FAQ

Frequently ASKED QUESTIONS

​Q. How many participants can you take in a session?
A. The best school group size is 12-24, but can do up to 36 in one session. School session prices are capped at 24. If you have more than 24 in a session it costs $15 extra per participant. For other types of bookings, see WORKSHOPS or last FAQ question for more about pricing.

Q.What is the best amount of time for each session
A.
​School-aged participants:
My workshops can run between 60 and 100 minutes, but the best length is usually 80-90 minutes.  A lot of schools have booked me for two consecutive days and some have hired me for a whole week, teaching a different class each day. Often I conduct 3 sessions in a day, to align with recess, lunch and end of school bell times. It is possible to squeeze four sessions in a day, but it means some children need an altered lunch break. 

Parties )and some other groups) usually go for 2 hours + break times. Read more...
Professional Learning for teachers run well for up to 90 minutes per session. Read more...
Corporate team building can be brilliant for any time more than 90 minutes. Read more...

Q. What ages suit your sessions
A. I have run sessions from Kinder up to Year 10. All students seem to respond well to Robot Man, no matter what their age! I have developed a number of activities that can be adapted to suit any age. The majority of schools that hire me tend to be from Grade 3 to Year 8. I have actually been a classroom teacher from    Grade 1 up to Year 12, so I really can pitch to any age.
Parties can be any age! Too old? Rubbish. There's something awesome about a room full of grown men who are self-confessed nerds, battling their bots in a sumo ring!

Q. What sort of robots do you have?
A. I have a class set of Dash, Cubelets, Lego EV3 and Lego Spike Prime


Q. What time will you start?
A. Any time you want. Regardless of the type of workshop, I will arrive when it suits you.
Often I arrive at schools about an hour before starting with the students. So I usually get asked to arrive between 8.00 and 9.00a.m. 
For Vacation Care it is usually better to start workshops after 10:00 a.m. 
Any time is fine for a party/other or Corporate Team Building.

Q. What does the school need to provide?
A. Just an indoor space. I have run workshops in classrooms, multipurpose rooms, gymnasiums and libraries. My activities tend to run better by utilising floor space rather than desks. A normal classroom is ok. Carpet or no carpet is fine.
It is much easier if I can have the same space all day, because I bring a lot of equipment!
If you have an available TV or projector then that’s great, but I can set up my own if needed. I also have a good selection of cables and adapters. If you have a table/desk for my TV that would be appreciated. 

I do not need computers or internet access. Any coding the students do will be on iPads that I provide. All robots are battery operated and fully charged. 

Q. How do I book or make an enquiry?
A. Visit my website www.robotman.com.au and click on the “workshops” link
or phone 0457 933 097.

Q. How and when do I pay?
A. I will invoice the school or organisation the day that I visit. A deposit is not needed, beforehand. If it is a party/other, I'd like payment at the end of our time together; either cash or bank deposit or card tap (using "Square").

Some people want to be invoiced before the event; that is fine, too. But for most, they pay after the workshops have taken place. 
​
Q. Do you do Teaching Staff Professional Learning?
A. Yes. There are two types of PL available.
1. If a teacher attends a workshop with the students I offer a PL certificate for that teacher at no extra cost.

2. I have often been invited to attend a staff meeting to run a PL. I have a motivating visual presentation, followed by some hands-on robotics. Suits the novice and expert, alike. You can decide if you want demonstration or participation... or both! They usually run from 75-120 minutes.

Q. Where are you based?
A. I live near Hobart but I travel all over Tassie and usually visit Victoria a couple of times a year. The last three trips I planned to Victoria were cancelled due to Covid -19, so I am not planning on going back there until Covid-19 is no longer an issue. 

Q. Do you have a WWVP card?
A. Yes. I have a current Working with Vulnerable People Card and a current National Criminal Check. 

Q. Are you a teacher?
A. Yes. I have full teacher registration in Tasmania and Victoria. 

Q. Do you have liability insurance?
A. Yes. Although it's a very safe activity, and I have never even gone close to making a claim, some people seem to require me to have coverage so I am covered with a 20 million dollar general liability and products liability policy.

Q. Is it safe? 
A. Sure is. I can provide a risk assessment plan, (which includes Covid-19 plan) upon request.
All the equipment participants use is battery operated. Most of the time participants are sitting on the floor. My TV, laptop and anything else I use to present the workshops have all been tested and tagged.

Q. What do we need to provide?
A. Just an indoor space and a powerpoint socket for me to plug my TV into. Carpet or no carpet is fine. I bring everything else. No internet or devices needed. I will bring my iPads if coding is involved. 

Q. How much do you charge?
A. It depends on the type of workshop you want.  Prices are on each booking form: School Workshops, Teacher PL's, Other Work Place PD's, Parties/Other

Q. How can I check which dates are available?
A. See my "Availability" Calendar HERE