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Unread 19-11-2009, 14:43
Andrew Schreiber Andrew Schreiber is offline
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Re: What Happens When Dean's Homework Assignments Work?

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Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
Ok, let's see...
How can we make Dean's homework successful?

I'm wondering if you mean: after we have attained some of the goals, how do we implement them to achieve a standard of success? So - I would think that we would want to succeed in implementing programs or having them already in place that can continue to self-develop and manufacture/produce the desired results. For example, by having a FIRST team in a school, it would bring awareness to the goals and mission of FIRST. Is that the desired result or do we want more? Do we want graduates of that FIRST team to move on into fields that involve science and technology? Do we want to track those graduates and see how they are doing? Do we want to see the impact that it is making and the inroads that FIRST is making regarding diversity and cultural change?
Really I was curious if there was a predetermined way of judging if it was successful (as is required for it to be a goal). For example, if the homework was, "inspire students" How many? What defines inspiring? Can we count students who as a result of FIRST decide NOT to go into FIRST related fields as inspired?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
How do we start sustainable teams?

Is a sustainable team ever a given? If there is that possibility of creating a given, what are the key factors involved? Location? Facility? Mentors? Financial support in the way of sponsors? Enthusiasm? Students? Parents? Commitment?
I always felt a sustainable team was a team that planned for the worst and could adapt, take 47 for example, their school closed. Yet they are coming back next year, didn't even take time to cope. THAT is a sustainable team. I guess I really want to know how a team can become that prepared.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
How do we help existing teams become sustainable?

I would ask the questions that I've added to the sustainable teams question but I would add: is the existing team open to help/assistance/mentoring? Is the existing team willing to be flexible and adapt to changes that would help it become more sustainable? Are there teams in the area that are willing to step out of their team-centric mindset and contribute time, energy, help, assistance, and mentoring to the team? Are there sponsors in the area that are willing to step up to the plate and go to bat with this team?
Really the same question as above, how can we help teams be prepared to cope with disaster?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
What defines a sustainable team?

Stability in the areas of membership, mentorship, finances, sponsorship, community support? What else?
Thanks, now to get to work on figuring out how to get those for every team in the world. Uhh, Im going to get back to you on that
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
How can we determine if a sustainable team is a successful team?

How do we determine what success is? Is that something each team determines and what does it mean to them, individually, and to the community that they a part of? What does it mean to the competition, in general? What does it mean to the graduates of the team that have moved on?
Ok, I was curious if we as a community had any standard definition of success. Would there be any benefit in developing one?
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Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
How can sustainable teams become successful?

I have to know the answers to the other question's questions in order to know what to ask for this one.
I suppose without a definition of success it would be impossible to answer.
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Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
Should we focus on long term sustainability or short term success?

What is the difference and how does that apply? Does that mean a team is created and wins a bunch of awards and then flames out - disappears? I have to understand these questions more.
I guess this goes back to defining success too. This question springs out of a debate I was involved with in the past, is it better to go to Atlanta and give the current students a better glimpse of what FRC stands for and risk not having the funds to compete in the near future or should we not go and be assured of the funds to compete another year?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
Should we focus on inspiring the current students MORE or inspiring future
students at all?


I'll tell you a story with this one. We have a current team member who knew about LASA Robotics when she was in 4th grade. There was a robotics team in her middle school but they were not as receptive to having girls as involved as she knew they could be. She waited and joined LASA Robotics her freshman year. She couldn't wait to be a part of the team. It must have seemed like a lifetime to wait from 4th grade until 9th grade. So, you tell me. How do we control inspiration? Do we want to?
See my above story for clarification. We can inspire without knowing it (in fact I would contend that it is the things we do without the intent of inspiring that are often more inspiring)
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
Is Dean's vision feasible?

I'm still thinking here. You might add some insight as to what you are thinking. I'm not sure.
Is it possible to put a FRC team in every high school in America? What cost do we have to pay to make that a reality?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneYoung View Post
Is Dean's vision logical?

Ditto.
Jane
Do we REALLY want to pay that cost? Face it, not everyone is cut out to be an engineer, or a teacher, or a scientist. Some people are cut out to be janitors or construction workers (I am not bad mouthing anyone who chooses those jobs I tried long and hard to come up with a better way of saying this but in the end I failed) Is it cost effective to provide these kids with this program?

I have to add one more question as well, Dean wants FRC everywhere, he wants every student to have access to it. Should we make the barriers to entry low so that anyone can participate or should we make them high so as to encourage only those who are really interested? I think this question boils down to, "Would you rather have 10 passionate students or 100 mildly disinterested students?" I guess this sounds elitist, jeez, I guess it IS elitist. Shouldn't we be elitists? We aren't talking about kids playing a game here, we are talking about our future. I think I am quoting Dave when I notice the irony in having tryouts for kids who run into each other and chase a ball but we don't have tryouts for kids who will make our future cars.
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