Workshops
These workshops are offered both as traveling programs and on-site at our Learning Lab.
Contact us to learn more about how we can host a workshop for you!
Lunar Landing Smart Robots! - NEW FOR 2019
This workshop aims to explain and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon. Students will learn basic concepts of robotics. Working in teams, students will learn coding to instruct a simple robot to move in construction challenges. We will provide a hands on workshop using a Raspberry PI. The Pi programming environment allows you to do many things with a tiny credit-card-sized computer! The set-up is easy for beginners, challenging for experienced programmers and fun for everyone! (1 1/2-hr session, age 11 and above)
Karaoke Coding! Rock On!
We'll use portable microphones and free coding software to inspire a new generation of programmers and sound engineers. In this workshop, kids will be introduced to coding concepts and basic sound design using simple programs to record / modify their voices and design a beat box. The easy-to-use drag-and-drop block codes let kids create interactive animations and sounds. By the end of the session, kids will have learned how to making their very own beat box!
(This is a 1 ½ hour session, age 11 and above).
Smart Robots!
“SMART ROBOTS for Tomorrow’s Building" This workshop aims to explain basic concepts of robotics. Working in teams, students will learn coding to instruct a simple robot to move objects in construction challenges. We will provide a hands on workshop using a Raspberry PI. The Pi programming environment allows you to do many things with a tiny credit-card-sized computer! You will also learn about programmable electronics for making motors run and a lot more. The set-up is easy for beginners, challenging for experienced programmers and fun for everyone! (1 1/2-hr session, age 11 and above)
Ozobot Game Lab
Come learn how to use the Ozobot robot to create your own game. Kids will learn about Ozobot and create a game out of everyday objects (e.g., cardboard, playdoh, coins, library things). They'll test out their Ozobots program and at the end, they'll use example their design to the whole group.
Ages: 8-12 years.
contact Dan Berman: dan@ricomputermuseum.org
Robots on the Run
Build a robot with us! Come and learn about electronics and basic circuits using the Arduino microcomputer and software. In this workshop for budding engineers or any young person wanting to learn about electronics, basic circuits will be explained and instructions given on how to build a simple robot. Students will learn about programmable electronics and how to make lights blink, motors run, create sounds and more using the "Arduino" microcomputer and software.We will provide information on the components used to make the robots for adventurous students who want to build their own robots at home. They can also feel free to bring broken electronics, and we will take them apart to learn about circuits. (2-hr session, age 10 and above).
Contact: Dan@ricomputermuseum.org
Minecraft Modding with Raspberry Pi-
Have your Pi and "mod" it too! Learn how to build structures and run simple games in Minecraft with the Raspberry Pi microcomputer and Python programming language! (2-hr session, age 11 and up) Contact: Dan Berman, email: Dan@ricomputermuseum.org
Sonic Pi Synthesizer
Build a synthesizer and rock out! We will help unmask the mystery of making digital music. This workshop using the Raspberry Pi® is aimed towards educating a new generation of programmers and electronic engineers. Sonic Pi is a programming environment that allows you to make sounds and music with a tiny credit-card-sized computer! The Raspberry Pi® is a single-board computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of stimulating computer science education in schools. This miniature ARM (phone)-based computer can be used to do many things that can be done with a desktop PC, such as word processing, playing games, playing back high-definition video and making MIDI music. (2-hr session, age 10 and above).
Contact: Dan@ricomputermuseum.org
Make Your Own Video Game with SCRATCH
Put down your game controllers and make your own games! Learn about the history of video games and find out what it's like to develop a game using SCRATCH This workshop is aimed towards educating kids about the history of video games and giving them a taste of team-based game development. This workshop includes an exhibit on early video games. The presentation will explain how early computers, video games and gaming equipment were made. Students will then team up to form "gaming studios" and learn how to create animations/games with the popular SCRATCH program developed by MIT (www.scratch.mit.edu). (2-hr session, age 10 and above).
Contact: Dan@ricomputermuseum.org
Kodu Game Lab - (Discontinued)
Make your own 3D game!
Come learn how to use this game engine to design and create your own 3D video game. It is free to download on PC computers, and you can make games for the Xbox too. If you like playing Minecraft, you'll love Kodu Game lab! No previous coding experience necessary. (2-hr session, age group: 9 and above).
Contact: tsarkis@ricomputermuseum.org
Coding with Minecraft
Calling all Crafters!
Learn how to summon lightning bolts with a bow and arrow or build giant rainbows in the Minecraft world with code! Spawn farm animals or monsters instantly and have fun "modding" your world! This workshop introduces coding concepts by showing students how to build or change (e.g. mod) the game using the Javascript or Python programming language. The set-up is easy for beginners, challenging for experienced gamers and fun for everyone! (2-hr session, age group 8-12 or 10 and above).
Contact: tsarkis@ricomputermuseum.org
Makey Makey Inventor's Workshop (Discontinued)
Awesome! (www.makeymakey.com)Use everyday items like bananas to play a virtual piano or use a pencil and PlayDoh to make a controller for a computer game! Computer technology is everywhere and used by many professionals, including inventors, artists, teachers, engineers, musicians, scientists and computer programmers. The "Makey Makey" (makeymakey.com), invented by graduate students at MIT, is a small curcuit board that connects to a computer and lets you invent your own keyboard with anything that conducts electricity. Various conductive materials will be provided to get everyone started, but kids are encouraged to bring their own. Things that would conduct electricity well: fruit, green leaves, flowers, soda cans, metal bottle caps. (1-hr session, age 8 and above).
Contact: tsarkis@ricomputermuseum.org
Game Design with SCRATCH
Game on! Come have fun learning how to create an interactive story, animation and game using SCRATCH (www.scratch.mit.edu) This workshop is appropriate for kids who are new to SCRATCH or have limited experience with this popular coding program developed by MIT (freely available at scratch.mit.edu). In this workshop, kids will be introduced to coding concepts through a focused discussion of basic game design. (1.5 hr session, ages 8-12).
Contact: tsarkis@ricomputermuseum.org
Cookie Sheet Coding (Discontinued)
Cookie sheets are good for more than just baking! You can use them to learn programming too! Kids can build their logical thinking skills by learning how to put together instructions (like a recipe) to solve a puzzle or move a robot. Why teach programming to kids so young, and are they ready for it? Of course! Programming is simply putting together step-by-step instructions to get something done, like a recipe for baking cookies. In this workshop, kids will be challenged to give instructions (using magnets on a cookie sheet) to solve a puzzle or move a game piece through a maze. If the kids are already reading (or sight reading), that's great but not necessary. While we hope the kids have fun making their first "program," a major goal for this workshop is to demonstrate to parents how such unplugged activities can help strengthen their child's logical thinking skills. Parents also must attend the workshop and will be informed of additional resources (free online websites and downloadable apps) that their child can start using now to learn how to program. (1-hr session, ages 6-8)
Contact: tsarkis@ricomputermuseum.org
