About Mr. Iddon

My name is Mr. Iddon, I’m a physicist and your Physics 20 teacher.

I graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Physics in 2020, and graduated with my Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Lethbridge in 2023 (written as it would be viewed by future students after completion of my current degree).

For fun I often enjoy building sensors that collect data and send data over very large distances using very little power. While with modern infrastructure we can all communicate around the globe with cellular data, calling, and text messaging, that’s not very fun. It’s really awe-inspiring for me to build sensors or communication devices and watch that data be sent or received over vast distances, many many kilometers, all with the help of zero outside infrastructure, only the sensors and receivers I constructed and programmed with my own hands. So if you see me waving an antenna or small box around in a field one day, that’s probably what I’m working on.

Another hobby of mine is prolonging the usable lifespan of electronics to reduce e-waste and save money. As a CompTIA A+ certified computer technician, and with my experience in electronics as well, I’d much rather get a broken item for free or cheap, and enjoy the learning and possible success (though often learning filled failure!) of getting to try to make it into something working again that I can use. Something related to this drive of mine is thus the organization I founded back in 2012 (when I was in highschool like you!) called Computers For Kids. That organization, run by myself with help sometimes from my mother and grandfather, takes in broken and unwanted computer equipment, repairs and refurbishes the usable equipment, and distributes it to youth, families, and senior citizens free of charge. I’m honoured to have been able to help people as far east as Saskatchewan, people south of the border, and even victims of natural disaster.

One moment that can always make me smile is thinking back to how someone who I helped though Computers for Kids called me to thank me just before Christmas one year. They had no obligation to reach out to me, yet they did anyways at the super busy time that was the holidays just to say thank you. Thinking about that day, and so many others, always brings a smile to my face so I’d always encourage you to do something nice for others. Maybe that’s shoveling the old man down the street’s driveway after a big snowstorm, or volunteering somewhere in your community. Anything small can and does make a difference, and it really makes you feel good too I assure you, so do consider helping someone else at some point if you have the time.

Instructor Contact Information

This information is on our main home page for the unit, but it is here again in case you need it.

Email: john.iddon@uleth.ca

Zoom office hours: (To be set upon use in actual teaching.)

The Zoom office hours link was sent out to your email at the start of the course. It is not posted here to prevent it being abused by people who are not members of our class.

The easiest way to contact me is via email. I usually check my emails daily during weekdays, and will reply as soon as I am able to. If you’ve not heard back from me within a few days, do follow up with me by replying with another email as it’s possible a glitch occurred. I cannot guarantee availability on weekends, but if I’m around I’ll still try to respond (no promises though!).

If the set Zoom office hours don’t work for your schedule and you’d like to schedule an appointment for a different time, please email me some days and times that would work for you so we can try to schedule a meeting for a time that works for both of us.