Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
FLC Tech Classes Fall 2024
- All students must complete a project for these classes.
- RETURNING students only for Spring semester
- Instructor: Robb Kerr
- phone: 269-362-5046
- email: rob@funlearningcompany.com
- website: FunLearningCompany.com
- Location: Lake Michigan STEAMWORKS, 606 Carrol St, Suite B, Buchanan
- Contact instructor for class start date
Note:
- Fall may be taken without spring but ONLY students that took FLC classes in the fall can register for second semester in the spring.
- The spring semester of these classes build on what was taught in the fall.
- Additional registration at location is required.
Drone Building
Grades: 5+
Wednesdays, 10-11 AM
Developing a scientific approach to problems, while learning terminology, problem-solving, and engineering principles through fun hands-on projects; gaining an in-depth understanding of the way UAVs have evolved over time, including how they’re built, operated, and used today.
Build and Program Your Own Computer
Grades 6+
Wednesdays 11 AM-12 PM
Learning about electronic components, programming principles, and terminology through interactive projects and immersive work on the computer they build as well as videos and lessons of general concepts/examples. Some projects can be completed semi-autonomously by following instructional video lessons and asking for help when needed. Students are encouraged to follow their interests and experiment with their own programming ideas.
Exploring the World through Virtual Reality
Grades 5+
Wednesdays, 12-1 PM
Students will gain familiarity with the world of Virtual Reality, including the technology involved, its uses, and its limitations. We will use VR as a medium to explore the world around us, from visualizing forces of motion or parts of an atom, to building electrical circuits and watching current flow, to exploring remote parts of our world – from the polar ice caps to the deep sea! Students will learn how to conduct experiments and gather data through VR, and see how it can be used as an inquiry tool to help us understand the incredible forces at play around us.
Robotics I
Grades 3-8
Wednesdays, 2-3 PM
Students will learn the fundamentals of building and programming using LEGO robots! We will use multiple types of motors and a variety of sensors to help our robots interact with the world around them. We will cover how robots are used in the real-world, as well as the scientific principles behind our builds. We’ll learn about robots in factories as we create a robotic crane and a color-sorting assembly-line. Students will learn about different types of gears and their uses and understand the trade-offs between power and speed as they design their own race cars and battle bots. After they understand the basic principles, we encourage students to follow their curiosity to test and create whatever they dream up!
Make It!
Grades: 4+
Wednesdays, 3-4:30 PM
In this class, students develop skills in 2D and 3D design, using computer design software and a laser, 3D printer, and vinyl cutter machines. Students learn how to engrave their own designs onto many types of materials, such as paper, cardboard, wood, leather, and acrylic! They are also able to build 3-dimensional creations as we learn how to apply 2D designs on a computer into 3D space.
This class will show students that there is no limit to the imagination! We start at a beginner level, going through the basics of digital graphic design. We then learn how to export our designs to the laser, 3D printer, and vinyl cutter. The best part of this course is watching your projects come to life! This class encourages students to design, engrave, cut, and create anything they put their minds to.
*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
Teacher of Record: Tom Hurst
