TechnoBlast

Really cool... weird... way out... brill... fantastic... out of this world! What are we talking about? Why, K-Net of course the computer centre strictly for kidz!! We sent our resident technoboff, Alistair James, over to plug in and check out.

The action never stops at K-Net, and if you're like me, you'll get caught up in this net fast! From the moment you enter, you are swept off your feet by the buzz of kidz having the time of their lives while learning an incredible amount at the same time.

K-Net is a really cool place for kidz of 3 to teenagers of 17 to hang out in. There are a number of courses on offer. One of these is TechnoBlast, which teachers you how to use computing technology. This includes CD-ROM, image processing, animation, voice overlay, sound, and loads more! By doing this course, you learn how to use a computer properly. This is taught by having fun!

Other courses include everything from computer fun to video and publishing to programming. There are even courses for parents and teachers! It's amazing how much you learn at K-Net, even while you're just playing around. For very young kidz (3-5), there are courses where the mentors guide and help by using graphics for the computer orientation and playtime. These courses also show you how to get into and work the programs that you may have at home.

K-Net also offers workshops - like Windows 95, surfing the Internet and presentations. Bored during the holidays? Chill out! K-Net offers great holiday programs too. They also teach you how to go about creating projects - copyright, editing, spell check, grammar check and Thesaurus. And to give your project that A+ edge, there's top quality technology like colour printing and scanning. Learn how to use the resources available to you - network, the Internet, eMail - and learn how to manage your time in relation to the resources.

At K-Net, you aren't told exactly what to do. You're given a loose structure and the rest is up to you, your imagination and creativity. After just a few sessions, kidz are producing absolute masterpieces.

Some have even been displayed on TV, at computer stores, at the Computer Faire and at K-Net and Microsoft's Kidz Conference.

Another way cool thing about K-Net is their attitude. There are no teachers, there are mentors who are there to guide and help you. You can get up and wander around, or chat to your friends. It's the total opposite of school!

First time visitors to K-Net would probably be surprised by the casual and fun atmosphere in the bright building. Although K-Net is all about computing, they certainly don't believe in all work and no play - even though the work is fun! There are pool tables and other entertaining items as well as loud music in the HyberNet room. There's even an exercise machine for fitness fanatics and organised pool and volleyball tournaments. Also, dotted all over the ground floor are large bean bags to sit on during discussions or lectures or while relaxing - even for the odd bean bag fight!

Everything at K-Net is in some way educational, including their mascot, MegaByte. MegaByte is made out of pure energy and lives inside computers, networks and stiffy and floppy disks. There is a sticker of MegaByte that comes in bits - "a byte is made up of bits" - get it?

And for the budding businessman or teen tycoon, there's a mini-business program so that you can make money by using your newly-acquired talents.

So if you're not a computer guru, or even if you don't know where the 'on' button is, but you're interested, then K-Net is definitely the best and coolest net to get totally tangled in.

What the kidz say about K-Net

"Whenever I have nothing to do, or just get the urge to click a button which will give me instant power at my fingertips, I rush up to K-Net. Not only is it a place for learning, but for meeting new friends and having fun, especially playing pool. Now don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying my holidays, but I'm actually looking forward to doing a school project on the K-Net system - the teachers will have to mark it A+!" Brett Manson, 15

"I learnt a lot from others - their work sparked off ideas of my own. We learnt how to make movies, bit editing and how to do school projects. K-Net is a very relaxing environment and you aren't afraid to make a mistake." Paul Clark, 11