What happens at an FLL scrimmage?

Last Saturday the First Lego League (FLL) team that Spider Droid is on (TheFanatix) hosted a scrimmage in advance of the December 17th regional. It was quite a bit of fun.

The scrimmage was held at the Elgin Tower, the tallest building in Elgin. It's a cool building with a fully dunctional old time elevator manned by an elevator operator. The kids loved that elevator almost as much as the robots they created and programmed. Almost. Thanks again to the Elgin Technology Center (ETC) who let the host team use the facility.

I recently caught up with the coach of the Fanatix and asked her for a little more info on ETC.

While at the scrimmage armed with a camera, an ipod touch and no official capacity, I decided to interview participants, coaches, mentors and parents and give you an idea of what happens at a robotics scrimmage.

I talked to one of the hosts of the event ...

I spoke with a mentor of the fanatix who had participated in a scrimmage before. She told me of some of the personal benefits of a scrimmage.

Team spirit is a big part of FLL it is not uncommon for the team to dress alike. Many teams have custom t-shirts made.

Some can only afford milk jugs

Two of the 5 teams at the scrimmage were rookie teams. Both teams were from the same school. I spoke with one of the parents about what FLL has meant to him so far.

I talked to two members of last years state champion I-Lego Team.

One of the main reasons for the scrimmage is to practice table runs and technical judging in an atmosphere that is as close to competition as possible. At the onset of the scrimmage the coach for the Fanatix explained and demonstrated a bit about how the runs are scored.

The table challenges are based on the theme for the year. This year the theme is Food Factor. What makes FLL unique is that the robots are only part of the competition. Each year every team has to research to a theme related problem and then create a solution and then present that solution in several ways. I will be talking about this in a little more detail in a post later this week when I talk about Ask magazine's December Robotics Issue. In the radio biz, that is what we call a tease. I'm not in the radio biz, but some say I have the perfect face for it. Enough about me, lets get back to the scrimmage.

Here is a clip from one of I-lego's runs. I added the music with the help of youtube. It does have a food related theme.

I talked to members of the HCA Roarbots along with their coach about their experience so far as a rookie team.

Here they are demonstrating some of their program . . .

G2 is another one of the teams that was at the scrimmage. I spoke with their coach.

and his son, a member of G2.

Watching A Practice Run

The Fanatix discuss their technical judging component.

Fll means differen things to different people here is what one of the Fanatix had to say.

I hope you have enjoyed this behind the scenes look at an FLL scrimmage. Hopefully you have discovered like I did that FLL robotics packs in everything . . .

Plus the Kitchen Sink

100 Books





Reading opens many doors.

I can't believe I read the whole thing.





My son is not only an action hero, but he is also a super genius.  Granted a super genius who doesn't yet read at grade level.  He has the mind of an inventor and a magnificent memory.  Yet he is having difficulty inputting knowledge in his mind through reading.  This has been a concern of ours as parents for a number of years.  We had tried many things tutoring, summer school, Lamaze (which did not help with his reading but you should see the kid breathe!); we tried it all.

When Amy and I attended the local home school convention this past June I went to a seminar about helping your under performing readers.  It was really encouraging and had many good take-a-ways.  One thing I decided to try was a 100 book chart.  You have the child read 100 picture books and write them on a chart in their room.  When the chart is full you give a GREAT reward. 

From June to October 31st we only put 23 books on the chart. Spider Droid probably read more than that but I didn't always get to writing them down.  In short my inconsistency didn't help him take ownership of the project.

In the meantime Spider Droid was taking vision therapy that was beginning to show some signs of progress with his reading ability.  On November 1st, his birthday.  I took him to the chart and added something to the top.  It showed how many books were left and how many days were left in the year.  He had 77 books remaining and 61 days before the end of the year.  We set two goals: 1) To get to a point where there were  more days reaming  in the years than books remaining to be read.  2) to finish the chart before the end of 2011.

He read 3 books that day and 17 by the 7th.  23 from June to October and 17 in a week!   He reached his first goal on 11/16.  40 books remained with 45 days left to read them in.  That's when SD upped his game and decided he wanted to finish the 100 by the end of November.  At about that time life began to get very busy with our home school co-op, robotics, Thanksgiving and the like.  Yet he was driven and diligent.  We went to the local library on Saturday and he checked out as many books as he had left to read.  Tuesday morning he had 10 left.  This morning he had 5 left.  In between lessons he finished the last 5 before lunch time. 

Here are 2 pictures worth 100 books. 

My Son the Reader



Our Story So Far



Here is some live footage .  . .

 Not only has SD's reading quantity increased, the quality piece has improved substantially.  In a few months time he has gone up one full grade in his reading level.

We still have a way to go but we are very pleased with his progress.  Too bad he isn't a little more excited about his achievement, as the picture below attests.





