Building Computers

Pre-Build Expectations:

The thought of building a computer sounds extremely daunting. It is something that you think of people in engineering majors doing. Usually people wouldn’t associate building computers with education majors. It was something that was out of my comfort zone. I wasn’t sure how good I was going to be at it. I also didn’t know if any of my team members had experience with it either. I have taken many computer classes but they always had to do with using programs such as Microsoft, Excel, PowerPoint not with the actual properties or parts of the computer. I did however have some experience building things such as bird houses, planter boxes, etc. so I knew I wouldn’t have a hard time assembling the wood elements of the computer.

Teamwork:

I liked that we were able to choose the people that we worked in a group with. I find it easier to communicate with people you already know and are comfortable with. You can tell them that they aren’t doing a certain thing right and give them advice to fix it without worrying you will make them feel bad or that you are overstepping your boundaries. I also believe that it is easier to be creative with people you are already friends with. Viktoria, Megan, and I worked really well together. We all had different strengths. Viktoria read the directions and got the parts we needed together and Megan and I collaborated on the assembly which made things much more efficient then if we had to build the computer on our own.

Goal:

To have a fully functioning computer where the screen can turn on, we hear sound, and are able to play the mini games on the computer.

Building Process:

The actual building of the computer was the most fun part about this assignment. I had a lot more fun than I expected to have. A lot of the doubts that I had going in were purposeless. The computer was a lot easier to build than expected. There are not many tools required you just need basic instruments like a screwdriver. As long as you follow the directions closely you shouldn’t run into too many problems. However, we did have a few difficulties with putting on parts correctly the first time. We overcame these challenges by looking at the directions again and finding where we went wrong and fixing it. We also referenced other groups computers to see how theirs looked so we could visually see where we messed up. It was definitely a process of trial and error.

Post-Build Reflection:

The end result is extremely satisfying when your computer turns on and you can actually play games on it. It makes you feel like you have accomplished something really big and important. I believe this project could be very beneficial for teachers to give to there students. This would especially be good for highschoolers since many students are unsure of what they want to do for their profession at that age. This may get some students into computer science or engineering. This could also encourage young women to go into STEM because they can see that they are capable of doing things within the field but just may have never had exposure to it before. This was an extremely positive experience and I would definitely recommend for other schools to try this project out.

How Building a Computer Relates to the 4Cs:

Collaboration: You have to be willing to work with your team members on building the computer so you can finish in a timely manner and construct a computer that can actually function.

Critical Thinking: This requires a bit more critical thinking then most assignments because

Communication: You have to communicate with your team members when a problem arises to make a plan of action on how to fix it and figure out who is doing what task.

Creativity: When you are building your computer and you realize that something isn’t right you have to retrace your steps and evaluate where you went wrong. You have to be creative in trying to find a solution until the problem is solved.

More about Piper:

Purchase your own Piper Computer Making Kit:

https://www.amazon.com/Piper-Computer-Kit-2016-Edition/dp/B016HLFW44