PRICES
The current standard minimum fee to bring the classroom to a location, setup and run a 2.5hr class based on 4 students is $200 plus $0.65 per mile. Each additional student is $50, there is a 10% sibling discount. However during this launch period as we connect families, we are reducing the minimum class size to 2 students for a minimum per class fee of $100 plus $0.65 per mile. After this initial period we hope to sign up students for 5 or 10 weeks terms or courses, following the school calendar. However we appreciate that homeschooling families value their flexibility so we will work with families to try to find schedules that work for them.
We are open to providing one-off or irregular classes, though these may be priced differently and have different timings and class lengths.
It is much more difficult for students to find their depth of interest and unlock their potential in a series of "related" classes than in a planned, connected course of classes that build on each prior weeks efforts to let each child create depths of understanding and competance that they will be dragging about at your dinner table
At present with our Version1.0 mobile classroom, we aim to create classes of 5 to 7 students depending on age. We may upgrade to a larger mobile classroom within a year if consistant demand for classes of 6+ students becomes apparent.
Social Value
The point of creating a mobile classroom is to bring kids together, to work together. We aim to reach class sizes that deliver those valuable chances to socialise and make friends. This is also why we hope to sign students up a series of 10-class terms or courses (allowing for public holidays a term of 10 classes would span each of the fall, winter and spring equivalent school district terms).
Presently we think that offering a class of 2.5 hours from 9am till 11.30am and an afternoon class from 12.30 till 3pm gives a chance for a varied pace of activities, more involved hands-on progress with projects, a longer social interaction with other students and a usable time for a parent to take care of other priorities.
With a class of less than 10 students we can handle various age ranges. And again we seek to be flexible. If you have two children 6 years apart and it would ideal if somehow they be in the same class, we might be able to work that out, depending on the individuals. Generally an age range spanning 3 to 4 years is very manageable, but again we will try match families by age and location and availability as we build out a schedule of classes as our connections grow.
Areas of Exploration
MMC is able to offer endless flexibility and creativity in designing engaging courses for all ages.
We can structure courses in everything from 2d design, paper and cardboard construction and engineering, puppet theatre, textile design and sewing, 3D design, virtual sculpting and 3D printing, applied physics, applied math, biology in the field, the physics of engineering, Lego Technic mechanical engineering, Lego Mindstorms NXT, Spike and EV3 robotics, botany, ornithology and flight, aircraft and boat design, woodworking, electronics, Raspberry Pies and Arduino.
We can also integrate specific reading and writing goals as well as Phonics support. Project diaries, technical labelled diagrams, presentations and report writing skills can all be part of the mix if requested. Some of the courses would be a good impetus for a "book club" as a way to integrate more reading.
A course that covers the principles of sailboat, hovercraft and aircraft design covers a lot of physics. At MMC such a course would be based around a child progressively designing and building their own R/C foam-board plane . We can have some real fun and learn a lot science.
Want to see if your kids can be part of a soapbox derby race or a robotics team, we can structure courses to support these fantastic learning and social opportunities.
Please contact us to collaborate in shaping the variety and style of classes we will offer
CLASSES and COURSES
Part of the point of trying to work directly for parents is to be flexible. So at this point we can't list the exact classes and courses we will offer, as that will emerge as we meet families and learn about how to best support them and their particular children's path and interests.
A sample course would be Introduction to Mechanical Engineering.
Individualised for age and prior learning, this class would set a series of increasingly more complex mechanical challenges based on everyday mechanisms such as a gearbox or steering rack. By the end of the 10 week class a student should be able to analyse a mechanism and build a device based on the operating principals. However, this class is small and flexible and so can be altered by the students own interests as the class progresses.
Another course I want to offer will take students from building paper airplanes to designing and building there own radio/controller plane or boat. These types of projects are more accessible to a wider age range than most parents imagine.
There is literally no end to the variety of classes, courses and projects that we can create in collaboration with parents and students.
Got an 10 year old who likes to tinker? A course based on dismantling old electronic toys and creating new inventions using python to program a custom Arduino micro processor can be on the horizon as long as they are engaged and supported.
Want you kids to get their hands a little dirty? Fantastic, that's why we have liability insurance and a strong liability waiver. Let's design and build a chicken coup, motorise a go-cart, fix a broken washing machine to donate to charity or lets make a slightly dangerous, child-carrying leaf-blower powered hovercraft. Working directly for parents we can devise courses and opportunities completely unavailable in traditional schools.