copyright © 2009 playing@learning. this document may not be duplicated and/or distributed,...
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Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
NorCal FLL Coaches’ Training9/16/2009
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Playing At Learning
• 501(c)(3) non-profit• Provide & support technology-based
enrichment programs for kids• Completely volunteer-based• Northern California Affiliate Partner:
– FIRST LEGO League– FIRST Tech Challenge
• Support / Promote– Junior FIRST LEGO League
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Our Role in FLL• Host the Northern California
Championship• Coordinate all Qualifying Tournaments
– District– Regional
• Provide local support for FLL coaches, teams, and students
• Outreach
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Today’s Goals
• Raise comfort level• Heads up on what’s coming• Provide resources for later
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Overview
• Coach’s Role• The Season• Tournaments• Resources• Q&A
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The Coach’s Role
• Kids do the work!• Facilitate & Challenge!• Control the process, not
the content• Celebrate the successes• Coaches’ Promise
– Read, understand & live it!
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Coaches’ Promise1. The kids come first. FLL is about the kids having fun and getting
excited about science andtechnology. Everything my team does starts and ends with that principle.
2. The kids do the work. This is their opportunity to learn and grow. The kids on my team do all of the programming, research, problem solving, and building. Adults can help them find the answers, but cannot give them the answers or make the decisions.
3. My team is comprised of ten or fewer members (all team members participate on only one team), registered as an official FLL team, and all team members are no older than 14 on January 1st of the Challenge year.
4. FLL communicates with my team via my primary email address, and I am responsible for reading and relaying all aspects of FLL guidelines and rules to my team, other coaches, volunteers, and parents.
5. I will encourage my team members, other coaches, volunteers, and team supporters to develop and practice a set of FLL Values that reflects FIRST’s goal to change culture in a positive way by inspiring others through our team’s actions and words.
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Coach’s Responsibilities
• Read, know & be a resource for:– The Rules– The Game/Missions and Q&A– The Research Project
• Registration– National– Tournament
• Paperwork - Liability Waivers; Team Profile
• Instill FLL Values in entire team!
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FLL Values• Respect each other in the best spirit of
teamwork• Behave with courtesy and compassion
for others at all times• Honor the spirit of friendly competition• Act with integrity• Demonstrate gracious professionalism• Encourage others to adopt these values
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Keep in Mind!• FLL is NOT about competition
– 90% is accomplished before tournaments!
– Going through the process is the goal!• Kids
– do the work– make the choices
• Keep it FUN - Celebrate!
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Coaching Resources• Coaches Manual• NorCal FLL Website
– http://www.norcalfll.org
• Ning Groups– http://norcalfll.ning.com
• FIRST LEGO League Site• FLL Team Forums• Playing At Learning Website
– http://www.playingatlearning.org
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Team Size
• Maximum is 10• Typical is 4-5• Right Size depends on you & kids
– Co-coaches– Structured meetings– Kids with existing relationships
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Team Member Ages
• FIRST says 9-14• Upper limit is “hard”
– 14 or younger Jan. 1, 2009
• Lower limit is “soft”– Attention span– Work in team environment for 2+
hours
• Limit age differences within a team
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Needed Equipment• NXT or RCX Robot Kit
– Any version of Mindstorms– Any version of software (RoboLab or NXT-G)
• Field Setup Kit– Can share but team must have access
to at least one• FLL Table (or equivalent)• Laptop(s)
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Working with Your Team
• Don’t do it alone– All of the kids on the team have parents!– Make them a part of the process
• Snacks• Field Trips / Project background • “Distractions”
• Be patient• Lead by example
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Team Meetings
• Frequency– Most teams meet at least twice a
week
• Duration– Typically around 2 hours per session
• Keep it structured• Keep it scheduled
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Keeping on Track
• Goals– Team sets them– Periodically review them
• Challenge them– Answer questions with questions
• Don’t let them get stuck
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Sharing the Effort
• Team defines roles• Take turns in roles at start• Allow team to “gravitate”• Respect work of others
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FLL Tournaments
• 3 tier system in N. CA– 1st Level Tournaments– 2nd Level Tournaments– NorCal FLL Championship
Tournament
• Tournament Policy– 1 1st Level tournament per team– Only 1 Championship per team
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1st Level Tournaments• 12-15 or more tournament sites• 12-24 teams each• Variety of locations• All dates in November• Registration
– Open to all NorCal FLL Teams– Opens in October– http://gofll.usfirst.org
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2nd Level Tournaments
• 3 tournaments– Sacramento– San Jose– TBD
• 36 teams each• Registration like 1st Level
– Opens in late November
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NorCal FLL Championship Tournament
• 48 teams• Location TBD
– Likely in SF Bay Area
• Date TBD– Likely mid to late January
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Tournament Registration
• Opens early Oct.• http://gofll.usfirst.org
– Coach login• 1st, 2nd, 3rd choices• Notification shortly after registration
closes• You will be asked to (postal) mail all
liability waivers to Playing At Learning
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Typical Tournament Schedule
• 8:00AM Team Check-In• 8:30AM Opening Ceremony• 8:45AMCoaches’ Meeting• 9:00AM Judging Starts• 12:00PM Lunch Break• 1:00PM Rounds Start• 4:30PM Awards Ceremony• 5:00PM Cleanup & Go Home
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Team Check-In
• Don’t Be Late!• Turn In
– Team Volunteer Name(s) – if not already
• Receive– Tournament Programs– Team ID’s– Team Pit Table Assignment– Team Schedule
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Robot Inspection
• Ensures robot is built following rules
• Not all tournaments do it– Some do once– Some do at start of each performance
round (in the queue)
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Opening Ceremony
• Pledge Of Allegiance• FLL Team Creed• Possible Speaker
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Coaches’ Meeting
• Mandatory to attend – be on time!• Don’t bring the team!
