Neuron is the first coding tool which uses actual electronic blocks to bring your children to the world behind a computer, to have a first touch on real programming languages. Through understanding, realization, application and development, students do not only learn coding in a happy and relaxing way, but, even more importantly, also achieve all-rounded self-development.
Programming language is usually seen by people as cold and lifeless, and often being described as boring and difficult. However, our courses always come as fun games; which here for Neuron, with the electronic blocks, to explore programming languages and concepts, by understanding the principles or logics behind daily-life routines and technologies. This shall make coding more interesting and much related to them.
When the student understands the principles and functions behind different electronic blocks, we shall let them create their own invention by programming. All the way from picking the right blocks to use, designing the project, to putting the blocks together in the correct sequence, the students are given the autonomy or encouragement to invent and create on their own. This is the opportunity for them to realize and actualize any ideas they have in their mind, and you know this is how all great inventors in the world started from. And the hands-on experience would give a much better understanding on how things work with computer codes.
Coding is all around us in our daily lives, as simple as an on/off switch for a device or appliance; it is exactly illustrating the true/false commands in computer codes.
There was a time that a student stayed in the classroom for a while after class, and so our tutor went over to see what happened. The student was very curious, “Teacher, what’s the difference between a button and an on/off switch? Why does the intercom machine uses a button but not an on-off switch?”
We do not only expect our students to have thorough understanding on the course syllabus we teach, we also hope to see them capable of correlating what have been taught in class with what they encounter in their daily-lives. With guided thinking and internalization, the students could be able to see how coding has been changing the world, and at the same time stimulating the self-search or demonstration of potential and interest.
We have once come across a worrying parent saying that her child, at such a young age, did not show interest in learning anything and found no motivation to advance. To our very surprise, after finishing a regular coding course with us, the child had seemed to go through a complete transformation.
We found that our Neuron course actually triggered the innate curiosity of the child. Under the tutor’s guidance in class, he began to observe things around him. When he found something unusual or unknown to him, he would try to look for answers himself or talk to our tutor about it. As time goes by, he develops the positive curiosity and desire to know about new things, and that is why his learning attitude, even out of the classroom, improved drastically.
So, Neuron course does not only teach hard skills of coding, but more importantly, it changes imperceptibly how the children comprehend the unknown world, especially in such a highly technology-driven one. After all, attitude is everything.
Course Content
With Neuron, our children will be able to take a big leap forward in their journey to code, and learn the logic of the computational language. Neuron classes make use of electronic blocks to teach the importance of logical sequencing in programming. While playing with the blocks, and learning the different uses and functions of them, our young creators shall explore the unlimited ways of applications. Through designing a Neuron coding project, and connecting the input, communication and output blocks together, the result can immediately be visualized. The outcome might not be the same as planned or expected, yet this is a good chance for our children to learn debugging, trial-and-error, thus developing their problem-solving ability.
Final Project
Before completion of the course, it is time for each student to consolidate what they have learnt by creating and designing a unique project or invention with Neuron. During the very last lesson, each of them will become a public speaker, presenting and demonstrating their own interesting stories in front of the tutor and their classmates.
What will you get after completing the course?
- Clipped video of final project presentation
- Overall learning evaluation report
- Tutor’s comments and recommendations
- Course-Completion Certificate
Target Students
Neuron is for children aged 5-6. Every child is welcomed to join us for the magical coding journey, that prior coding experience is not necessary.
Things You Need
Nothing is needed, except an open and creative mind. We will provide all learning material during the course.
Level 1
During classes in the first level, tutors will focus on teaching some basic principles and logics of computer programming. With the aid of the electronic blocks, the students can easily understand the logical relationships behind. Secondly in this level, we will also focus on cognition and exploration of the new world around, even some more sophisticated concepts, such as the 3D-space, electronics, internet-of-thing (IoT) and how are they related to our everyday life. By writing programs (projects) with Neuron and visualizing them, our young coders learn how the electronic blocks function and also the fundamental logic of input and output. These children will definitely have a much broader horizon.
Level 2
After learning the basics of the electronic blocks in level 1, it is required to use and apply more numbers and varieties of blocks during level 2 of the course. This then demands a more precise logic on sequencing the blocks and therefore is a challenging training of logical thinking. Further, classroom tasks in level 2 are also more practical and closer to daily lives, such as creating a security device or a lamp which automatically adjusts its brightness according to the amount of light around. These show how technology and coding relate to everyday lives, and we would like to let the children know the basic theory behind some common technologies around us.
Neuron provides a platform that offers all children a glimpse of how coding works, which builds a strong foundation for learning to code in the future. After they complete the 2 levels of the course, we will give personalized recommendation and arrangement regarding their next step for more advanced courses.