Team 4010 -- Update on Friday from Sarah

Hi folks.  We are off and running. Please read these emails so that you know what the kids accomplished at each practice, and can see what needs to be accomplished at the next practice, and can specifically see what HOMEWORK needs to happen between practices.  Seriously – we need the kids to know there’s homework, and to do the homework, and to bring it with them to the next practice.

I worked with Mateo, Ashton, Will and Ainsley about the research project today.  This year’s theme is “FLL World Class: Learning Unleashed.”  The team will need to state a research question in this form:  “How could we improve the way someone learns ____ (topic chosen by team.)”  

The team will spend 12 weeks researching their question.  The team will ultimately design a 5 minute presentation for the judges which (i) explains their research, and (ii) answers the question. 

Given that the topic is so frustratingly broad, the kids and I discussed the need to narrow the topic, and to set parameters to help guide the full team discussion on Monday.  We brainstormed possible topics, then we brainstormed types of learners.  The brainstorming really took off when we starting thinking about groups of learners -- did we want to focus on a topic that kids would learn, or adults? That led us to a discussion of people with particular physical challenges who need to learn differently.  We talked about how deaf people might learn through Google Glass eyewear;  or how non-English speakers might learn English through a real-time interpreter app; or how quadriplegics or paraplegics might be able to re-learn muscle movement with technology; or how braille keyboards help blind people learn.  It was a really neat discussion!

Our group is proposing four options for the full team vote on Monday about the type of learner to be involved in our research: (i) the blind learner; (ii) the deaf learner; (iii) the learner with physical limitations such as a quadriplegic or a paraplegic, or (iv) a non-English speaking learner.  We are asking team members to think about these options over the weekend – which type of learner would be interesting to research for the next 12 weeks?  Come prepared to vote on Monday.  If you want to add another type of learner for consideration, come prepared to give a 1 minute explanation of the type of learner you want to place into consideration.

After the vote on the type of learner, we’ll spend some time brainstorming topics that the learner might want to learn.  (If that is not settled on Monday, we will vote on the topic next Friday.)

Once we have a type of learner and a topic, our research will kick into high gear.  The kids will start to research the ways the topic is learned by this type of learner.  The research will take place once a week during the school day (during Roots and Wings), as well as during practice, as well as through homework.  A particular highlight early in the season is to take FIELD TRIPS to interview professionals or other experts in the topic area.  Once we agree on our research question, we can start planning lots of fun research!

After the research is underway, the team will need to start developing an innovate answer to our specific research question.  Will, Ainsley, Mateo and Ashton are in agreement that the answer should involve technology.  Perhaps learning how to do something via Google glasses, or through a “Siri Educator,” or perhaps a game like Minecraft.  Stay tuned!