This past summer, I told you we were forming a LEGO Robotics Team. Well.. we were and we did and the results... were fabulous!
Our team was made up of seven great kids (both boys and girls) ranging in age from 3rd grade to 6th grade. The team met weekly (September - December) to complete a research project, to build and program a robot to tackle the First Lego League 2011 Food Factor Robot Challenge, and to work together as a team to improve collaboration skills. Typing this now, it all sounds so nice and civilized -- but the reality actually involved a lot more noise, commotion, and chaos in my basement that I had anticipated.
Now having survived a Lego Robotic season, I offer these words of warning to anyone considering coaching a Lego Robotics Team in the future: Coaching a team will cause you to learn more about robots and middle school boys than you've ever wanted to know. That said... I admit the combination is worth the chaos. When our team earned the tournament high score - the boys jumped up and down and squealed just like the eight year old girls (maybe even louder). It was incredibly satisfying to see the kids enjoy such a unique opportunity.
Now with the season over, my boy is teetering on the edge of STEM student and mad scientist. He's broken down our team robot and reconfigured it to make the 'Alpha Rex.
Our team was made up of seven great kids (both boys and girls) ranging in age from 3rd grade to 6th grade. The team met weekly (September - December) to complete a research project, to build and program a robot to tackle the First Lego League 2011 Food Factor Robot Challenge, and to work together as a team to improve collaboration skills. Typing this now, it all sounds so nice and civilized -- but the reality actually involved a lot more noise, commotion, and chaos in my basement that I had anticipated.
Now having survived a Lego Robotic season, I offer these words of warning to anyone considering coaching a Lego Robotics Team in the future: Coaching a team will cause you to learn more about robots and middle school boys than you've ever wanted to know. That said... I admit the combination is worth the chaos. When our team earned the tournament high score - the boys jumped up and down and squealed just like the eight year old girls (maybe even louder). It was incredibly satisfying to see the kids enjoy such a unique opportunity.
Now with the season over, my boy is teetering on the edge of STEM student and mad scientist. He's broken down our team robot and reconfigured it to make the 'Alpha Rex.
Each day he programs this robot to attempt something new and I find that I too have been bitten by the robotic-bug because I keep making requests:
"Can he give me a high-five?"
"I want to see him dance."
"Use that light sensor-thingy."
"What else can you make him say?"
"Can he give me a high-five?"
"I want to see him dance."
"Use that light sensor-thingy."
"What else can you make him say?"
The programming software that comes with the robot set is a little beyond me, but my nine year old keeps trying new configurations of loops, sensors, movement, and switches -- and he continues to have success. The first of tonight's programs aimed to have the robot walk forward until it "sensed" my son's hand waving. Then the robot was to move its arm and continue walking until it received a high-five. At that point, the robot would say "Good Job" and show a skull and crossbones on it's small reader screen.
Tomorrow night, I'm told he wants to make a voice controlled car, a catapult that fires on command, or a robot that looks and acts like a crocodile. I'll keep you posted on the results.
RSS Feed
