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 > > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit > https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or > leave the list". > > -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via > VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. 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