Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
After School Programs
Digital World Builder
Camps
Digital World Builders
Minecraft Adventures
Python Programming
Digital World Builders - Camps
Q: What are the class rules?
- 1. Have fun - but not at the expense of others - so no griefing or fighting.
- 2. Ask questions - and answer questions for others
- 3. Mistakes happen - so say sorry, offer to help and help or move on
Q: Is lunch provided?
No, we do not currently offer lunch but we do break for lunch, so please bring a lunch (and snack). If this is something that is important to you please let us know and we can look into it for a future camp.
Q: Do the kids get a break from the computers?
Yes, we will break for snacks at various intervals and lunch from noon to 12:30. We will play some physical party games, away from the computers, to get a break as well as a fun way to learn some of the concepts in a physical manner. Some of the work will be in breakout groups at the tables and on the whiteboard as well as group work at tables with paper and pencil.
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Digital World Builders - Minecraft Adventures
Q: What are the class rules?
- 1. Have fun - but not at the expense of others - so no griefing or fighting.
- 2. Ask questions - and answer questions for others
- 3. Mistakes happen - so say sorry, offer to help and help or move on
Also, no food or drinks while on the computers.
Q: Is this just more "screen time" for Minecraft?
A: Yes and No. Yes, the kids will be playing Minecraft but each class involves them interacting with teammates to solve puzzles and learn new techniques to complete team-based challenges. Unlike unsupervised play the kids are not allowed to engage in in-game fighting, are not hunting or being attacked by in-game monsters and their chat is supervised and moderated. Each class is a unique learning adventure -- see the list of adventures below.
Q: What about monsters in Minecraft?
A: Monsters are disabled - so, no monsters - no zombies, skeletons, creepers, etc.
Q: What about fighting and violence?
A: No fighting, no combat, we’re creating and building in a digital world.
Q: What if my kid has never played Minecraft?
A: Not a problem. We'll teach them the basics and they will be off and running within the first class.
Q: Do we share computers?
A: No, each student will have their own computer – the class is about each student building and doing rather than passively watching.
Q: Do I need to bring my own device (laptop, desktop or tablet)?
A: No, all computers are provided and no external devices are required or permitted to join.
Q: Do I need a copy of Minecraft or a Minecraft account?
A: Yes and no. Yes, each student requires their own Minecraft account, per Mojang the creators of Minecraft, but students do not need to bring their own personal account and password with them as we have a full set for each student to use -- so long as they own their own copy at home. Minecraft is available via Minecraft.net for approximately $28.
Q: Can I use my own (existing) Minecraft account?
A: No, we will provide the computers and the accounts. You are required to own a copy of Minecraft or purchase a copy to participate but without an Internet connection we rely on our own internal accounts to play.
Q: Will my kids have access to the Internet while in the class?
A: No, the kids are there to play Minecraft and work together -- not browse the Internet. There won't be an Internet connection for our computers during the class, all play is via our private server (named Rueben).
Q: What are some of the adventures?
Our goal with this after school program is to provide a structured learning environment for students to explore solving team-based challenges and have thus developed a series of challenges for the students to explore. Below are some of the challenges that will be explored depending on the age, experience and preferences of the students each session.
Hunt For The Golden Pyramid
Through a series of clues located around a small village the students will set out on the search for the Golden Pyramid that is lost somewhere in the dessert. Once they find the pyramid they must find a way inside and through team work solve the puzzles and build, break and make their way into the inner chamber where the treasure awaits.
Farm Craft 1.x
First students are taught the basics of Minecraft food production from farming (growing crops, tending animals) through to crafting finished foodstuffs (bread, cakes, cookies, etc.) and then they must figure out how to feed a small village using their farming skills.
Farm Craft 2.x
Following on their successful feeding of a village the students must now feed a small city and do this by selling their foodstuffs and trading with other villages for additional raw materials to make more complex products. Basic supply and demand factors will influence the price of individual ingredients and students will need to figure out ways to increase their food production, get their goods to market and work towards feeding their city.
New World Colonists
Students will set out to establish a new colony for themselves in a new uninhabited world. This challenge will be done in survival-mode, without monsters, where the students must feed themselves while building their colony and thus must establish farms while building their colony. A central meeting place will be requested which the students will work on together and then once complete they will work to construct the various buildings that make up their community including libraries, schools, and even their own homes.
Island Rescue Mission
Your team of crafters has been dispatched to a remote island to rescue some stranded scientists whose ship has been damaged during a natural disaster. Upon arriving you discover that the scientists are missing, their island and their facility has been damaged and your team must find the missing scientists, repair their facility and their ship and complete their mission. This will be a survival mission but with no monsters.
Escape From Everest
Two hundred years ago the polar ice caps melted leaving only the top of Mount Everest above water. Your team has been asleep for 200 years in an underground bunker that was built at the top of Mount Everest and now you must start the process of re-greening the Earth and then sending a signal rocket to alert the colonies on the Moon that it is safe to return.
Avatar Quest
Students discover a vast medieval-themed adventure map that contains 20 Non-Player Characters (NPC's) that they must discover and talk to in order to uncover the clues necessary to unlock the treasures and complete the quest. Players type in their questions and answers and NPC's answer them with answers, clues, jokes, slang and humor. (Students learn to create their own character-driven adventures during our summer Digital World Builder Camp).
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Python Programming
Q: Why Python?
