Coming Home With a Trophy
Published November 10, 2007 by Rick Biche
This morning I wrote that I was off to the FIRST Lego League competition. Well I am home now and our team pulled off the Cinderella Story. After scoring a dishearteningly low second round, followed by just enough points to not be last in the final round, the kids took home the prize; first place in robot design! How cool is that?!
- Highlights
- Our students going first, that’s right, first on the floor. They had never done this before and had never even seen it before-going in cold. How brave are they!
- Listening to the leaders emerge and share during the design technology competition.
- Discussing the virtues of various cheese blends in Mac-n-cheese (this is 8th grade afterall).
- Watching five kids pull together and accomplish more problem solving, building, testing, adapting, learning in two hours than in the past three weeks-Learning is not linear!
- Watching them go up to receive their trophy, unexpected and not really knowing how-Learning is celebrated!
- Watching the cell phones come out to call home and tell their families how they did. Learning is valued and shared!
These are kids who don’t play sports. They don’t know about competition through the means offered in their community. These guys have not been involved in other activities. Here is something, something that works for them, something that can galvanize and allow for creating, collaborating and celebrating. Congratulations you guys and best of luck in the State Championships!
Filed under Educational Technology
Way to go! Please pass on my congratulations to your students. Tell them they may have a future in the space industry!
Here’s some robotics info you may want to pass on to them as well.
As you know, robotics play a huge role on the International Space Station. In fact the ISS is about to receive a new robotic “hand”, which will be added to the end of the Canadarm2. Called Dextre, it is the third component of the Station robotics system. With its dual-arm design providing added flexibility, Dextre will remove and replace smaller components on the Station’s exterior, where precise handling is required. It will be equipped with lights, video equipment, a tool platform and four tool holders. You can find out more about this robotic device at the the Canadian Space Agency web site, http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/iss/mss_spdm.asp . Dextre is currently at the Kennedy Space Center being processed for delivery to the ISS on STS-123 in February.
Your students may be interested to know that there is another ISS07 Project team also competing in robotics competitions - the Space Grizzlies from Edmonton, Alberta. Your students may want to discuss their robotics designs with them.
Diane