EEME makes hands-on learning kits + online lessons to teach kids electronics and Python coding.

As a parent, I love hearing my kids excitedly tell me about all the amazing things they're learning, which is why, as the creator of EEME, I make sure EEME products and curricula prioritize teaching and learning.

This post is the May 2023 update to what's going on with EEME. In this post, we'll cover:

• Our NEW and improved Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit - why we created it? how your kid will learn with it?
• Discounted early-launch pricing for the new Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit.
• How we will continue to update the EEME community with progress and developments.

How to teach Python coding?

Historically, EEME's learning kits + online lessons taught kids electronics - teaching them about LEDs, transistors, resistors, capacitors, breadboards, electric current, etc - while building real-world light circuits, alarm circuits, display panel circuits, motor driver circuits, temperature sensor circuits, and much more.

Since the world has become much more about "software", we wanted to add coding in EEME's curriculum.

In the past months, we've been trialing a "test-version" hands-on learning kit to teach kids Python coding and electronics. The kids were tasked to wire up an LED circuit, then use Python to code the ability to turn the LED off and on. While seemingly simple, this functionality is fundamental to everything around us - cars, appliances, mobile devices, computers, etc..

What worked well during our tests:

• Our bite-sized 1-5 minute lesson steps - helps pace the 1.5 hour curricula.
• Our web browser-based coding application - no external software install needed.
• A hands-on building experience with physical parts - versus a pure virtual experience.

What didn't work so well:

• Too much text-based lessons - kids prefer video-based lessons.
• A mess of parts upon project completion - what parent likes a messs?

Introducing the new Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit

From what we learned during the trials with our "test-version" kit, we finalized and created a new Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit.

1. What does your kid learn with the new Learning Kit?

The Learning Kit + online curricula package will teach your kid core electronics concepts AND Python coding concepts:

• Learn about LEDs, resistors, transistors, capacitors, electric current, etc, as well as
• Learn coding concepts - about functions, class objects, variables, loops, conditionals, etc..

2. How will your kid learn?

The new Learning Kit also comes with a curricula package - hours of 2-5 minute video-lessons that will teach and guide through the building various circuit projects in 2 ways/methods:

1. Build with just electronics components, without coding
2. And then, build the same circuit functionality, but with Python coding

At the heart of method (2) is a small microcontroller computer board which your kid programs using Python to control the physical circuit they built in some pragmatic manner.

3. Example of a Learning Kit project

As an example, the 1st project is a night light. Via method (1), your kid will build the circuit using only electronics components (much like how a $3 night light from Walmart would work).

Then via method (2), your kid re-creates the same night light functionality but with Python code that runs on the microcontroller board (akin to how a modern car's internal computer system turns its auto-headlights on and off).

Most importantly, in both methods (1) and (2), our video-lessons will teach your kid how the electronics components, code, and circuits works.

4. Why build and learn in this manner?

After building and learning through (1) and (2), we also teach your kid the pro's and con's of building the project in either manner - nurturing their evaluative skills to become better problem solving engineers.

5. What comes with the Learning Kit?

In addition to the online curricula package, the Learning Kit comes with all the components your kid needs to learn and build - over 500 electronics components, including the microcontroller computer board, USB cable, prototyping platforms, etc..

And extra storage baggies (!) - as parents, we want to avoid "parts exploding everywhere in every corner of the house". Our online lessons walks your kid through a system of how to keep their parts organized using the extra storage baggies we provide. During the entire learning experience, we regularly emphasize the need to keep things tidy. We also ship with minimal packaging material for ecological and household-box-explosion reasons.

6. What other projects will my kid build with the Learning Kit?

In addition to the night light project, your kid will also build a display panel final project and buzzer alarm final project, as well as tons of sub-projects and coding exercises that become the building-blocks towards the final project.

There will be a total of 12 hours of learning and building, broken up into 90+ bite-sized lessons that take 2 to 10 minutes to complete.

7. What happens after my kid completes the Learning Kit curricula package?

We plan to continuously launch additional "Learning Curricula Packages" that will teach concepts increasing in complexity. These future Curricula Packages will also consist of hours of lessons, re-using the components from this Learning Kit to build new projects to reinforce past-taught, and learn new coding and electronics concepts.

The pricing of these future Learning Curricula Packages will depend on the scope of the Curricula, and if the new Package requires any additional "add-on" electronics components (ie, perhaps a robot project).

Therefore, the Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit you purchase will become the foundation for future lessons as your kid matures and grows. We designed the Learning Kit to be an investment, not something that clutters up the house after it's one-and-done.

Early-launch discounted pricing

As of May 2023, we published 6 of the 12 hours of online lessons published for the Python Coding and Learning Kit.

This 6 hours already teaches your kid about microcontrollers, firmware, breadboards, LEDs, electric current, resistors, Python coding concepts such as program modules, class objects, variables, strings, assignment, loops, and much more. So if you purchase a Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit today, your kid can immediately start learning tons of stuff.

But you are definitely still an early-adopter, trusting us to fully deliver on the entire 12 hour lesson promise. And in appreciation of this trust, the current price of the Learning Kit is discounted accordingly.

Anyone who's put together learning materials for a class understands the monumental task and time it takes to create quality video curriculum - weeks to prototype, script, record, edit, produce and publish a couple of hours of video-lessons.

But as we progress towards a full release of all 12 hours, the price will also increase proportionally. So being an early-adopter has financial benefits!!

Monthly "office hours" and blog updates

As an engineer, I, EEME Dad, naturally default to just heads down doing, at the expense of keeping the EEME community apprised of what's going on. I sincerely apologize for this radio silence.

In an effort to improve EEME's availability for questions and sharing thoughts, we will hold monthly office hours on EEME's Facebook Page starting on June 8, 2023. We hope to use this "office hour" opportunity as a way for the community to ask questions and get answers in real-time. As we approach June 8th, we'll update our Facebook page with details as to time and format.

For those who can't make "office hours", we will be updating our community continuously through monthly blog updates on this site. Our hope is to be as transparent as possible with all the good, bad, and uglies of creating EEME Learning Kits and Learning Curricula Packages.

Through regular interactions, we hope to exchange ideas, answer questions, and inspire each other to become better educators for our kids.

Conclusion

We've verbosely described what we've been up to in the last couple of months. The goals for the next month are:

1. To launch another 2-4 hours of curricula lessons for the Python Coding and Electronics Kit by mid-June.

   In the meantime, check out / purchase EEME's new Python Coding and Electronics Learning Kit as an early adopter at a discount to start learning ASAP.

2. To update our EEME community on our progress, on a monthly basis via a blog post and email newsletter.

3. As mentioned before, we will hold monthly office hours on EEME's Facebook Page starting on June 8th, where we'll answer questions and share ideas.

   So go "Like" EEME's Facebook page, configure your "Follow settings" to be notified when we update the community on "office hour" details.

As usual if you have any additional questions, suggestions, feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out!!

Thanks so much and happy building (and coding)!!
Jack "EEME Dad"