| |
FAQ |
| Q: |
Why do you
use certified teachers as instructors? |
| A: |
FUTUREKIDS
is foremost a technology education company, whose mission it is
to teach computer mastery to students. Our teachers are not just
computer literate but have the experience and skills necessary to
teach kids in a dynamic and fun environment, coupled with our specially
developed curricula. It is a very different methodology to teach
computers to kids versus adults. As a policy, we do not use high
school or university students as staff as they are not trained to
teach. |
| Q: |
How can you
teach programming to kids? |
| A: |
Students if
taught properly using an age appropriate programming environment
can learn basic programming concepts as well as developing problem
solving skills that can be carried forward to other academic areas.
Special care is taken writing curriculum specifically for kids to
teach programming essentials and learn strategies in critical thinking
& problem solving. There is a recommended progression in courses;
from Game Programmer Jr. or Robotics
to Game Maker Extreme to Game Programmer
Pro however no camp has a pre-requisite just recommendations.
With each course, students progress to an environment where more
'hard coding' is needed. We do NOT however use any of the click
& create game development applications. Please feel free to
contact us should
you want to know more. |
| Q: |
Do campers
play computer games in your camps? |
| A: |
FUTUREKIDS
believes learning can be fun and does not use 'edutainment' software
in it's programs. Campers learn defined computer/technology skills
but in a fun and supportive environment. As for games, I would rather
teach kids how computer games are made and foster an appreciation
for the power of computer technology and encourage kids to pursue
in one of the many careers computer technology can offer. What is
the student to staff ratio in your courses and the class sizes? |
| Q: |
What is your
student:teacher ratio? |
| A: |
It varies
for the different camps, with a lower ratio for the camps for younger
students. Camps have 16-20 students, with a ratio ranging from 6-10
students per teacher, with an average of 7. |
| Q: |
What software
do you use and does it differ from software typically bought in
stores? |
| A: |
FUTUREKIDS is
an educational partner with many of the leading educational software
companies, including Microsoft. In fact,
FUTUREKIDS
tests software for Microsoft. For many courses, especially our school
programs, we use components of MS Office mainly because it is the
applications that are the most used in the real-world and can be
used at home. Many applications we use are also recommended by computer/technology
education magazines as the best in their category. FUTUREKIDS
sets out software standards that all franchises adhere to in the
effort to use the most up to date applications. Though some of our
specialized camps only use one software program, most used several
software applications that are in a certain category (e.g. web design,
multimedia etc.). Software titles are chosen to be rated as leaders
in their category and suitability for teaching. |
| Q: |
Why are your
camps only half-day computers? |
| A: |
We believe
in not having all-day computers so campers get a balanced day and
don't spend an excessive amount of time in front of a computer monitor,
even if they're having fun and learning. Five half-days is sufficient
time to teach the technology objectives set out in our curriculum
and for students to produce a projects they can be proud of. |
| Q: |
Is FUTUREKIDS
only for gifted students? |
| A: |
Although many
students taught are 'gifted' or very computer literate, our programs
can accommodate students of all levels. Our student:teacher ratio
is very low and we strive to to teach students at their own pace.
Advanced students will be taught as fast as they can learn and want
to be shown more advanced concepts and skills. |
| Q: |
Are there
camps in French? |
| A: |
All courses
are typically taught in English, but assistance is usually offered
in French as many of the staff are bilingual. |
| Q: |
Why do you
not teach C++ or JAVA? |
| A: |
Even though
we have on staff several teachers who have computer science/programming
backgrounds, we feel that these are not appropriate languages to
teach the concepts of programming and have kids create a project
on their own that they can be proud of. The software we use have
been given numerous awards by educational technology magazines and
are chosen as to their merit to teach programming.
We do not want to create a situation that can lead to frustration
on the kids part and give them a negative first impression of programming. |
| Q: |
Why do you not upload
camper's movies to YouTube? |
| A: |
We don't for privacy reasons.
We take care not to show camper's in any promotional material or
our website without parent's permission. Any photographs taken are
deleted at the end of camp after being given to the camper/parent. |
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