IO11: DON'T PANIC! A towel isn't a bad idea either.

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In today's FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update we will cover these items:

1. DON'T PANIC!
2. Hood River Library Project Presentation Day
3. OMSI Presentation Day
4. Coaches' Qualifying Tournament Checklist
5. Sharing Your Robot's Mechanical Design
6. Volunteering Makes a Tournament FUN!
7. State Championship Lottery???

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

IO8: Preparing for the Qualifying Tournament 1: Judging

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In today's FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update we will cover Judging:

1. Three Types of Judging - Commonalities
2. Project Presentation
3. Robot Design - MUST READ FOR ALL TEAMS!!!!
4. Core Values and the Pilot Rubric
5. Practice Makes Perfect

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

HD12: It's All Going Swimmingly

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this update, you will find:

1. Links About Oregon Qualifying Tournaments
2. Robot Game Rule Advice from the Oregon Head Referee
3. Things about Qualifying Tournaments You Already Forgot (according to my Inbox)
4. Team Goals - NOVEMBER
5. Does Your Project Meet the FIRST Requirements?

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

Deep Dive into Core Values

If there has been a topic that has been asked about the most in November, it's FIRST LEGO League Core Values. Today's blog post is going to be dedicated just to addressing questions that have been asked this month on the topic.

1. What Are FIRST LEGO League Core Values?
2. Will Core Values Really Matter at the Tournament?
3. Computer Issues at Events, What to Do?
4. Core Values Poster 
5. Core Values Activity, What's That?
6. Ways to Improve Team Core Values

1) What Are FIRST LEGO League Core Values?

• We are a team.
• We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors. 
• We know our coaches and mentors don't have all the answers; we learn together.
• We honor the spirit of friendly competition.
• What we discover is more important than what we win.
• We share our experiences with others.
• We display Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® in everything we do.
• We have FUN!

Get All the important details in this PDF or in your Challenge Document.

2) Will Core Values Really Matter at the Tournament?

Yes! ABSOLUTELY!!!!  Not only is Core Values one of the three major components of FIRST LEGO League, the FIRST Core Values are applicable in EVERY aspect of the event. The how we do everything we do is just as important as the things we accomplish. In FIRST LEGO League, the tournament takes this into account. Teams who demonstrate exemplary Core Values will be recognized for such. At the same time teams or their parents, who violate the FIRST Core Values will have these issues addressed and it may impact their final rankings, even in robot performance! Teams who are masters of the FIRST Core Values will have a better time in all of their judging sessions and a more positive tournament overall. Teams that have used Core Values all along have more productive meetings, complete more tasks , and have a more positive overall experience.  They are THAT important!

Core Values don't just apply to the way your team treats one another, but also how they interact with the other teams. Whether they are at the competition table working together on the cooperative model, or sitting in the stands teams are expected to demonstrate FIRST Core Values in everything they do. Parents should also be briefed on the FIRST Core Values before attending our event. While it is rare, parents who behave inappropriately in the, heat of competition, can reflect poorly on a dedicated and hard working team. 

3) Computer Issues at Events, What to Do?

Part of "kids do the work" is that they are the only ones who touch the computer or robot at an event. However, computer failures do happen. Weird technical glitches that defy logic seem to crop up only when the pressure is on. Sometimes our team members just do not have the skills to troubleshoot the non-robot, non-programming issue (or maybe you just forgot to turn your password off or log out properly before giving the team the laptop). The problem is, you can't touch that laptop! or the robot if it's decided to go wild. All is not lost!

TAKE EVERYTHING TO THE PIT ADMIN. Explain your situation and let them watch as you quickly enter your password, or work on the complex troubleshooting that has less technical folks on the phone with tech support. Or maybe you are on the phone with tech support too!

Do not sit at your pit table and work on the laptop. Every year, a coach will be mistaken for working on the programming when they are trying to get the software unfrozen. These reports have to be taken seriously by the tournament directors and while efforts will be made to determine how much computer work, building, and programming is done by the coach instead of the team no system is perfect. Please help us to maintain the integrity and fun of our events with this simple solution!

