Quote:
|
Originally Posted by MORT~11
As for concentrating our efforts, we have done our best. I feel we have always been in the running for such awards, but, there is always a team who is able to convey their message of FIRST a little better.
|
I think you've struck upon an important component of getting recognized for awards - effective and energetic communication. The team members who spend the most time interacting with judges should be those who are best equipped to "tell the story" of your program, your people, and your robot. Some teams will only permit students to perform this task, and while they are certainly the ones who get the most out of your team and benefit the most from speaking to these professionals, they aren't the only ones with great stories to tell and experiences to share. We feel we have a good balance of participation among all our team members, and therefore, we've found good success in involving multiple people in our judge conversations. We often encourage mentors, teachers, parents, sponsors, and alumni to join the students in sharing their thoughts with the judges if they have relevant information and ideas to contribute to the current topic of conversation. I believe this diversity in communication has helped earn us a few more awards than we would have otherwise received had students alone handled all the talking.