" we had to change the batteries and it's like a completely different
robot."
Battery strength affects the power level of the motors.
There is a good lesson to be had on having the kids observe how a
motor's power setting influences the vehicle's speed and distance
travelled . The kids should try this for motor duration as seconds
as well as duration as rotations and then choose a solution that
ensures that the vehicle maintains its accuracy regardless of the
power level.
-David
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 30, 2009, at 5:57 PM, Laura Dysart <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Brian- while I thought our new young team finally had one consistent
> mission down (which the team is ok with as a goal)- we had to change
> the batteries and it's like a completely different robot. i really
> feel like now we are at point when we could desperately use two
> more weeks- I actually read the second paragraph in the "advice for
> coaches" on page 8 of the coaches manual- for "rookie teams" to them
> today- and I have reminded them that whatever happens Saturday- they
> have worked hard and learned a lot- when I look at the rubric, I
> feel the same way- but it's kind of too late now- I think as a
> second year team we'll be able to work on more- I told them I'd be
> willing to meet with them once a month or so just to "play around
> with the Mindstorms." I think those of us who have Rookie Teams
> should feel good about giving them this experience and reminding
> them to learn at this tournament- I reminded them there would be
> some teams that would be able to accomplish a lot of missions- but
> we are a new team. Our team work is not quite fully developed as I
> would like, and again, not enough time- but I'm proud of them.
> You're not alone. Laura
> On Oct 30, 2009, at 1:08 PM, Brian Nussbaum wrote:
>
>> Hello VDACFLL,
>> (My thoughts with a question at the end)
>>
>> I am a first-year coach with a very young team of 5th graders.
>> Earlier in
>> this listserv there was some conversation about coaches who do not
>> feel that
>> they are ready for the competition.
>>
>> We have a week until our day at JMU, and I can definitely say that
>> ateam and
>> bteam from Thomas Harrison Middle School will be bringing up the
>> rear. It
>> will be quite amazing if our group is able to complete one task on
>> the
>> table, and have any sort of powerpoint with a linear thought
>> process. We
>> have not completed any of the requirements on the rubric for our
>> research.
>>
>> HOWEVER, as coaches we are looking at the process rather than the end
>> result. Learning has happened on the part of both the students and
>> the
>> coaches (for example, some of our students are learning that it is
>> not a
>> good idea to completely dismantle the robot a week before the
>> competition).
>> On the whole, it is a good example of how this particular group of
>> 5th
>> graders has some significant growing to do in the thought-process and
>> maturity departments.
>>
>> As coaches, we have done significant scaffolding for them to try to
>> break
>> down the problem into smaller chunks, but we will just call our
>> students
>> 'creative thinkers' rather than linear or result-oriented thinkers.
>>
>> But this is OK, because we have made progress, even though very
>> little of it
>> will appear on Saturday. We are trusting that this will be a
>> learning
>> experience for this very young team. At this point they don't even
>> realize
>> what they don't know. Seeing other teams will be a good
>> opportunity for
>> them to realize their potential for the future.
>>
>> If we work together a few times in the spring to go back and solve
>> a few of
>> this year's tasks, and then get an earlier start next fall, we may
>> be more
>> in the middle of the pack next year (I'm thinking optimistically).
>>
>> This is to assure all of you that are feeling worried--it's OK.
>>
>> Question: will there be an opportunity for my teams to watch other
>> groups'
>> research presentations? I think they never really got a full
>> understanding
>> of what we were going for on the research end of things. Seeing a
>> successful group could be helpful for them.
>>
>> Thanks.
>> --
>> Mr. Brian Nussbaum
>> Mathematics Teacher
>> Thomas Harrison Middle School
>>
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