AgileUtopia
I’m just embarking on my fifth year of coaching a First Lego League (FLL) team and 2019/2020 season is CityShaper. The team is getting ready to explore, challenge and innovate in the building of outdoor areas! Challenges each year have similarities but are different; the building project is new and thought provoking; the robot missions are alike but not the same and the team members have only just met and need to get to know each other. The dynamism of the group is totally self-generated as they work together.
The main thing that I love about FLL is watching the members grow as they grapple with the problems. As the weeks go by all the members take the challenge with both hands and are keen to solve the problems. Some members become a real tower of strength and take charge leading the others while a few are keen to take a back-seat role to support their team mates. Both roles are important in the group dynamics.
I believe the competition is a life-long lesson. It is a real life problem that can only be solved by working together. Everyone struggles at first but the more effort you put in, the more you achieve and get out of it.
What is First Lego League?
FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) is a global science and technology challenge for teams of ten students aged 9 to 16 years, to encourage an interest in real world issues and develop key skills that are crucial for their future careers. The students work together to explore a given topic, make a presentation and design, build and program an autonomous LEGO robot to solve a series of missions.
The University of Portsmouth is our regional Tournament venue and the winners compete against other regional winners at the UK and Ireland Final at the University of West of England (UWE). From there the UK winners head for Tournaments across the world including USA, Estonia and Hungary.
You will find more information on FLL on the Institute of Engineering and Technology website
Who are the team
This year our ten-person team called AgileUtopia, is sponsored by Agile ICT for Education and meet on Saturday mornings to prepare for the Tournament. The members currently attend Cams Hill, Portchester Community, Swanmore and Bay House Secondary Schools.
You might be wondering how such a mix of students came to join AgileUtopia. Robot Liz-ii holds Robot Clubs and lessons at Junior and Primary Schools in the local Fareham, Gosport and Whiteley areas with, up to 100, Year 6 children attending per year. The members attended her clubs whilst in Year 6 and decided to join her on this amazing adventure after leaving primary school.
I am thrilled that Agile ICT for Education, are sponsoring the team again for the fourth time. As AgileUtopia is an independent team of children from different schools working outside school hours, it is brilliant to have Agile ICT’s commitment and support. Agile ICT recognised that FLL is a great way to encourage children to learn, and that First Lego League can be used to educate children about programming, real life challenges, STEM and team building. They help in many ways by setting up the Agile FLL website, paying expenses and providing our team t-shirts. Check out Agile FLL website for more details of the team and First Lego League.
Please look at my reflections on 2016/2017 FLL.
Good luck Agile Utopia and all the other teams entering the FLL Tournaments at the University of Portsmouth and up and down the country.
Liz Stoneham
AKA Robot Liz-ii
