It is the quality and not the quantity that counts! :-)

On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 1:27 PM, Penny Moss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> For what it's worth, I too agree and I am a rookie coach. However, I have
> had several of my older children participate in the past and none adhered
> to any kind of schedule, such as the rigorous one described. Regardless, of
> the six different combined years they participated, they went to states 3
> times so the laid back approach works as well! :)
>
> Penny
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 22, 2014, at 1:02 PM, Swayne, Nick - swaynedd <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>  Thanks Bill,
>
>
>
> I completely agree.
>
>
>
> *From:* First Lego League in Virginia and DC [
> mailto:[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>] *On
> Behalf Of *Robot Bill
> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 22, 2014 9:24 AM
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> *Subject:* Re: [VADCFLL-L] Project presentation
>
>
>
> I'd like to add a footnote to this conversation if I may. Please don't
> fret too much over how much your team does or does participate in the off
> season.
>
> The teams in FLL compete at all different levels. There are rookie teams
> and veteran teams. Some teams can compete at the qualifier-level, some at
> the state championship level and some at the World Festival level. They are
> ALL great teams.
>
> Please do not compare your teams by how much you participate and how far
> you go in FLL. As long as your teams are having fun and learning, your
> seasons will be successful.
>
> I am concerned that there might be rookie teams on this listserve who are
> reading these comments and *fretting* over how much they are doing with
> respect to the other teams in FLL. *Do* *not* *worry*. Do your best this
> year and try to learn from the others to prepare for next year. All teams
> had to be rookies at one time and they all go through the same growth
> process.
>
> Do well, have fun and we'll see you at the tournaments!
>
> Bil
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 9:09 AM, Anant Narayanan <
> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>  A small correction.  The topic for the following year is released in
> November, not the following May.
>
>
>
> As Brandy said, the summer is a great time to get ahead on the research.
> When the official rules come out in the last week of August, some
> fine-tuning will be necessary, but as long as the research was done in
> adequate depth, this should not ordinarily require a restart.
>
>
>
> Our teams usually continue on the past season game in the winter term,
> Dec-Mar. (to see how they could have done better) and continue learning new
> skills in the spring term, Apr-Jun (to create new capabilities for the
> following season).
>
>
>
> The off-season work is also a great time to preview potential new
> team-members, as good team chemistry is vital to competitive success,
> perhaps even more important that team (knowledge of) physics!
>
>
>
> Good luck.
>
>
>
> Nari Narayanan
>
>
>
>
> *---------------------------------------------------------- Anant S
> Narayanan Founder & Executive Director*
>
> *McLean Robotics Institute*
>
>
>
> * McLean VA 22102 202-421-3826 <202-421-3826> (cell)
> [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> -----------------------------------------------------------*
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 9:30 PM, B Bergenstock <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>  The topic for the year is released in May. To date, they have not put
> any perimeters on the way the kids can approach the topic so if you know
> the topic, you can start researching and looking for solutions over the
> summer.  We found this essential for getting through our year.
>
> Aeronia P. offered a nice schedule break down of meetings.
>
> Brandy
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 5:29 AM, Fredrik Nyman <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>  How do you get your teams working on their research project over the
> summer, before the challenge is known?
>
>
>
> Also, for those of you who have school-based teams, do you have your teams
> meet and practice year-round, or just during FLL season Sep-Nov?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 10:32 PM, B Bergenstock <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>  Core values, while it's wonderful to work on with special practices that
> can bring a team together, many teams don't practice this skill. If you
> have a few practices between now and your tournament, start each session
> off or end it in a fun way that helps them work together.  If you choose to
> try it out, just to give them a taste of it, google "instant challenge".
> But you can certainly throw caution to the wind and just let them be
> themselves in the core value room.
>
>
>
> We did not have a board the year we got grand Champion, so you don't need
> one to advance. Again, this is for the kids' benefit, but if they feel
> confident speaking then they don't need one in the judging room for robot
> design.  I would still print out a few of their robot missions so they can
> show the judges and talk to them.  They don't have to be mounted to a
> board. We put ours in a notebook that the kids walked into the room with
> the book and opened while they talked about programming.
