ALPHA MINDS CODING & ROBOTICS ACADEMY
Grades 2 - 10
Jersey City - Hoboken - Online
Group Classes & Private Tutoring

The Robotics course featuring the mBot Ranger kit offers an immersive and hands-on exploration into the world of robotics. Participants will delve into the fundamentals of robotics, learning to assemble, program, and operate the versatile mBot Ranger robot. Key Features: - Hands-On Learning: Engage in assembling and programming the mBot Ranger robot. - Comprehensive Skill Development: Acquire essential skills in coding, electronics, and mechanical design. - Interactive Projects: Work on engaging projects that involve navigating obstacles and executing tasks. - Problem-Solving: Enhance problem-solving abilities in a dynamic and stimulating environment. - Creativity and Innovation: Unleash creativity while learning about the latest in robotics technology. This course empowers learners to explore their creativity and develop critical STEM skills in a fun and interactive way. Join us on a captivating journey through robotics with the mBot Ranger kit, where innovation meets education.

In our Scratch Beginners Course, students are introduced to object-oriented programming concepts through the fun and interactive world of Scratch, the leading visual programming language for K-12 students, developed by MIT. Using stackable code blocks, students will create stories and interactive adventures while mastering the intuitive Scratch user interface and understanding the functions of key blocks, which represent essential computer programming functions. Key Features: - Creative Programming: Learn to program stories, games, and animations with Scratch. - User Interface Mastery: Understand the functions of the most important Scratch blocks. - Engaging Projects: Participate in fun-filled projects, such as animating characters, telling stories, designing video games, simulating science experiments, and developing digital art work. - Individualized Learning: Instruction is tailored to student’s interests, learning style, and pace. Students are encouraged to think creatively and share their creations amongst their peers and beyond. This course emphasizes both the mastery of their coding skills and the expression of imagination, providing a balanced approach to learning programming. Join us to embark on a journey of creativity and coding with Scratch, where each project brings new opportunities for learning and creativity!

After completing the introductory Scratch course, students should feel comfortable with basic blocks and the ability to visualize their game progress from initial concept to final product. This year 2 course is designed to introduce more advanced Scratch coding concepts, such as custom blocks, enabling students to design and implement more complex games and projects. Key Features: - Advanced Scratch Concepts: Learn to use custom blocks and other advanced features to create sophisticated projects. - Real-World Applications: Projects focus on real-world topics and functions, integrating more math and logic. - Enhanced Problem-Solving: Encourage independent work with less direct instruction to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. - Creative Freedom: Allow students artistic freedom in game design, combining technical skills with creativity. Many projects at this level will involve more complex programming challenges and real-world applications, pushing students to apply their knowledge in new and exciting ways. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of programming concepts and be well-prepared to tackle even more advanced coding projects.

This course is recommended for students who have completed our Scratch Intermediate course and need more practice mastering Scratch coding before advancing to the Expert (Machine Learning) course or other programming courses. Key Features: - Advanced Coding Skills: Focus on Custom Blocks, Advanced Variables and Lists, Complex Conditionals, Functions and Procedures, etc - Functions and Custom Blocks: Learn to create reusable code snippets to simplify complex projects. - Data Structures: Introduction to lists and arrays for managing and manipulating collections of data. - Event Handling: Understand how to use events to control the flow of a program and make interactive projects. - Sprites and Animation: Advanced techniques for creating and manipulating sprites and animations. - Cloning: Use clones to create multiple instances of a sprite, allowing for complex behaviors and interactions. - Broadcasting Messages: Communicate between different parts of a program using broadcast messages. - Timers and Counters: Implement timers and counters to create time-based games and activities. - Parallel Execution: Manage multiple scripts running simultaneously to create more dynamic projects. - Debugging and Testing: Techniques for identifying and fixing bugs, and testing code to ensure it works as expected. - Complex Game Design: Build multi-level games with score tracking, lives, and other advanced game mechanics. - Advanced Graphics and Sound: Use custom graphics and sound effects to enhance projects. - User Input: Incorporate keyboard and mouse inputs to create interactive and user-friendly projects. - Modular Design: Break down large projects into smaller, manageable modules. Learning Approach: - Concept Mastery: Each lesson introduces and reinforces these concepts through targeted coding exercises and project steps. - Self-Paced Learning: Students work at their own pace, supported by an instructor. - Professional Resources: Lessons are available as professionally produced videos for review outside of class. - Capstone Project: The course culminates in a Capstone project where students demonstrate their mastery by building their own unique game. This course provides a thorough understanding of advanced coding skills, preparing students for more complex programming challenges in future courses.

In this advanced level class, students will be learning how to apply their Scratch coding skills that they learned in previous courses to create more advanced coding projects. Students will learn how object-oriented programming truly works by identifying an object's behavior and attributes and figuring out how to represent that in Scratch. Throughout the course each time they learn how to create a new object, students are challenged to create a project (game or animation) that showcases that object. Objects/techniques include Dice Generator, High Score Techniques, User Input, Card Generator, Animated Start screens, Scrolling, Quiz Game, Mastermind Game (figuring out the right sequence). ​ This course will also introduce machine learning to students. Through a series of projects that students will create, they will learn how to train machine learning models to recognize text, numbers, images, or sounds by using Scratch! Our Machine Learning with Scratch curriculum will provide hands on exposure and will allow students to experience how ML systems are trained, how they are used, and some of the real-world implications of AI applications.

