In this update, you will find:
- Good Luck Week 1 Teams and Volunteers!
- Presentations at Cedar Mill Library
- Why No Team Is Ever Ready
- Hands in Pockets
- Celebrate In Success!
Oregon Update: 14
Welcome to the official FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update. All Oregon FIRST LEGO League Coaches are automatically added to this list weekly! In each update, which you can read in an email or on our blog (cross-posted on both G+ and Facebook), you will find out what is happening in Oregon, the important things from Headquarters in NH, and tips to keep your team on track. This blog will be posted nearly weekly and all posts are archived. All official updates this season will be numbered HD# If you've missed an update, please read the archive to catch up!
1) Good Luck Week 1 Teams and Volunteers!
On Saturday at 9:30am competitions begin (team check-in is at 8 AM) at North Middle School in Grants Pass, Intel Jones Farm in Hillsboro, Hood River Middle School in Hood River, Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande, South Umpqua High Schoool in Myrtle Creek outside of Roseburg, George Fox University in Newberg, Catlin Gabel School in Portland, and Stephens Middle School in Salem. On Sunday, Catlin Gabel School in Portland and Stephens Middle School in Salem will hold additional events!
That's 166 teams, 498 coaches and chaperones, 100 judges, 60 referees, and ~250 additional tournament volunteers! I can't wait to see many of you at the events I will be attending and I know all of our tournament volunteers are excited to see your projects, robots, and most of all your amazing Gracious Professionalism!
That's 166 teams, 498 coaches and chaperones, 100 judges, 60 referees, and ~250 additional tournament volunteers! I can't wait to see many of you at the events I will be attending and I know all of our tournament volunteers are excited to see your projects, robots, and most of all your amazing Gracious Professionalism!
Not competing this week? Feel free to come out to a local event and cheer on your peers! All FIRST LEGO League tournaments are free and open to the public to watch.
2) Presentations at Cedar Mill Library
Starting this week Cedar Mill Library opened the floor to FIRST LEGO League teams to share their project presentations and use the library for practice and interacting with other teams. This is not the same as the OMSI share days where the teams set up a table for an hour to share with the OMSI visitors, the presentations here are much shorter!
Want to see what other solutions are out there? Teams will be sharing projects:
Want to see what other solutions are out there? Teams will be sharing projects:
- Monday, November 27, 6:30 pm
- Friday, December 1, 6:30 pm
- Sunday, December 3, 1:00 pm & 3:00 pm (2 sessions)
- Monday, December 4, 6:30 pm
- Thursday, December 7, 6:30 pm
3) Why No Team Is Ever Ready
Whether you have 2-3 days or a week left, most coaches look at their team and wonder, "How can we possibly be ready?" Especially if this is your first 3 years in the program, or you've watched any youtube brag videos. The truth is, your team SHOULDN'T be ready. The qualifying tournament isn't meant to be a finished product. This isn't the science fair, it's not an E3 sales pitch (although honestly a lot of that stuff is even less finished than your team's project or robot), this is not the assignment you turn in for a grade.
The Qualifying Tournament is a ~9-week evaluation. Teams are interviewed about the directions they are pursuing, the engineering and programming paths they are starting. We are looking at their development strategy. In the project, we are looking for reasonable research and a valid prototype idea. We are not looking for ready to market ideas! Oh we like those sure, but sometimes you have to wonder if the research is all there. What is this problem, what's out there, and what are you trying to do that's different? Does it have a reasonable chance of success? Have you started to look at the barriers or costs to implementation? How far are you on this project?
The Qualifying Tournament is a ~9-week evaluation. Teams are interviewed about the directions they are pursuing, the engineering and programming paths they are starting. We are looking at their development strategy. In the project, we are looking for reasonable research and a valid prototype idea. We are not looking for ready to market ideas! Oh we like those sure, but sometimes you have to wonder if the research is all there. What is this problem, what's out there, and what are you trying to do that's different? Does it have a reasonable chance of success? Have you started to look at the barriers or costs to implementation? How far are you on this project?
Your team should not be finished with everything yet! Not only is the game table and robot intended to keep even the best teams busy for 9 months, the creation of an innovative solution is not an overnight process. We all know this, but sometimes when we see deadlines and checkpoints, it is hard to remember in our culture that we don't need a finished product. We need what we have accomplished, and we need to know how to share that as well as the vision of where it will be going.
Take a deep breath, charge the batteries, and get a good night's sleep. You are ready! Let your team make a big splash with what they have - in all it's unfinished glory!
4) Hands in Pockets
Coaches and Chaperones, this section is for you. I know you have been guiding your team for the last several months. You've resisted the urge to solve their problems, instead, you've offered advice that was largely disregarded (yeah, it happens to everyone). Now the big day is here and you want more than anything for the hard work of your team to be recognized. However, the tournament day is actually a day for you to take a step back.
On tournament day, all adults should put their hands in their pockets and keep their phrases to praises and questions. The time for telling your teams to do things, try things, or teaching things is over. At the tournament, if you want to use technology remember to be with the pit admin so there is absolutely NO DOUBT your team is doing all of that hard work they deserve credit for. Only team members touch phones, tablets, or laptops. If you are filming a match make sure it's obvious that's what you are doing, or better yet, let a team member film.
Is your team having too much fun socializing? Worried they'll miss something? Practice your Socratic teaching with well-framed questions. Hey, if they are the only one with the phones out, maybe you need them to tell the time anyway.
Take a break, the kids have got this. You've done well - let them shine and enjoy your day. Remember if your hands come out of your pockets it better be so you can applaud the success of your amazing team!
(you can keep your hands in virtual pockets, just remember not to carry things, pick up things, or do things for the team)
5) Celebrate In Success!
The Qualifying Tournament's primary job is to CELEBRATE the success of each and every FIRST LEGO League team competing in Oregon. Success IS NOT a trophy. Success IS NOT an advancement to state. Success is when the robot completes the mission as programed. Success is when the team and the judges make a connection and are able to communicate ideas together. Success is checking in, making it to each event, and being able to say - YES WE DID THAT! Every team at a qualifying tournament is a success!
Not every team will be traveling with their cheering squad. If you notice a team without supporters in the arena, make a point of cheering for them. Every team could use more supporters! While FIRST LEGO League is a competitive program, the success of one team does not negate the success of another. So as you are at the events this next two weeks remember to help every team celebrate their moments of success.
Best Wishes,
Loridee
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