Shepp EdTech - Technology Education Blog

The First LEGO League (FLL) 2008 season has begun with the opening of registration on May 1, 2008. This year’s theme is Climate Connections.

Here are some of the deadlines that teams will need to keep in mind:

May 1, 2008 - Team Registration and Product Sales Open Online (http://www.register4fll.com/)
May - Robot sets, FIRST DVDs and Coaches’ Handbooks Begin to Ship
August 1 - Field Set-up kits Begin to Ship
September 5 - International Challenge Announced
September 30 - Team Registration Closes/Last Day to Order Products
October 1-12 - Tournament Applications Accepted
November - December - NL Intermediate Skills Canada Robotics competition and FLL Tournament
April 2009 - FLL World Festival

Below is a summary of the costs to FLL Teams:

Expenses:

• FLL Registration Fee - $235.00
• FLL Field Setup Kit - $78.00

Optional Robotics Kits:

• MINDSTORMS NXT Robot Set - $435.00

Optional Parts - NXT:

• Rechargeable Battery - $70.00
• Transformer - $25.50
• NXT Interactive Motor - $23.00
• NXT Touch Sensor - $22.00
• NXT Light Sensor - $22.00
• NXT Ultrasonic Sensor - $48.00
• NXT Resource Set - $65.00

Optional Parts - RCX:

• RCX Light Sensor - $18.75
• RCX Rotation Sensor - $21.00
• RCX 9V Gear Motor - $19.75

The theme for the 2008 FLL Challenge is Climate Connections. There is not a lot of info on it yet but FLL has posted a brief summary about it in the US section of the FLL web site (http://www.firstlegoleague.org/default.aspx?pid=70).

Registration for FLL 2008 opens May 1, 2008. You can register online on the FLL Registration site (http://www.register4fll.com/).

As part of my robotics club we have a challenge that students complete in groups to decide a club championship. This year’s challenge was called the Corn Toss. Here is a video of the robots and the challenge:

How about using the NXT to launch a paper plane. It looks like a plane flying off an aircraft carrier.

For more details head on over the to the nxtasy.org blog.

Here is an idea for a design challenge using NXT robots:

Some people will build a NXT robot for any purpose. Here is a couple for the bathroom:

Why not a FlushBot:

There are a couple of new NXT blogs that look like they are worth a look:

- NXT Central
- TeamNXT

Enjoy!

Norm and I held an in-service on NXT robotics today. I mentioned several resources and I wanted to post some further information.

I mentioned the following web sites:

• The NXT STEP - LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Blog
• nxtprograms.com

You will find information about the book, Lego Mindstorms Nxt: The Mayan Adventure by James Floyd Kelly on The NXT STEP - LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Blog.

There will be an opportunity on February 8th, for teachers in the Eastern School District to attend a training session about using the NXT LEGO MINDSTORMS kit in the classroom. Here is the info:

Title: Introduction to LEGO NXT robotics
Date: Friday, February 8, 2008
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: St. Francis School - Tech Ed computer lab
Trainers: Thomas Sheppard and Norm Littlejohn

This session is designed as an introduction to using the NXT MINDSTORMS robotics kit for use in the junior and senior high technology programs (The new kit was introduced in 2006 and is replacing the RCX-based MINDSTORMS robotics kit).

Topics will include the basics of building and programming an NXT robot using sensors and attachments. The priority will be on integrating robotics into the curriculum to accomplish course outcomes.

I will be holding a training session on NXT Mindstorms on June 12th, 2007 for the Eastern School District of Newfoundland and and Labrador. Those teachers interested are asked to register on the district’s professional development calendar.