Liebster Blog Award

Cristina the author  of Home Spun Juggling, has bestowed upon me  a Liebster Award. 

Liebster  is a German word. 

According to an online translation tool Liebster can be defined as

 - n. sweetheart, beloved person, darling   

adj. dear, darling; beloved, liked very much; affectionate, loving   

adj. favorite, preferred above others; liked or loved above others

 

 

The purpose of this award is to showcase the hidden gems of the blogging world.  Blogs with 300 or less followers can be given the Liebster by a previous winner.    The new winner then finds 3-5 deserving blogs to bestow the award on. 

In a sense it seems like a high honor and I know that Cristina meant my Liebster that way and I receive it in that way.  But in another sense it seems like a blog version of a chain letter.

  Since I like to fill this space with praise of others in the blog-o-sphere.  I don't mind awarding some Liebsters to deserving blogs.  I would like to say that my no means do I expect  my Liebster winners to feel like they need to pay this award forward.  If they feel they know blogs that are deserving of this award.  I say go ahead let the world know.  If they choose not to continue the tradition that's fine too.

Here is the criteria I used for  doling out my Liebsters.

1) 300 or less followers.  In researching the award, I found that most references to it said 200 or more followers.  But Christina said 300 in her post and since she is my sponsor I am going to follow her lead.  Two of the blogs I have given the award to don't broadcast their follower stats.  I am giving those two the benefit of the doubt.

2) Blogs I love. Each of the recipients below are blogs I have mentioned in these pages before.  Many I have dedicated 1 or more post to.  I did not scramble to come up with names, the quality of these blogs scream out to me for recognition

The 5 blogs I have chosen are all written or co written by men.  This is somewhat coincidental.  However, since the blogosphere (at least the corner I live in) is generally filled predominately with blogs written by women.  I thought it might be nice to have a testosterone filled wing in the Liebster Hall of Fame.  Again, the quality of these blogs not the gender of the writers was my main criteria in bestowing the award. 

Here are my 5 Liebster winners in no particular order.

Read-a-loud Dad. 

 I became familiar with this blog by reading his work in the Carnival of Homeschooling.  I felt an instant affinity since we both have the same last name, Dad. We also share an affinity to reading aloud as I have been reading to my children since they were in their mother's womb.  I continue to read to them now, even now that they all love to read to themselves. 

I like his book reviews and his passion for reading a out loud.  Even though he is preaching to the choir, when it comes to me.  I still find much of what he says inspirational.

Allen Levi's Blog

Allen Levi is a hero of mine.  I have written about turned singer here from time to time. He sang at my 40th birthday party.  I love his blog and even wrote a song about how I wished he would blog more. 

On July 23rd Allen's brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Allen continues to produce great posts with updates on his brother's progress.  The last installment where he compared his brother's sickness to a trip he took to Afghanistan was especially poignant.

While his writing is deeply personal it is  also very accessible.  I encourage you to go pay him a visit.  It just sometimes takes him a while to come to the door. 

Why Homeschool

I absolutely love this blog.  I have been a frequent follower there, since I became a revolving host of the Carnival of Homeschooling.  The carnival is the brainchild of the Cates.  I could write a whole post about how fantastic the COH is.  Im fact, I have.

Why Homeschool goes well beyond the scope of the Carnival of Homeschooling.  It has some of the best variety in the entire Internet.  It is well written, and thought provoking. I love this blog so much, I was pleasantly surprised to find it does not yet have 300 followers and thus qualifies for the award. 

Out Walking 

Out Walking is the first blog I ever remember reading.  I found it as part of a google search.  Like Allen Levi's blog there is much more quality to this blog then quantity.  He has posted only six times since September 1st of this year, but each one was well worth waiting for.

Today's post, Oh Melancholia really struck a chord with me.  The teasing he gets from his son is very similar to the beating I take because I cry a lot.

Families Again

The author of  Families again is an HSBA rival of mine.  He and I have been nominated in the best Dad category for each of the last 3 years.  The main difference being, is that he has won it two of those years (including this year)  and I am still in Susan Lucci mode.

I am a big fan of Families Again.  The author does a great job of balancing between product reviews, Compassion updates, and other interesting topics.  He used to host A fine meme called Men's Monday Meme.  As a former host of a failed  an erstwhile meme, I know the pain of spending time to prepare a weekly meme and then only having 1 or less blog link on to it.  If you don't find his blog at the link above, he has probably completed his switch to the blogger platform.  I gladly became his first follower at the new location earlier today. 

. 

I hope you enjoyed my Liebster Awards.  Thanks again to Cristina for giving me mine.  Just so you know, Cristina.  That if anyone else gave me my Liebster, you would have been the first to receive one from me. 

The Muppets

It starts when we're young. A show off at school. Making faces at friends. You're a clown and a fool. Doing prat falls and bird calls and bad imitations. Ignoring your homework. Now that's dedication. You look in the mirror. You're getting standing ovations.