A: There are many freely available resources on Python and the 3D block worlds we use already support Python.
Q: Is this Minecraft?
A: We may use Minecraft as our 3D world or we may use another application called "Craft" that is visually similar to Minecraft. If we use Minecraft it will be in flat 3D worlds that the students will use to create 3D structures within using programs they write in Python.
Q: Can we set this up at home?
A: Yes! Instructions for how to setup the same (or similar) environment at home will be provided during the first class and we're always happy to help you get it setup at home.
Q: What about fighting and violence?
A: No fighting, no combat, we're creating and building in a digital world and each student will only be running on their local computer.
Q: What if my kid has never programmed before?
A: Not a problem, we're starting from scratch and building up – it’s a beginner’s class.
Q: Do we share computers?
A: No, each student will have their own computer - the class is about each student building and doing rather than passively watching.
Q: Do I need to bring my own device (laptop, desktop or tablet)?
A: No, we will provide laptops for the students to use.
Q: Will my kids have access to the Internet while in the class?
A: No, there is no Internet access unless students bring their own devices. The Internet is not required.
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Classroom Programs
Q: What are classroom programs?
A: Classroom programs are hour-long classes taught during school time on specific computer science related topics - we call it Elementary Computer Science.
Q: How can I get you to come to my school?
A: Contact us! We're happy to work with you to customize the program and accomodate your class schedules. We like to do multiple classes at the same school on the same day (at different times) to reduce our setup and tear-down times and we like to teach older students first and then invite the older students to mentor the younger students in later classes.
Q: Are these programs free?
A: No, we charge a fee to deliver the program depending on the number of students and classes involved. We supply all of the computers, the staff and the lessons and work with the teachers and librarian to provide lead-up and follow-on information.
Q: How much work do you need the teachers to do?
A: No class work just student management, i.e. make sure the kids arrive and depart and assist with in-class monitoring... that said, if a teacher wants to be more involved or wants us to include some of their existing materials we're happy to discuss and do our best. We've structured the sessions so students are busy all of the time to avoid them becoming bored or distracted.
Q: What is Elementary Computer Science?
A: Elementary computer science are classroom lessons about computer science topics targeted at elementary school students. Computer science is an applied science and so the classes start off asking the students to solve a problem with little or no knowledge of the problem and then through guided instruction they build up their knowledge and intuition about the problem and possible solutions and then test them. As we progress through the story and problems we introduce enough theory to advance the learning and also provide the teacher and students with additional links for those students who want to continue learning about the topic on their own.
Q: So is this just programming or coding?
A: No, we are focused on computer science and algorithmic thinking not computer programming. That said, yes, they will code and they will experiment with code but they will do so to solve a specific problem within a constrained setting. The focus of these classes is to solve the problem in a specific step-by-step manner so students learn the process of breaking down and solving a problem using a computer rather than the more specific coding skill of a specific programming language.
Q: What programming language do these courses use and why?
A: We use Python (version 3.x) because it is sufficiently high-level for students to get meaningful work done within a limited time frame and there are many free resources available for students to explore on their own time. Python is used in many post-secondary courses and is sufficiently similar to many other programming languages that once students master it they can easily pick-up additional programming languages.
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Hacking Secret Ciphers
Q: Isn't hacking illegal?
A: Not the kind of hacking we are doing which in this context involves using your skills and knowledge to solve a particular problem, i.e. hack together a solution. This is not hacking as seen in the movies where they use illegal means to obtain unauthorized access to computer systems -- those folks are criminals. Our class is about being creative and finding solutions -- the original definition of a hacker as a domain expert..
Q: What is a cipher?
A: A cipher is an algorithm or set of steps to convert plain text like "SECRET" into cipher text like "COMBOD" with the goal of making the cipher text difficult for any unauthorized individual to decipher the text back to plain text. Anyone who uses a computer to purchase items on the Internet uses ciphers to encrypt their payment information, for example.
Q: What cipher(s) will the student learn?
A: We will start with a basic substitution cipher (called the Caesar cipher) and work through from manual steps using a cipher wheel, through to the math and then finally to working code. Once we have a working cipher program the students will use it to encipher and decipher codes. We will discuss additional ciphers including Viginere (a variant of the Caesar cipher), a block cipher and the one-time pad substitution cipher (which is unbreakable). We will also demonstrate a brute-force method to crack a simple substitution cipher.
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Registration Policies
Q: Registration Policies:
- Registration will be processed when payment is received, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- We reserve the right to cancel programs, with a full refund, if the minimum requirement of registration is not met.
- Refunds will only be issued before the start of the second class.
- We do not offer refunds or make up sessions for missed classes.
- Students who are disruptive, abusive or fail to follow in-class guidelines for conduct and language may be asked to leave the class, with no refund or make up session.
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Drop-In & Late-Joining Policies (after-school programs only)
Q: Do you accept drop-in students?
A: Yes, but only if we have space available. We charge a drop-in fee of $20/class.
Q: Do you accept late sign-ups for the class?
A: Yes, we accept late sign-ups but only if we have room and we will pro-rate the registration fee based on the joining date.
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Refund Policies
Q: Refund Policies?
- We reserve the right to cancel programs, with a full refund, if the minimum requirement of registration is not met.
- Refunds will only be issued before the start of the second class.
- We do not offer refunds or make up sessions for missed classes.
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