4) Core Values Poster 

On page 4 of the Challenge Document, all teams were informed that the Core Values Poster is not required in all regions. If you've had an Oregon FIRST LEGO League team before you know that they were not permitted at the Qualifying Tournament in the judging room. This year that's changed. This year, if your team brings a Core Values Poster to the Qualifying Tournament they may share it with the judges.

Core Values Posters are NOT required.  They are optional for your team.

Benefits of creating a Core Value poster:

• They help your team understand how the Core Values have affected their season
• Teams have a visual reminders of things they'd like the judges to know about their Core Values
• Teams can show pictures of how their team experience
• If your team advances to state the Core Values poster is REQUIRED at the State Championship.

Reasons not to worry about it:

• It is less than 2 weeks to tournament day, it's not a high priority if your team has lots to do.
• It's one more thing that can be forgotten on tournament day.
• If too hastily assembled it may reflect poorly on your team. 

Do not feel like your team needs a Core Values poster. Even if your team makes a poster they are under no obligation to bring it to the tournament or use it in the judging room. If your team does decide to bring a Core Values Poster into the judging room they should prepare to only talk about it for a minute. This will take time from the questions session with the judges.

5) Core Values Activity, What's That?

In the Core Values Judging Session your team will be given a Core Values Activity to do. This activity is scheduled to last 4 minutes, your team may or may not finish the activity in that time. Completion of the activity does not affect their judging results. Core Values activities are a fun way for the judges to witness the way your team works together. Is there a leader? What kind of leader are they? How does the team solve a challenge together? Does the team recognize each members strengths? Does everyone try to do everything? Does the team use FIRST Core Values? These are all questions the judges hope to answer through their observations of the team.

The team will not have any pre-knowledge of the activity before they walk into the room. Coaches should just stand back like they do in any other judging session and let the team's core values skills come through. Since the same core values activity is used for all teams we ask that no teams share the activity outside of the judging room. 

6) Ways to Improve Team Core Values

It can take 3 years working with a team before the FIRST Core Values become a natural part of every team meeting and every interaction. This can be frustrating for coaches who would like to focus on the more technical aspects of the competition. It is very important to take time at each meeting to identify the FIRST Core Values and how the team can improve their implementation of them. Especially for new team members who may have never encountered and environment like a FIRST LEGO League team using the FIRST Core Values before.

The Core Values are so much more than just good sportsmanship. Many team members have never used anything like them. After all, how often do you help, mentor, or advise a team you are competing against in any other sport? Despite this there are many great team building activities your team can try. I highly recommend at a minimum that teams start by identifying Core Values when they see them and discussing the Core Values throughout all team meetings.

If your team is looking for activity ideas, this thread in the FIRST LEGO League forums has several links with suggestions.

As much fun as designing, building, programming, and innovating are - how we do things really is just as important as what we accomplish.

Best Wishes,
Loridee

Tournament Info, Project Sharing, & Status Check

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this post you will find:

1. Where to Find Information Specific to Your Tournament
2. Space sSill Available to Share at OMSI 
3. What You Should Have DONE
4. Volunteers Needed!
5. 4H Program Looking to Purchase NXT Systems

1) Where to Find Information Specific to Your Tournament

Information about all of the tournaments, teams, and assignments are posted on the Oregon website. Here is where you find everything you need to know! *note your assignment does not appear on your Dashboard, this has to be done manually for every team we have 440 teams participating in events in Oregon.

