Last night over dinner with friends, one of them tells us about a Lego robotics contest he’s involved in judging. This is an international not-for-profit initiative created by Dean Kamen and contests are held in cities across 50+ countries, including the US and Canada. Kids build their robots in 6 weeks from a common kit of parts provided by the contest organizers.
My friend being a scientist, I thought he’d go into details over the intricacies of the mechanics of building the robot and the coding of the software program, and although he was impressed by the quality of these teams’ technical abilities, he took the conversation in another direction.
It’s All About Teamwork
He told us how impressed he was by the team building skills the kids learned through this contest. They effectively have to plan, organize and create a robot to move in 20 different ways within a certain time limit. That means the kids have to sit down and think through who’s good at what element, what each child should do and how the kids as a team get the task completed.
I completely agree with him. We so often focus on our kids’ individual performance, to do well at reading and math, that team building falls by the wayside. However, teamwork is a critical skill for any person that will join the workforce – the ability to be a valuable member of, and contribute to, a team.
More about FIRST Tech Challenge
If you’re interested in learning more about the Lego contest, here’s a bit more information:
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FLL teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society.
Elementary and middle-school students get to:
- Design, build, test and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology
- Apply real-world math and science concepts
- Research challenges facing today’s scientists
- Learn critical thinking, team-building and presentation skills
- Participate in tournaments and celebrations
What these kids achieve is amazing. Check out this Youtube video of kids competing in Texas:
There are lots more inspiring videos on Youtube, just search ‘FIRST Lego Robotics’.
To learn more about this Lego contest and how to enter, please visit their web site.
