Educating Innovators of the Future
Educating Innovators of the Future
Current Courses
Click here for current list of activities, courses & booking on Eventbrite.
Or, booking on Facebook @GizmoCats
All activities and courses are kept small so booking is essential!
Make Your Own Controller to Play "Classic" Video Games
@ The Nostalgia Box, NorthbridgeSchool Holiday Activity making a working push-button to run a "Classic" video game you can re-program. This is an introductory course to get a taste of learning about electronics and coding iconic games such as Space Invaders and Asteroids. Groups are kept small, maximum of 6 per class so booking is essential!
Includes entry to The Nostalgia Box, Video Game Museum.
Prerequisite: Willingness to have fun!
All Ages 7+ years - kids, teens, parents & adults
Give Physical Computing a Go!
School Holidays:
Learn by doing a fun hands-on physical computing activity making and decorating a working electric push-button that you may take home.
This introduction school holiday course connects a push-button you make to the electronics interface to control a video game character that you can re-code and re-animate. Take home your button to can connect to your own toys, your own torch to use a Morse code telegraph key, or any battery operated device.
Prerequisite: Willingness to have fun!
All Ages 7+ years - kids, teens, parents & adults
Physical Computing Courses
Using gizmo's like a Raspberry Pi computer to gain a basic understanding of ‘Physical Computing' i.e. building interactive physical systems by using software and hardware that can sense and respond to the real world. Let's 'look under the hood' of the our technology that we use everyday.
Objective: To Have Fun!
And, to develop an appreciation for creativity, reasoning, problem solving and collaboration while having fun making video games and understanding basic concepts of electronic circuits wiring inputs & outputs in/out of a computer.All Ages 11+ years - kids, teens, parents & adults
Drone Flying Lessons
Want to Fly?
A 1-Hour School Holiday Activity learning drone aerodynamic basics and hands-on flight. This is an introductory course to get a taste for these flying gizmos. Groups are kept small.
Objective: Learn by flying. Fun hands-on activity learning aeronautical terms "Pitch", "Roll", "Yaw" by doing it. Throttle up to "hover". Change "pitch" to go forward or backward. Lean or "roll" to go right or left. Spin or adjust "yaw" to turn.
Discuss the Australian Government Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regarding drone flying.
All Ages 11+ years - kids, teens, parents & adults
Teachers, Parents, Grand-parents, Adults
No idea about coding or even how start to "Code"?
Tutoring for everyone from in-service and pre-service teachers, parents, grand-parents, or just interested adults who wish to learn how to code and those who may be involved in or facilitating with children and grand-childrens' screen time activities.Contact us now for a 1-on-1 or group class.
Prerequisite: Adults who are interested in learning!
Bring your own WiFi enabled device, but not essential (Raspberry Pi computers can be made available for use). No computer programming knowledge required but basic computer skills desirable.What Do We Do?
We Educate the Innovators and Entrepreneurs of the Future
Physical Computing with Fun & Entertaining Gizmo's
"Physical Computing" is building interactive physical systems by using software and hardware that can sense and respond to the real world
It's not just ingraining information into students’ minds to memorise — it’s about providing a fun, hands-on experience they need in order to think critically, collaborate, and succeed.
Physical computing is a creative framework for understanding human beings' relationship to the digital world. It makes creators, thinkers, problem solvers, doers, innovators, and inventors. Besides, science, technology, engineering, arts & mathematics (or STEAM) and the application of physical computing is seen everywhere, from our homes, cars, payment and ticketing systems, to the Internet of Things, your workplace and your mobile phones; it shapes our everyday experiences.
"Get under the hood" of today's technologies. It is not enough to swipe and tap on tablets, computers and iPhones. If you wish to get ahead you need to understand more about the science and technology behind our modern day devices.