• www.ortop.org/fll - the main page! Everything is linked from here.
• http://www.ortop.org/fll/overviewEvents.htm - All the information specific to your tournament, copies of the coach and parent letters, links to judging information, robot game information, etc.
• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12bHCKY-eGxXDNVtxL7UbnbQMNq9EE3JvYIGsMcByTlk/edit?usp=sharing - the ugly link that leads to the Oregon Team Status spreadsheet; assignments, payment status, advancement status (coming in December), etc. Tabs on this sheet list teams at EACH tournament so your team can see who they will be competing with. 
• http://www.ortop.org/fll/QT-ALL_Judging.html - details about Qualifying Tournament Judging in Oregon. Also includes information about awards.
• http://www.ortop.org/Documents/OR-FLL2016_TeamIntroductionPage_QT.pdf or http://www.ortop.org/Documents/OR-FLL2016_TeamIntroductionPage_QT.docx - Team Information Pages, your team needs to bring a copy of these filled out for each judging session - they are available on your tournament website and on the judging page.
• http://www.ortop.org/fll/QT-ALL_RobotGame.html - information about how the robot game will be done at the tournaments - not season specific!
• http://www.ortop.org/Documents/QTCoachesChecklist2016.pdf - checklist of things you need for the tournament for your team!
• http://www.ortop.org/Documents/FLL_2016_CV_ObservationsPolicy.pdf - The FIRST Core Values and how observations will be reported at your tournament (good and bad)

Additionally, please watch for and respond to any communications from your tournament director. Especially weather and venue information as we approach tournament day.

2) Space sSill Available to Share at OMSI

OMSI still has one space this weekend (November 19) and two on December 3rd, for a team to share their Innovative Solution to this year's challenge. Every team MUST share their project before it is considered complete. It must be shared with people outside of the team, ideally, individuals who can use the idea or provide feedback to it's development.
Signup on Google Calendar

3) What You Should Have DONE

From today's mail bag, coaches are requesting another accomplishments list. Here is a mid-November list for your team, these items should be done or near done:

• Your team should have shared their innovative solution with someone who can provide feedback on their idea - or at least have that scheduled to do BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT
• Robot should be built and programmed for at least 1 mission.
• All parents have either paper Youth Team Member Forms to fill out, or have been invited to use the online Team Member Registration System. 
• Parents know which tournament their child is attending. 
• The team has a team identity, it could be based on the team name, a logo, or a way of doing things - the team should be more than just a bunch of kids with LEGO pieces.
• If asked each team member can give a personal definition for Gracious Professionalism and Cooperitition. BONUS: Team members can list ALL of the FIRST Core Values
• Teachers, School Administration, Scout Leaders, and Sponsors have been invited to your tournament as appropriate.

4) Volunteers Needed!

All of our tournaments are still looking for volunteers! Parents are welcome to fill in on non-judging or referee roles. These roles can be judge door queuer, scorekeeper, check-in, hospitality, pit or practice fields, runners, and other day-of logistic roles. Coaches and Mentors are invited to volunteer at events where their teams are not competing. Volunteering can be a great way for anyone who is interested in learning more about FIRST LEGO League in Oregon.

All Oregon events are using the FIRST volunteer system. Please create your account and apply for an event (If you have any FIRST account that will work with the volunteer system). Volunteers will be asked to complete a free online background check which stays in the system for 3 years. If you have any challenges with the Volunteer system please contact ORTOP, we will do our best to help you.

5) 4H Program Looking to Purchase NXT Systems
Long time FIRST LEGO League coach Brenda and the Clovernauts are looking for additional NXT robots to use for workshops. If your team has upgraded and no longer uses their NXT. The Clovernauts of Clark County 4H would be interested in purchasing your old kit. Please contact them at: 4-H Clovernauts cc.4h.robotics.club@gmail.com

Best Wishes,
Loridee

Digging In and Getting Ideas Out

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In this post you will find:

1. All the National Materials and Updates
2. Teams needed to do demonstrations at Girl Fest
3. Detailed look into the Project Rubric Pilot
4. Share your Innovative Solution at OMSI or Cedar Mill Library

1)  All the National Materials and Updates

All of the printed materials your team needs are available online! Rules and strategies are new this year. Please don't just assume the way your team did things last year is exactly how things are done this year. Make sure your team understands the Challenge Manual. Ensure your team knows the updates to the game and the project (no new updates since September!)  Make sure your team is ready for success with the documents on this page.  If your team has a question make sure they identify the rules they are unsure of when submitting the question for review.  Strategy will not be recommended by anyone affiliated with ORTOP, but we are more than happy to help teams understand rules fully. We will also review all of the mission models in November.

