2014 First Lego League
Every year for the past several years, I've volunteered at the First Lego League in my area. For the past 4 years I was in Fort Collins, Colorado, but this year I am in Dubuque, Iowa. It was interesting seeing how other events are different/similar. The thing that was similar, was the passion for these students learning about robots and being nerdy.
Excitement of a Functioning Robot
Every year for the past several years, I've volunteered at the First Lego League in my area. For the past 4 years I was in Fort Collins, Colorado, but this year I am in Dubuque, Iowa. It was interesting seeing how other events are different/similar. The thing that was similar, was the passion for these students learning about robots and being nerdy.
Disappointment of a Non-Functioning Robot
Here is the face of defeat when your robot crashes into a wall, flips over, or just destroys the field.
World Class Challenge
The challenge this year was "World Class". The whole competition was about answering the question of what is the future of learning is. You can find more information on the FIRST FLL website.
The Competition
I never really learned what the students had to do during the competition, but every year it's essentially the same. Have your robot autonomously roam the field and put items in certain places, bring back certain things, or push certain things. They have 2 and a half minutes to complete as many tasks as they can.
V-Z
V-Z was the emcee for the day. Him, along with the majority of the other adult volunteers, were all John Deere employees. He went by V-Z because that's how his last name sounds (it's spelled out a little more though).
Perfect Alignment
Most of the kids had to make sure their robot was lined up perfectly before they started their program to ensure the success.
Hoping
Learning About The Next Level
All the kids here are listening to someone speak about one of the high school competitions, FIRST Tech Challenge.
