Date:  Nov 28, 2017

Note: Da Vinci Singapore has closed down suddenly back in 2018, run away with parent’s money and didn’t paid salary to the employees in Singapore too. I myself pre-paid a full year fees to them before they closed down too. Recently (Nov 2019) I heard they did the same thing in Taiwan too. My blog post is a diary for my two kids, what they did in the past. So, before they con away all the parents money, they did well and trained my sons well too. So, please do not get so mad about me writing good thing about Da Vinci’s past. I also sad being cheated.

— updated Nov 16, 2019

This year-end school holiday, I have subscribed a 3-months membership in Da Vinci Innovation lab for both Jay and Kay.  And I think this is one of the best “school holiday” program I have ever subscribed.

One month into the program, both of them are enjoying it very much!

I think the learning place @ Suntec is excellent for me and my family.  Because I worked in Suntec.  So, for the past two weeks, I every day shipped both Jay and Kay to Da Vinci Innovation Lab, and they have good solid 2-hours time at the lab completing their modules and challenges.

The lab itself is big, which is important.  It does not look so cramped.  A lot of walk space. The bench is big, and every students gets a laptop and a Lego EV3 and box of parts to do their programming module and challenges.

You buy a membership for 3 months and pay about $1000 plus (for 3 months), you get to come everyday if you want, and every time you come you can stay a maximum of 2.5 hours in the lab.  So, if you are like me, can sent your kid to the lab every day, then, you pretty much get your money worths.  Compare to paying $300-400 for a 3-5 days camp, etc.. I am sure this will worth all the money back!

I was told there are strict disciplines where students cannot always seen talking to friends, or even playing.  So, even Jay and Kay are most of the time sit far away from each other to prevent Kay disturbing Jay.  I found this is good because, Jay can concentrate in his work and Kay have to learn how to get answers from the teachers, and he has to do this not without dirtying his own hands.  Last time, he always bothers his brother.  Now he cannot.

Jay has completed his Basic 1 course (with 20 modules and I think 80 challenges) a week ago.  As of today, he is 1 module away out of 10 modules to complete the Basic 2 course.  After that, he will be going into Intermediate 1.  There will be Intermediate 2 and lastly, Advanced course left.

Basic 1 is easy for him.  But Basic 2, he started to take almost 1-day to complete each module.  This includes building the robot on your own to solve the challenges, and complete the module.

If Jay cannot complete the module, he will come home and think.  And by doing so, this has greatly improved his thinking process, designing mind, and troubleshooting skills.  So far I have seen him got a bit stuck on 1-2 modules.  But as soon as all is done, then, he is usually very happy come home.

Kay is 2 modules (total of 20 modules) away from completing Basic 1.   He and his brother started about the same time, but uses more time to complete each module because of the different in age.  But after completing the modules, he will gain the knowledge to do the next one.  So, he is about two weeks behind his brother.  But he is actually 3 years younger.

They are very happy to see their childhood buddies and schoolmate enrolling the program too.  So, they can catch up with them from time to time when they attend the same class timing together.

Oh ya, there is a leaderboard to keep track of weekly and yearly champs.  Jay made it to the 6th.  I have no idea how the rest has done so much.  May be they are secondary school students bah. hahahahaha But Jay enjoys seeing his name listed up there.

So, after taking the class for 2 weeks, he started to try out the real Python programming.  He started to read my Python programming books that I have bought many months back.

So, we are talking about the writing real codes.  And he started at level 1.

So, in Da Vinci class, he still using the drag and drop blocky programming.  At home, he started to read and write Python codes.

And here is how the codes run.

The next day, he showed me this.  And he knows how to use libraries, and knows the library that can be used to draw, and he knows how to take input from keyboard, etc etc. Wow, kids really can learn fast if they wanted to.  If they willing to put such determinations in their studies, aiyo, I think he can get even better marks lor.  But as I said, my home policies is to let them decide what they want to be.  What they want to get.

So far, both my kids have lots of fun time there.  I feel they have learned a lot and have grown quite a lot from there too.  Even though it is just one months time.

Everyday they come home will talk about it.  Talk about the program they try to do, etc.

See happy kids!  hahahaha