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      Frequently Asked Questions

      Answers to most of the frequently asked questions, and policies.

      What courses are available for various age groups

      Our courses are structured into the following grade levels:

      Grades k-2: Early Start Robotics – this is for young students who learn best in instructor led hands on building to learn robotics in a fun, educational way.
      Grades 3-7: There are two tracks. Robotics wise, both kids provide equivalent capabilities except that the VEX IQ robots can also be driven and competed with using a joystick but the kit and programming language being used changes. We offer both LEGO Mindstorms as well as well as VEX iq based courses.
      Grades 8-12: FTC with Java programming. Also Java AP Programming.
      Electronics with Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

      Do you have a curriculum that we can look at?

      Our curriculum is fixed and published for each of the classes at http://stemandroboticsacademy.com/curriculum. It is password protected and the password is made available to all new parents as part of the welcome letter. If you have a student enrolled and you have misplaced or lost the welcome letter, contact us and we will be happy to supply the password to you.

      Why should we come to STEM and Robotics Academy vs X?

      On our side, we believe we offer top tier education. We don’t cut corners and we make things right when a mistake is made. We are very upfront and will even turn away business if we believe it better serves you. We started with a vision of providing the very best in Robotics education and we strive very hard to do that.

      Look at the Why are your Classes so expensive?  to further get more understanding why STEM and Robotics Academyis THE place for your child if you won’t compromise on quality education.

      What do the classes cost?

      Send us a message and we can let you know the most up to date information (Click Here)

      How long are the classes?

      Each class is 1 hour long and meets once a week.

      How many classes in a week?

      There is one class a week.

      Can the parents sit through the class?

      Unfortunately no. Parents are not allowed to sit in the classes as it disrupts our classes and undermines the instructor authority. Our instructors are fully capable of working with the students and having parents there puts the students at unease. Our past experience has shown that sometimes parents will start talking to the children in the classroom or otherwise start asking questions which disrupts the class flow. Our goal is to provide the best, fun filled educational experience to the students and having parents there runs counter to our goals.

      Why are your classes so expensive?

      We hear this one enough, so although not a question, we believe we need to address it. In life, you usually get what what you pay for.

      Our instructors are very qualified – they have degrees in engineering, child psychology, formal instruction training. We don’t cut corners on getting the best educators we can.
      We develop and utilize curriculum that we developed working with hundreds of kids. Our curriculum is derived from the personal experience of our Founder who has coached tons of teams in various competitive leagues. The work is published in book form and highly reviewed on amazon (http://winningrobotics.com) so you can check it out yourself.
      Every student in our classes works individually with their own kit, without getting blocked behind someone. We  have to cover those costs.
      Our class sizes are pretty small (on an average about 6 kids although we sometimes hit up to 10 kids max)
      We provide top tier education, this is what it costs us to run our place and unfortunately, we cannot drop our tuition below this.
      For FTC classes, we do not know of anyone else in the entire state who offers these classes. The structural and electronic material is very expensive and we need to cover our costs.
      When you compare us with other top tier education providers and their prices, we are actually a great value for money given we provide the structured education over a long period of time allowing better retention.

      What are your makeup class policy

      Our makeup, vacation polices are listed at http://stemandroboticsacademy.com/policies.

      It helps to have some context on our makeup policies. The curriculum we teach is fairly advanced for the kids their age. Missing classes is very heavily discouraged since a lot of our value is in the hands on exercises that we conduct during classes. It is exceedingly difficult to provide the exercises with the same amount of detail to a student who misses a class.

      Having said that, if there was an unavoidable reason, you may schedule a missing class makeup using this link – Schedule a make up class

      Do you give out trial classes?

      Yes, to schedule a trial class – click here – Schedule a trial class

      What is WRL or World Robotics League?

      World Robotics League (R) or WRL is a competition that we setup because we feel that all existing robotics competitions fall short on the goals of delivering objective, sustained learning where students remain excited throughout the year. You can visit the website http://worldroboticsleague.com to learn more.

      Where does World Robotics League take place?

      At STEM and Robotics Academy in Plano. If you would like to setup a chapter of WRL or wish to setup the challenges for in use home, let us know.

      Should I buy X hardware that is being used in classes for my child?

      Whether the question is for LEGO hardware, EV3 hardware, VEX iq hardware or FTC hardware, the answer is a resounding YES!

      Students learn best when they have the hardware to experiment at home. Without that, they are simply attending a class once a week for an hour where they learn material that they will likely not retain very well without being able to have it to experiment with. The biggest part of robotics is hands on experience and without having the material at home, it is extremely difficult to do that.

      I want to buy FTC Parts for my child. What do I need to purchase?

      A full listing of things that you should purchase for a FTC or WRL capable robot is present HERE

      Yes, it is a bit expensive, but if you buy these parts piecemeal instead of in one go, you will pay significantly more in shipping and wait for a long time as parts come into stock or go out of stock.

      Finally, this is recommended, but optional – you should probably purchase this book – Black and White version (Click Here), Color Version (Click Here), Kindle version (Click Here.) This is the book we use as a text in the course and it will help the student greatly as well as provide enough context to the parent to help the student when needed.

      I want to buy an EV3 robot for my child. Where and what do I need to purchase?