2) Teams needed to do demonstrations at Girl Fest

ORTOP will be at Girl Scouts of Oregon & SW Washington's Girl Fest! If you are there, please come by and support our booth (Number 9) at this event. Girl Fest will take place on November 5 from 10-4 at the Portland Expo Center, Hall D. This event brings in many organizations to show a variety of skills and professions for Girl Scouts and other girls to explore.

We are still looking for more girl's teams to join us in performing demonstrations. If your team would like to sign up for a 2-hour slot please sign up using this form before Friday, October 28.  Demonstrating teams may have boys, but should be majority girls for this Girl Scout event. Your team does not need to be a Girl Scout team to do a demonstration at Girl Fest.

3) Detailed Look into the Project Rubric Pilot

This year Oregon is part of the Project Rubric Pilot. This means our judges will not be using the same rubric as last year. This year's rubric has some changes that will affect your team in the judging room if you are not prepared.

Let's start by looking at the project rubric this year:

Just like in previous years there are three sub-sections that relate to the awards that are given at the state championship. Also just like last year, there are required components that must be demonstrated before your project  is considered complete and your team eligible for awards at a qualifying tournament. The first of these is the Problem Identification. If the problem is so complicated that it can not be explained in just a few seconds, it's probably not a good problem for FIRST LEGO League. Clearly identifying the problem to be solved is a critical component of FIRST LEGO League.

Next judges will be looking for the team's research into the problem and what sort of analysis was done with that information. Both of these are important components. While the category for reviewing existing solutions has been removed, it is still very important! Judges will be looking for this under Innovation, so please continue to research what else already exists to solve the problem!

In the Innovative Solution section, the Team Solution is still required. This is not just your innovative solution, but how your innovative solution will solve, or be a part of the solution to the problem the team identified. It is critical that the judges understand what your solution is and how it relates to the problem. Not only is it required, confusion over the solution will make it difficult to see how the solution is innovative.

The third item is new this year. In addition to having a solution, our judges need to see more about your solution development process. We all know that nothing innovative is perfect in its first iteration. Creating is a process. Judges will be looking into your process.  This also includes considerations that are more than "it will work". Share what it would take to make your solution reality. What would it take to manufacture or enact? How has your original design improved as you continued to work on it? What research and development still needs to happen before your solution is ready? These are all questions your presentation should address.

In the final category, there are no new changes. Sharing of the team's project with at least one individual or expert is still required. Remember that at least one person you share your idea with should be able to use or help use your idea. Teams as encouraged to share with multiple groups. Sharing MUST take place before the tournament begins!  Judges are still looking forward to your creative, informative, and effective 5-minute presentations!

To see the rubrics for Core Values and Robot Design you may download them here (please discard the project rubric from this group - it is NOT the pilot rubric).

4) Share your Innovative Solution at OMSI or Cedar Mill Library

To help your team share their Innovative Solutions OMSI and Cedar Mill Library are welcoming FIRST LEGO League teams to come in and share!

On November 19th and December 3rd, your team can be the feature of the OMSI Lab for one hour. Your team will have the opportunity to bring in their innovative solution and any additional materials they need to share their solution with all the people attending OMSI that day. Book your 1-hour slot here. 

Cedar Mill Library also has several days they are welcoming FIRST LEGO League teams to share their Project. Teams must use the link above to register to participate on these days: Monday, November 28, 6:30 pm, Tuesday, November 29, 6:30 pm, Friday, December 2, 6:30 pm, Sunday, December 4, 1:00 pm, Monday, December 5, 6:30 pm, Tuesday, December 6, 6:30 pm, Friday, December 9, 6:30 pm.

I hope your teams are having a good time with the project challenge this year. In November the blog focus will shift towards the robot game and the November Mission Model Discussion will return on Facebook, with posts mirrored on the blog.

Tournament Assignments will be posted by November 7th!

Best Wishes,
Loridee

Tournament Registration and Judging Update

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon. I apologize for the delay in communication as I have been out sick. I hope this helps some of you catch up and look for more posts soon!