Semester 1 - Animation: In this course, students will dive into programming animations and interactive art using a block-based JavaScript platform. They will develop essential animation skills, such as mapping sprites on a grid, creating shapes, and incorporating sound commands. Key coding concepts covered include variables, conditions, and keyboard/mouse inputs. Throughout the semester, students will engage in various projects designed to reinforce their learning and spark creativity. These projects include creating an interactive sticker card and culminating in a final animated/interactive scene. This hands-on approach ensures that students not only understand the theoretical aspects of programming but also gain practical experience in bringing their ideas to life. Semester 2 - Game Design: In the second half of the year, students will apply their animation skills to game design. They will learn game development techniques including physics, collision detection, and game mechanics. New coding concepts introduced include functions, state variables, and building complex programs. Projects will include developing a side-scroller, flyer game, platformer game, and an original final game. Additionally, students will spend the last part of the semester learning to create webpages using HTML and CSS, culminating in the creation of a personal website. Course Highlights: - Interactive Learning: Hands-on projects that make learning fun and engaging. - Foundational Coding Skills: Introduction to key programming concepts such as variables, conditions, and functions. - Creative Projects: From animations to game design, students will bring their ideas to life through code. - Web Development: Basic HTML and CSS skills to create personal webpages. - Supportive Environment: Small class sizes with personalized instruction to cater to each student's pace and learning style. By the end of the course, students will have a solid foundation in JavaScript programming, animation, game design, and web development, empowering them to continue exploring and creating in the world of coding. ***This course is recommended for students in grades 4-10 who have prior coding experience (Scratch or similar)

Semester 1: 3D A-Frame, CSS Animation & Art In this dynamic and immersive course, students will enhance their HTML skills by delving into the creation of 3D environments using the Aframe JavaScript Library. Throughout the first half of the semester, students will explore and experiment with various physics attributes, culminating in the development of a 3D interactive scene. This hands-on approach will allow students to understand and apply complex concepts in a practical setting, fostering both creativity and technical proficiency. As the semester progresses, the focus will shift to CSS Animation techniques. Students will be introduced to new CSS concepts, including keyframes, which are essential for creating smooth and intricate animations. Through guided instruction and creative projects, students will learn to design and code their own 2D animations entirely in CSS. This part of the course emphasizes the artistic and visual aspects of web development, encouraging students to blend their technical skills with creative expression. By the end of the semester, students will have a solid understanding of both 3D environments and CSS animations, equipping them with a diverse skill set that is highly relevant in the modern digital landscape. Semester 2: Machine Learning, Advanced 2D Game Design & CSS At the beginning of Semester 2, students will delve into Machine Learning, a subset of Artificial Intelligence, using the ML5 JavaScript library and Google’s Teachable Machine. They will learn how to train models and use them to classify images. One of the key projects will be creating a webpage with a classifying program. The rest of the semester will focus on applying DOM JavaScript to develop 2D games and applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Students will work on projects such as The Mad-Lib Webpage, The Monty Game, and a Trivia Game. By the end of the semester, they will have the skills to modify and create their own JavaScript 2D games and applications. Join us for an advanced journey into JavaScript, where students will combine the power of machine learning with creative game design! **This class is for students who have completed our JavaScript Beginners course during the prior school year for students with prior JavaScript experience.

Python is a powerful, expressive programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to use! Our Python for Beginners course brings Python to life and introduces students to the world of programming. Instructors will guide students through the basics of coding with Python, helping them design and program their own games. Throughout the school year, we guide students through a transition from block-based (instructional) coding to text-based (real-world) coding. In this course students will learn to: - Create simple variables - Use fundamental data structures like lists, tuples, and maps - Organize and reuse your code with functions and modules - Use control structures like loops and conditional statements - Draw shapes and patterns with Python’s turtle module - Create games, animations, and other graphical wonders with tkinter Our Python for Beginners course teaches students the fundamentals of object-oriented programming and prepares them for more advanced coding in the Python Intermediate courses. Join us to embark on an exciting journey into the world of Python programming!

Python II will continue a student's journey into text based object-oriented programming. By adding graphics to the mix, students will code more advanced, visual based projects using a module called processing. Students will learn how to code objects and see a graphical representation of that code. Starting with animations to creating games, students will learn how to make functions and create classes. Students will also learn how to construct code on their own by learning how to create pseudo code. In this course, students will learn how to: - Create advanced variables that store objects - Create classes - Use classes to create game objects or sprites - Learn how to code interactivity (mouse clicks, keyboard clicks) - How automation works - Implement more advanced coding logic The culmination of the school year long course is a final project of student's choosing, designed, developed, tested and shared for their peers to review and play!