– Doesn’t have to be the “coach” but needs to be adult that can relay information back to team
– Make sure kids are supervised
• Includes:– Tournament Director– Head Referee
• Final Q&A for the day!
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Judging
• 3 judging sessions– Research Project– Robot Design– Teamwork
• 10 minutes with judges• Rubrics in Coaches’ Manual• Be on time – queue 10 minutes
before scheduled
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Research Project Judging
• 10 Minutes Total– 5 minute team presentation– 5 minute Q&A with judges
• Setup time counts• Watch out for “technology”• Project Examples on DVD
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Robot Design Judging
• 10 minutes• Conversation with judges• Demo of robot
– FLL table in room
• Don’t script it!• Don’t have a “presentation” but
you can direct conversation
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Teamwork Judging
• 10 minutes• Conversation with judges• Includes FLL Values & Gracious
Professionalism• Alternate Eval Methods
– Interview in pits– Team observation
• May include input from “wandering” judges, as well as others
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Judging Feedback
• Not an absolute number/score• Teams are ranked compared to
other teams• Judges “deliberate” over results• Awards based on deliberations• Rubric-based feedback given to
teams (same day or mailed shortly)
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Lunch
• Bring own• Encouraged to buy from
tournament– Pre-ordered pizza– Snacks– Fundraiser
• Food typically NOT ALLOWED in gyms
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Robot Performance Rounds
• Minimum of 3 rounds• Highest score• Playoff Rounds
– Possible time filler while judges deliberate
• Practice Rounds– Where schedule allows!
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Robot Performance Rounds
• Queue up 10 minutes before scheduled round
• Only 2 kids at table at a time• Match will finish with review w/
referee … KIDS ONLY!• Results are final after referee
review
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Robot Performance Round Tips
• Practice• Have secure way to carry robot &
attachments• Practice• Checklist• Practice
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Robot Performance Scoring
• Highest Score Counts– 2nd (and possibly 3rd) score as tie-
breaker
• Other awards – other metrics– Rookie Team– Highest Average– Playoffs
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Awards Ceremony
• Final Celebration of Tournament• Possible Guest Speakers• Awards• Volunteer Recognition• Sponsor Recognition
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Awards• Standard Awards
– Robot Performance
– Robot Design– Research Project– Teamwork
• Others– Champion’s
Award– Rookie Team– Judges’ Award– Volunteer Award
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Tournament “Areas”
• Pits• Competition Floor• Judging Rooms• Common Area
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The “Pits”
• Work area for teams• 1 table & some chairs• Power (nearby …)• Shared FLL tables for practice• Likely noisy & crowded• Food may or may not be allowed• Possible score display
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Competition Floor
• 1 or more competition table pairs• Spectator seating• Score display• Team queuing area(s)• Awards table• Information table• Likely NO FOOD OR DRINK!
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Judging Rooms
• Possibly multiple sets of rooms• Typically near pits or competition
floor• May be small• May not be “spectator-friendly”
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Common Area
• Typically a cafeteria• Food sales• Place to relax away from noise• Not all tournaments have the
luxury• Eat here!
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Bring To Tournament
• Laptop(s)• Robot & pieces• Lunch/Snacks• Extension Cord(s)• Kids• Volunteers
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Additional Resources• Coaches Primer
www.fll-freak.com
• Los Altos Roboticswww.losaltosrobotics.org
• High Tech Kidswww.hightechkids.org
• Oregon FLLwww.ortop.org
• FIRST
Copyright © 2009 Playing@Learning. This document may not be duplicated and/or distributed, electronically or otherwise, without explicit permission.
Wrap Up / Q&A
• Questions?• For more info:
– NorCalFLL Ning Group• http://norcalfll.ning.com
• On the internet– [email protected]– http://www.norcalfll.org– http://www.firstlegoleague.org