1. Registration Extended due to illness!
2. Tournament Registration Status 
3. Oops! I need to change our name
4. NEW Project Rubric will be piloted in Oregon
5. More updates from the Oregon Judges

1)  Registration Extended due to illness!

Due to a recent illness, the tournament registration has been extended until NOON on Saturday, October 15, 2016 If you have not yet registered your ANIMAL ALLIES team for this season please do so TODAY! Even if your team has is still waiting on a FIRST YPP to finish your national registration. Please fill out an application for your team. Please pay your Tournament Registration Fee. Your team MUST be nationally registered to participate in a tournament, so do not forget to finish that process even if you are still waiting with FIRST!

2)  Tournament Registration Status 

Please check the tournament registration status page to see if we have received your registration for your team and your team payment. Please keep in mind that these items are updated manually through multiple systems. If it has been less than 24 hours (or its the weekend) please do not expect an update to occur. The page update is about 2 days back on payments right now. We are updating the systems as we are able. If you paid or registered before the time of the last update (posted in the yellow box at the top), feel free to contact with questions. 

Tournament Assignments will also be posted on this page By NOVEMBER 7.

3)  Oops! I need to change our name

If the tournament registration status page has the incorrect team name for my team how do I fix it? This is not as easy of a fix as you might think. The registration from survey monkey is what is sent to the tournament directors so to change your team name after it's been submitted takes a little work. Because so many of you are requesting this I have created a form for you to use. Please do not expect it to show up on the status page right away, as all changes have to sent through the entire ORTOP system.

Please have ALL Changes in BEFORE  October 17.  Thank you.

4)  NEW Project Rubric will be piloted in Oregon

FIRST has invited Oregon to pilot the new Project Presentation Rubric. Our judges are very excited about this new rubric, but it is NOT the one posted on www.firstinspires.org. The new rubric can be found on the FIRST LEGO League Oregon website. The updated rubric has an increased focus on the process of developing the Project and includes the following changes:

• The Sources of Information criteria now more clearly reflects the need for quality sources and a wide variety of sources.  Teams must consult professionals in fields relating to their topic to be at the Accomplished or Exemplary levels.
• The Review Existing Solutions criteria has been combined with Problem Analysis and Innovation.  Teams are still expected to review and analyze existing solutions.
• When teams are describing their Team Solution, they are now expected to describe how it solves the problem.
• The new Solution Development criteria encompasses the previous Implementation criteria. Teams should explain how they developed the solution, considered and narrowed alternative solutions, evaluated and improved the solution they chose, and assessed feasibility and implementation factors.

While the update will shift what teams should share with Judges, we do not expect it to have much impact on the work teams are doing for the FIRST LEGO League Project.  Teams who are working toward the Accomplished and Exemplary levels for Solution Development may choose to spend more designing their process than they did before, in order to ensure it is systematic and includes some type of evaluation or verification of their solution.

5)  More updates from the Oregon Judges

If your team has read the challenge manual, which is highly recommended for every team member to do! Your team should have noticed the Core Values Poster and Robot Design Executive Summary. You will also have read that these items are not required in all regions. In Oregon, as in the year's past, both of these items are required at the state championship. However, new this year we will be allowing Core Value Posters at the Qualifying Tournaments. They are NOT required, but if your team would like to make one they may bring it into the judging room and it will be considered by the judges. 

Our Oregon Head Robot Design Judge would also like you to know that the Robot Design Executive Summary is a great way to prepare for robot design judging. This short presentation breaks the ice with judges. It also helps teams to share the unique aspects of their robot, programming, and game strategy. The Executive Summary must be short! It should include 1 robot run that the team would like to use to highlight their robot and programming. The summary should not be longer than 1-2 minutes and should be considered the ice-breaker the team starts with as they enter the judging room.

Since I have been out sick I am terribly behind on email and voicemails. Please have patience. If I address your issue in this blog do NOT expect an email. If I have not addressed your issue please email again next week. I am doing my best to make sure all of you get your questions answered, but am hoping that today's blog covers some of the most common questions.

Best Wishes,

Loridee