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Unread 23-06-2002, 22:42
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Not Alone in the Woods

Posted by Dodd Stacy, Engineer on team #95, Lebanon Robotics Team, from Lebanon High School and CRREL/CREARE.

Posted on 5/3/99 9:02 AM MST


In Reply to: Re: You know my vote... posted by michael bastoni on 5/2/99 7:32 AM MST:




Mr. B,

I think your read on the key issues is dead bang on. FIRST as presently configured is not sustainable as an exponential growth vehicle for getting more kids to pursue scientific, technical, and engineering education. I believe the enterprise is straining as the seams right now, and it's essential that sustainability receive urgent attention. Some random thoughts on some of your points:

LONGER RUN ON THE SAME GAME. I've been here from the beginning, here's why. I think the key to sustainability is to embed the FIRST program in the school system. That requires that the science, math, industrial arts, computer etc faculty get on board and work the program into the curriculum, and the school administration and the board make a serious commitment to the program. School is where the kids are, dying for something to bite into. Forget TV. I don't know how representative our team is, but we have one science teacher and a bunch of engineers who blow through the school like a six week hurricane and create a huge ruckus for everyone. The administration tolerates our efforts and gives lip service support, but we are on shakey ground. I believe we would have more success in enlisting teachers if the game were more stable and they could work the robot design process into their classroom material. I know some schools and teams already do this successfully, but I think the chaotic nature of the FIRST program is a barrier to persuading overworked teachers to join in.

BURNOUT. We all understand this intimately, and it is a HUGE damper on exponential growth of the program. I have a running discussion with my son, who is also an engineer on our team, as to whether FIRST is the right vehicle to invest our time and energy in to inspire/mentor/empower bright kids to shoot for the moon. Yes, there are always a couple of obvious successes each year, and perhaps a few sleepers, but the job of building the 'bot can compete with focusing attention on the kids when we're stretched thin and time is short. Something about alligators and draining the swamp. This also cuts to slowing down the game cycle - more time to devote to the KIDS rather than the 'bot.

KITS. I can only add to your excellent coverage of the points that the cost of purchasing what we need from an expanded industrial supply source like MMC is peanuts compared to the expenses of team travel to the Nationals. Not to mention what a pain it is trying to find spare parts for discontinued models of drills, etc (which I suppose is why a lot of the stuff in the Kit is donated in the first place).

THE GAME. I'd like to see a game that could be played between schools at halftime of their basketball games. Structure the rules to enable playing on the wood court without damaging it, use the existing boundaries, and work in scoring that builds as it goes and is posted on the scoreboard in real time. The particulars I suggest may not be apt, but the concept of piggy backing on the existing school sports program, facilities, and AUDIENCE does all the right things to promote the program goals within the school culture. The game could evolve and refine as the machines were further developed, and I'm sure the teams would figure out how to network the scouting and intelligence gathering end of it to compensate for just meeting one opponent per game nite.

Dodd



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