      Buy the EV3 core education kit from LEGO Education. Click HERE to get to it. NO, THIS IS NOT SOLD AT AMAZON! NO, THERE ARE NO OTHER AUTHORIZED RESELLERS ANYWHERE ON THE WEB. Buy direct from LEGO Education. It is NOT sold even in LEGO Store. LEGO Store sells a different version of the kit which misses multiple sensors and a rechargeable battery. Trying to supplement them costs 50% of the cost of the kit. DON’T DO IT!
      DON’T BUY THE EV3 EXPANSION KIT LISTED HERE
      Instead, purchase the materials listed on this link – CLICK HERE  This is a curated list of parts that we created and really recommend. This will give your child enough freedom to build anything they want without getting stuck all the time. The EV3 education core kit above contains all the electronics you will need but lacks enough structural parts to build a good robot.
      Finally, this is recommended, but optional – you should probably purchase this book – Black and White version (Click Here), Color Version (Click Here), Kindle version (Click Here.) This is the book we use as a text in the course and it will help the student greatly as well as provide enough context to the parent to help the student when needed.

      I want to buy a VEXiq Robot for my child. Where and what do I need to purchase?

      What do I need to buy?

      For a full competition ready robot, you should get the following two together

      https://store.robotmesh.com/vexiq/ vexiq-super-kit

      https://store.robotmesh.com/vexiq/ vexiq-foundation-add-on-kit

      The following is a good to have:

      https://store.robotmesh.com/vexiq/ vexiq-competition-add-on-kit

      The first two are good to have up front since they get you enough in terms of electronics and structural parts so you can build a good sized robot and you can wait for the third one during the competition season although given its relatively low cost you likely are just better off getting everything in one go.
      Where do I need to purchase this from?

      I want to sell my child's EV3 or other Robot hardware

      Please contact us at by CLICKING HERE.   Often parents are looking for used kits and we may be able to connect you to someone.

      Same holds for FLL Tables.

      Will STEM and Robotics Academy Coach our team?

      In short, no. Longer form, by means of in class teaching, hands on exercises, we will get the students well versed with how to build and program robots. If your team decides to participate in World Robotics League competitions held at STEM and Robotics Academythroughout the year and works towards performing well, by the time your chosen competition time arrives, your team will be fully ready to fly and do well. Most of our successful teams have done the above. As experienced coaches, we will get you ready for the competition before the competition season starts by means of in-class instruction and World Robotics League. During the competition season, the parents will need to perform the day to day management of the team.

      Will STEM and Robotics Academy instructors come by our team meetings if we need help?

      Unfortunately, we are unable to do that. Refer to the above question, Will STEM and Robotics Academy Coach our team.

      Will STEM and Robotics Academy instructors help us outside class to get ready for the competition?

      Unfortunately, we are unable to do that. Refer to the above question, Will STEM and Robotics Academy Coach our team. Our experience has been that the best performing teams have a high level of motivation between the students and the parents. They work throughout the year, learn the material by focusing on it during classes and further cement it by participating in World Robotics League competitions. World Robotics League further helps them understand the competition format, things that can go wrong, how to handle things when things go wrong, strategies and planning for eventualities, leadership and a sense of accomplishment that comes with competing in a fun skill based competition.

      We have learnt with past experience that a team that has done everything above does not need much help and can operate by itself. A team that does not perform the tasks above has to figure out all of the above under stress during a very short period of time and is rarely successful no matter how much support we provide. Given that, we do not help outside the class during the competition season. We can provide in-class help only.

      Will STEM and Robotics Academy instructors respond to our real-time phone/text/email/chat/video calls?

      Unfortunately, we are unable to do that. Refer to the above questions, Will STEM and Robotics Academy Coach our team?  as well as Will STEM and Robotics Academy instructors help us outside class to get ready for the competition?

      We work pretty hard to get students ready for any competitions throughout the year and teams that follow our prescribed path are quite successful without any additional help. We would suggest you engage throughout the year to avoid needing such help.

      Will STEM and Robotics Academy loan or sell us FTC Parts during FTC competitions?

      Unfortunately, we are unable to do that. FTC materials start going out of stock almost immediately after the announcement so it is prudent to plan ahead and get anything that you might need ahead of time. FTC materials is pretty expensive and we cannot stock them. We will not loan or sell any of our materials under any conditions.

      Will STEM and Robotics Academy loan or sell us LEGO/VEX Parts?

      Unfortunately, we are unable to do that. You can purchase the parts from official sources by looking at the links I want to buy a EV3/VEXiq… in the FAQs.

      Didn't find the answer?

      Email us or call us. See contact info at the very top.

      Recent Posts

      • Courses offered at Stem and Robotics Academy
      • A course in digital and analog electronics using microcontrollers and microcomputers based on Arduino UNO and Raspberry Pi
      • World Robotics League Season 2017 Announced
      • World Championships Here we Come
      • The Uffy Society (FLL Team 25050) meets Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and Representative Roger Goodman

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        • Courses offered at Stem and Robotics Academy
        • A course in digital and analog electronics using microcontrollers and microcomputers based on Arduino UNO and Raspberry Pi
        • World Robotics League Season 2017 Announced
        • World Championships Here we Come
        • The Uffy Society (FLL Team 25050) meets Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and Representative Roger Goodman

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