>
>
>
> I do not know if you can advance to state if you are missing a component
> of the tournament?  I feel there is so much to be gained from FLL, if this
> year your team doesn't get the research, definitely try to start earlier
> next year with your team and spend the summer starting the research
> project.  They will have the advantage of focusing on what is working well
> this year and will have a positive association with the experience and be
> more likely to come back. The one thing I hate to see is kids driven out by
> pressure. FLL is great, and everyone can find their niche in the FIRST
> family.   LOL, we did the opposite the first year; we were overwhelmed by
> the robot game and programming and put all our effort into the research
> project. My team was excited at the end of the season, and we had 95%
> return the following year where we got better at the robot game. Maybe your
> team is on the other path :)
>
> Brandy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 10:08 PM, Jessica Chittum <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>  I am a total newbie coach here!  Our 10 kids are really working very
> hard to learn NXT programing, figure out these missions, complete the build
> for the attachments and complete a project.  I am feeling a bit overwhelmed
> by adding 3 additional tasks of completing project boards for the project,
> robot and core values.  Are these project boards absolutely crucial or are
> they optional for teams to show their work?  Thanks very much for your help
> with this.
>
> Jessica
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 8:07 PM, Amy Nichols <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>   Faith,
>
>
>
> When our kids got ready to create their presentation this year, I gave
> them a list of things that needed to go in it...which I took from the
> rubrics.  So they do cover everything in the rubrics but it's in the form
> of a skit. The list I gave them looked something like:
>
>
>
> *Clearly say what your problem is
>
> *Talk about your sources
>
> *Talk about your research and what you learned
>
> *Explain your solution clearly
>
> *Tell how your solution makes learning _____ better for kids.
>
> *How much will your project cost?
>
> *More imagination the better
>
>
>
> So because they only have 5 minutes, some of these things are covered
> pretty briefly in their skit, but the judges will ask questions and let
> them expand on it during the question and answer.
>
>
>
> And I agree with Brandy...our kids used their boards to remember the
> points they want to make sure to talk about.  Really, the judges can't look
> at everything on the board in the time they have (other than when they're
> walking around), so it's more a tool for your kids, I think.  We did make a
> board for each of the judging sessions, but they only ended up using two of
> them.  Having them was very helpful.
>
>
>
> Good luck,
>
> Amy Nichols
>
>
>
> On Monday, October 20, 2014 9:55 AM, B Bergenstock <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> The research often comes in the form of a skit. I have seen projects from
> World research winners that looked like board presentation, with the kids
> in a line each speaking about their idea and a backboard for more info.
>
>  The most important thing, no matter what format they use, is that they be
> able to get out of all the information they wish to share in the time
> allotment- 5 minutes.  I coached a team one year and all the info and
> solution was at the end of the presentation, but because the kids went
> long, or very lowly in one case, they spent all their time on presenting
> the issue and never got to their solution. It wasn't a great plan and while
> I had stressed to them about time and we had done the skit many times, I
> now just tell the teams, "Nope, you can't back load your solution."
>
>
>
> The function of the presentation board can be varied. It often serves to
> make sure kids hit important markers that they carefully thought about in
> group, but might forget in their nervousness during or after the
> presentation. It also serves to tell teams in the pit area what your team
> did for their presentation; Sharing ideas and allowing other adults to ask
> question and celebrate their work.  I have seen several very successful
> boards that have 1 flap dedicated to each of the area of judging; robot
> design, presentation and core values. The teams will bring the board into
> each judging room and use it as a prop, sometimes talking about it,
> sometimes not- but always having it there as a backup :)
>
> To me, the main purpose of the boards is to help the kids and act as
> review of the process when they need it.  Using that as your guide will
> help decide what goes on the board.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Brandy
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 9:23 AM, Faith Mcgarrity <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> Looking for some tips on the Project and presentation. Is the skit
> supposed to be informational designed to hit all the elements in the
> rubric? Like a school presentation. Or should it be a story type of skit
> showing our solution?  If the latter will the team have opportunity to fill
> in the rest of the elements ( ie the sharing or implementation) after the
> skit?
>
> And what is the function of the presentation board?  To document the
> solution?  Or can it incorporate core values experiences and/or robot game
> progress?
>
> Thanks for your thoughts!
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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