LUGNET News : ~519/kidinfo


Peter Vogel / kidinfo

WELCOME!

In the FLL program we will be working to design, build, and program a LEGO® robot capable of performing several “missions” similar to the missions performed by real robots designed to explore volcanoes. Before the details of the Challenge are announced in three weeks, we will be working to develop a strong foundation of knowledge to prepare for the Challenge!

You may call me “Mr. Vogel” or “Coach”. I’ll answer to both. I’m very excited about the opportunity to participate in this program with you and share my knowledge and interest with you all! I’ve been programming computers for almost twenty years, and I’ve built with LEGO blocks for thirty years.

FUN WORK

Every sport we choose to play, whether it be soccer, tennis, dance, or football, is a lot of fun. But without work and practice, we cannot succeed. In the “real world” we all work hard, but for the luckiest of us, that work is fun!

FLL is sport for the mind. We’ll be working hard, but I sincerely hope that it will be the most fun work you’ve ever done while learning.

TEAM WORK

Just as we have projects in the work world that are too large for one person to accomplish in a reasonable amount of time, the FLL project will be too large for any one person to get everything done. This means that we’ll have to work together as a team. Just like soccer has goalies, fullbacks, halfbacks, and forwards, an FLL team has many “positions” as well. They are:

Project Manager – This team member keeps the team focused, makes sure everyone’s ideas are heard, finds compromises when needed, and keeps the team on schedule with a project timeline.
Programmer – This team member designs and maintains the robot’s programs. Programming bridges the gaps between team strategy, robot hardware, and success. Although building determines what the robot can do, programming determines what the robot actually does.
Builder – This team member determines what design would best achieve the goals of the strategic plan, makes and maintains the team’s robot, and helps maintain the playing field.
Marketing Specialist – This team member focuses on public awareness of the team’s spirit through the design of such things as the team logo, trinkets, banners, and so forth. This role’s responsibilities also include contacting the local media and surrounding schools or civic organizations to increase public awareness of the team and how the team benefits from the FLL experience, as well as informing them of any special events.
Documentation Specialist – This team member records and documents the entire team’s thoughts, actions, failures, and successes throughout the FLL season in a journal, storyboard, or other format that can be displayed or presented. During the season, these efforts help the team organize information for decision making, and they are an excellent way to showcase the team’s activities for the judges at tournaments.
Quality Control Specialist – This team member conducts independent tests of the robot’s performance in order to identify potential causes for difficulty and makes recommendations for improvement.
Strategic Analyst – This team member analyzes the playing field and formulates various methods for conquering the Challenge. This role’s responsibilities also include leading a team effort to establish a consensus on the final strategic plan based on risk and reward.
Materials Specialist – This team member keeps track of the team’s LEGO elements and ensures that everything is put away neatly at the end of the day in preparation for the following day’s activities.
Research Specialist – This team member leads the team’s effort to gather information and prepare a presentation as described in the Challenge. Quality research will reflect a broad understanding of the various issues and scientific disciplines involved with the theme of the Challenge in support of the presentation award.

Although each position has specific responsibilities, every team member is expected to help out in all areas. Just as a soccer forward is expected to play defense when the other team has the ball, everyone will be expected to play a part in roles other than their primary responsibility. As we work together as a group and in smaller teams in preparation for the Challenge, be thinking about which roles best suit your individual interests and abilities. Just as a soccer coach assigns you to a specific position based on what she sees you do best on the field, I’ll be assigning you to positions based on what I observe at our meetings.

HOME FUN

We have an amazing amount of information to learn in a very short amount of time, so there will be some things for you to do on your own time outside of our meetings. Some will feel like the homework you do for your school classes and some will be just plain fun, but all of it is important. None of it should be too time consuming, but always put your school homework FIRST in your priorities! Homework I assign should never be an excuse for you not to finish teacher-assigned homework. If I hear about the FLL program being used as an excuse to your teacher (and believe me, I will!) you will receive a “yellow card” (more about that below). If you fail to get your homework for FLL done in preparation for the next FLL meeting you will jeopardize your opportunity to compete.

EXPECTATIONS

We’re here to have fun, compete, and learn all we can in the process. This is a completely optional program, both for you and for me. I’m spending an enormous amount of time preparing for the program and making sure that you learn what you need for us to have fun competing. I expect you to respect my time and the time of your fellow team mates by being here on time, cleaning up when you are told, and, above all, behaving yourself in a reasonable and professional manner.

If I notice behavior that is disruptive or disrespectful to your team or other teams, you will receive one warning. If you do not correct your behavior and apologize for the disruption, you will receive a “yellow card”. You will need to take the yellow card home, have a parent sign it, and return it to me at the following meeting. Once you have earned a yellow card, if your behavior merits a second yellow card at any time during the program (not just that day, but during the entire twelve weeks!) you will instead receive a “red card” asking you not to return. Red cards will be followed up by a call to your parents and a note to your teacher so that they know you are no longer involved in the FLL program.

COMPETITION

During the twelve weeks we are together, we will engage in a variety of competitions:

Intra-team scrimmages – We’ll be breaking out into smaller teams for some early practice at robotic problem solving in which teams will compete against each other.
Local FLL competitions – Sometime after the Challenge is announced, we’ll arrange to compete against other teams in the local area.
Hopefully the California State competition – Our going to the state competition depends on a lot of things coming together just right, so don’t count on it yet. If we are selected, we’ll go to the San Jose State Universityevents center to compete against other teams from all over Northern California!

I’ll decide which team members will represent us at competitions based on your behavior, your ability to attend, and your interest level as demonstrated by your homework and your performance in class. Regardless of competition status, however, everyone will have the opportunity to participate in the program and have fun!

CONTACTING ME

I’m pretty easy to get hold of, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. phone: ***-***-**** e-mail: pavogel@pacbell.net You may also give a note to Heidi (in Room 12) to bring home to me.

USEFUL WEB SITES

Here are some web sites you should explore when you get the chance. We’ll explore some of them during our meetings, but you can explore others as your time allows:

The FLL official web site: http://www.legomindstorms.com/fll
The LEGO® Users Group web site: http://www.lugnet.com (lots of good information!)
The ROBOLAB Web Site from Tufts: http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/graphics/robolab.html
The JASON Project web site (for volcano information): http://www.jason.org
The University of North Dakota Volcano site: http://volcano.und.nodak.edu

Primary content in this document is © Peter Vogel. All other text, images, or trademarks in this document are the intellectual property of their respective owners.