Thank you both for the swift response.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IKE
Please share some info about your team.
Relative team size:
Mentor Involvement:
School Involvement:
Access to resources:
These variables can be independent to success, but they will effect recommendations on how to organize a team for success.
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I was actually asking how
your team is built, in order to assess the varying structures and eventually come up with one for ours. Here it is, though:
Relative team size: It was pretty small this year (our first) - 12 members. We've been recruiting lately, and can expect at least double the size for next year.
Mentor Involvement: When it comes to practical work, our mentors don't do anything. So far, they helped us with organizing the team on the run and supplying resources, but that's about it.
School Involvement: The project is based in our school. We've been working closely with the school's management this year, and hopefully next year as well.
Access to resources: Our mentors help us out with that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt382
Our team's organization is outlined in our team handbook which you could find here: http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc...t.aspx?id=7022. This handbook is from 2007 where we had a pretty large team, and some students covered more than one role depending on what they were doing and how much time they wanted to put in. For example, a communications leader could also be on the one of the build subteams. Check out other teams' handbooks for more ideas on organization. Our handbook gets updated every year.
We tried motivating kids by keeping track of how many hours they put in and then judge if they should letter in robotics. Parents then spoke up and the requirements for lettering changed so it's not based on hours but on other requirements. We have not kept track of hours since because some team members weren't completely honest on the sign in sheet and not everyone who was there logging hours was productive. I would not recommend logging hours or offering letters to students in robotics. Very few teams offer letters and being on a FIRST team should pay off enough. Kids should already be motivated to build the best robot they can, and learn as much as they can. They shouldn't need extra incentives. |
Regarding the methods of work motivation. You see, being our first year and all, most of our school wasn't too excited about this "new robotic thingy", so only a select few signed up and later on in the project, most of them resigned, leaving the team with only twelve dedicated members.
However, since we've won the Rookie All-Star award at our regional and got to enjoy a cross-atlantic vacation in Atlanta, everyone is hyped about it right now.
Our worries is that people are going to sign up just for the sake of going to Atlanta or enjoying the fame that comes with winning a few prizes.
With that in mind, our purpose is to motivate them to actually work their $@#$@#$@# off like we did last year... only we lack the method to do so.
As for the link to the notebooks - thank you very much! it is highly appreciated. If I only knew this existed before...