You're burning with hope. You're building up steam what was once juvenilish is grown up and stylish. You're close to your dream. Then somebody out there loves you. Stands up and hollers for more. You've got a home at the magic store.

The Magic Store from The Muppet Movie (1979)


I believe in the way back machine.

So when I decided to write a review of The Muppets, I went back to 1979 when The Muppet Movie came out. I even had to go back a few years earlier to Saturday Afternoons/Evenings at 6:30 when I would watch first runs of The Muppet Show.

This is good, I have gone 4 paragraphs without a rant or an aside. When it comes to discussing Muppet Films this is a huge step for me. So before I go any further let me just clear the air and take my pet peeve for a quick walk . . .

Sometimes in conversations with people about movies I will mention that The Muppet Movie is my 2nd favorite film of all time. They will often politely ask which Muppet Movie. After taking my blood pressure meds, I will inform them that there is only 1 Muppet Movie.

Sure there are several films that have Muppet in the title. They are, in order of release: The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets in Space and The Muppets. 7 Muppet films only one The Muppet Movie.


Now that there are 7 films there is a muppet film one for each day of the week. If they do an 8th then we will simply need a new day of the week. I have been pushing hard for Kermit's Day for years so I say bring it on.

Okay the italics have ended that means I can get back to my review. Back to my way back machine train of thought. For me, watching the Muppet Show was like having a home at the magic store. The Muppet Movie gave a back story that not only captured that magical experience but expanded it. In the Muppet Show the muppets home was the stage they performed on. In The Muppet Movie, the world became their stage. Singing in swamps, peddling bikes, riding in Studebakers and buses we saw the muppets in a way we never imagined.

More than 30 years has passed and the world has changed in ways we never imagined. In 1979 a laptop was the tray table you used on airplanes. In 1979, if you wanted to connect to a computer from your home you needed a modem and a monitor. Yet here I am in my house typing this review on a laptop with a wireless connection to the Internet.

With all the many technological wonders of the last 3 decades, It is easy to think that Kermit and other marionette puppets have become a museum piece. This is literally the case as I discovered from my trip to the Smithsonian last year.

The Muppets, in a sense is an exploration of this thought process. Is there a place in the world of today for the inspirational and muppetational?

The film is about relationships It is a story about brothers different as different can be, yet also the same. It is a story about love lost and found. The film also is about quests. The quest for finding your place in the world. The quest to bring the Muppets back together. The quest to save the Muppet Theatre.

The theatre is an analogy to all things muppets. It is the magic store. As the movie continues the viewer comes to realize that the theatre is not the transcending point of the Muppets. Their reality is. My wife has a saying, she says: I like movies about real things, like the muppets.

Putting aside my wife's very tenuous grip on reality for a moment, let's just say that she's right.

The Muppets is a successful movie because it is steeped in reality. Sure, muppets aren't people. Dog's aren't people, but they're real. In the reality of The Muppets, muppets are real and interact with others who treat them like they are real. This gives an authenticity to their world even when we can see their strings. Another successful part of the muppet franchise are the cameos. The Muppets does not disappoint on this score. Mickey Rooney and Jack Black are my favorites.

Speaking of score, there are some fine musical numbers in The Muppets. There are several songs that are performed by 2 sets of characters. I really enjoyed the way they were able to intertwine multiple character and plot points in the same song.

Another standard muppet fare was what I will call muppet zaniness and The Muppets had this in spades. They also bring back some of these zany jokes later in the movie with great comic success. There are some great homages to both The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie and while it is not 100% necessary to have a muppet background to see the movie it does greatly enhance your enjoyment.

The Muppets is a great movie and works on a number of levels. It is fun for the whole family. It's not the best muppet film ever, nor is it the worst. What is the best muppet film of all time? The Muppet Movie, of course. The worst? Also a no brainer, The Muppets Take Manhattan. So where does The Muppets come in? I would say definitely in the top 4. I'd have to watch it again to be certain.

And be certain, I will watch it again. I've got a home at the magic store.

Dave Out Loud

Sunday's Cool

A Link Up and A Look Ahead

A Link Up: I started a new vlog this week.

A vlog is a blog where the main content are video entries. The name my vlog is Dave Out Loud Dave Out Strong, Dave of Happy Not Sad, Dave of Good Things not Bad. I am not sure how frequently I am going to make entries, as this house doesn't often get quiet enough for video journalism. When it does, I will link my vlogs over here.

A Look Ahead: Thanksgiving Week was a pretty busy one for us. We had our co-op's closing program, a quick visit to Indiana, a bout with sickness, the premiere of the Muppets, Thanksgiving with relatives, and some swimming thrown in for good measure. This week I plan to post about one or two of those activities, starting tomorrow with my HSD review of the Muppets.