Lesson #1: To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first. ~William Shakespeare
The other four sites added a few new students to their original summer teams. Applications were used by the sites with the most interest in robotics to narrow down who was selected for the team. It was not until the end of October that the teams were finalized.
Lesson # 2: Provide Differentiated Support
After visiting each site, I realized that each team had a different set of needs. The two schools who expanded their robotics programs were in need of curriculum and instruction. There were too many students who did not understand the basics of building and programming and they were running into issues that could easily be addressed with a lesson. This is one place that I have been able to jump in by creating informational slide shows and co-teaching with the coaches to provide direct instruction and support.
The sites with one team each had issues related to expired software, missing parts, and not enough time on task. The larger programs seem to meet more consistently with a greater amount being accomplished during each meeting. However, the larger programs have still yet to catch up to the smaller programs who are using at least the chassis and sometimes even the lift from their summer designs. The increased pressure of starting over in the Fall seems to have created teams with a stronger focus.
However, the one thing I have found all sites to be struggling with is properly following and documenting the design process in their journals. Some need more detailed annoatated drawings while others lack journal entries explaining their thought process during each meeting. Most importantly, decisions are not being made by the entire team. Many students are making decisions without sketching or communicating their ideas to the other members. This has led to frustrated team dynamics and my goal of checking journals on every visit!
Lesson # 3: Break the Ice With a Low-Pressure Scrimmage
The majority of students on the newly created robotics teams had yet to see a real competition ring, practice driving, or see the game "Sky-Rise" played live. On November 15, we set up the game and introduced the teams to the audience. We did not keep score or use a tournament schedule. We simply just asked who was ready and found four teams ready to play a match. Only one team from Columbus Tustin was able to participate while the three new teams had yet to build a robot. All four teams from Orchard Hills competed without lifts by pushing cubes with chassis only. However, this was a feat in itself to get all the joysticks and programs working properly.
We set up the gym with six tables along the perimeter for each of the schools. Teams stayed at or behind their tables as they quickly worked on tightening screws and fixing programs. We only allowed the eight players to be at the corners of the ring while playing to allow the audience to get a better view of the game. We also set up an iPad in camera mode and connected it with Apple TV to a projector to show the match on the big screen. We learned in July that a crowd surrounding the competition ring makes it so that only a few people can see what is happening during the match.
One high school student helped referee and provide commentary using a microphone to help explain to the audience what was happening during the quick two minute match. He also helped check the robots at the beginning of the match for violations.
A few things I am going to change for the next competition:
- Provide clear set of rules to the teams prior to arriving
- Go through the basic set of the rules with the audience using a slide show in the background
- Recruit more High School Students
- Teams check in at 3:30 pm instead of 4:00 pm to provide enough time for checking robots and allow for scouting
- Provide bus transportation to allow all students to attend
Although we did not keep score, the students felt successful and had an absolute blast. The whirlwind of setting up, running, and breaking down the competition ring left me exhausted. But, it is in times like these that we are the most rewarded for our efforts. The looks on their faces says it all. These experiences may possibly be changing the career paths of young engineers.
