The computers were introduced to the classroom as new tools.  How would my students respond to my static drawings concepts if they were presented as animations? What a lovely idea.  It worked better than I had expected.  Then I developed the "lecture" material explaining the concepts.  HTML was a perfect medium for presenting my course. It would let me present photographs, graphics and allow me to present animations and short movies taken with digital cameras.

I started looking on the internet as I developed my HTML material during the '96 - '97 school year. I wanted to see what other high school electronics teachers were doing.  Through weeks of surfing, I came to realize that electronics as an elective in secondary schools was unique to British Columbia.  BC was one of  few jurisdictions in North America that had a government mandated curriculum for the topic.  At the time there were about 2000 secondary schools across the United States that offered at least one class in electronics, but they did not have consistent curriculum or goals. Many of the classes were being presented through the science departments as an extension of physics. Others were nothing more than purchase kits and build projects blindly, without understanding the concepts behind the work.  Compare that to BC with over 300 secondary schools that offer at least on electronics course, and we do have a common curriculum.

As I talked further with my colleagues here in BC, I realized something else.  All electronics teachers that I met fell into 2 categories.  One group worked hard to develop curriculum for their students, but never stabilized their work.  The second group were shop teachers outside of their specialty. They were struggling.  They didn't have the background or resources needed to develop their programs.

I sat down and in 45 minutes wrote out an outline of what I considered necessary material for a first year "Introduction to Electronics" for the high school classroom.  When I finished it 2 1/2 years later, I compared my work to the newly published (most recent) curriculum guide.  My course met and exceeded the expectations of the Grade 11 Electronics Curriculum Guide, reaching well into the learning outcomes for grade 12.

My text stabilizes the course work.  It includes all of the necessary background material for teachers, inquiring minds, budding & potential geniuses.  I visualize that this text will be seen as the Key Stone, the catalyst that was missing, that necessary stepping  stone to bridge the gap and encourage a real blossoming of interest in electronics through out the world. The learner doesn't need prior knowledge. They don't have to be in a classroom to learn.