaberry’s USB drive which can be viewed and edited when it is plugged into a PC. It looks just like a standard USB stick drive.

Familiarise yourself with the Tutorial Getting Started which is included in hard copy with your kit and online. You can download additional copies from the website.

IMPORTANT: When you first receive your kit, connect one of the Kookaberries to a computer and copy the contents of its USB drive to a safe location. If there are any problems with the menu or the app s/w in the future, reformat the USB drive and reinstall the apps from the safe location.

Unplugging the Kookaberry from a PC

It is good practice to always use the “Eject Safely” function when removing the Kookaberry from a PC or laptop running Windows. This is to allow time for all internal instructions to be completed before a drive is removed. The icon for this function is located at the bottom right of your screen.

The AustSTEM Foundation

he AustSTEM Foundation is not-for-profit charitable organisation committed to raising STEM literacy in Australian classrooms.

AustSTEM intends to use data and feedback from its trials of the Kookaberry and its STEM Experiential Learning Journey to establish the business case for raising the funds necessary to eventually deliver Kookaberries free into Australian classrooms.

Website Support

The Kookaberry website has been created, and is constantly being updated, with content in support of STEM teachers.

The Kookaberry ecosystem has been designed to augment STEM teaching through the experience of working with a real world, fully programmable, digital system.

The peripherals (sensors, control elements, and displays) are where the digital world intersects with our human world and are therefore extensively described on the Peripherals index page.

The Apps index page contains pre-coded apps that enable students and teachers to concentrate on the purpose and results of a measurement. The programme code for all apps is available for analysis and editing as required. Data logging and remote transmission of results is also available for all SenseXX apps.

The Learning Plans index page mainly consists of tutorials at the current time, but will include lesson plans, units of work and projects as experience is gained.