First Rule of FLL

First rule of FIRST Lego League robotics: It’s not all about the robots. It’s about problem-solving, learning how to write original programs for a computer, developing teamwork and even figuring out who your audience is and how to reach them. The Broadalbin-Perth Programming Patriots, for instance, used an Internet survey program to do determine that their middle school peers thought that recycling was boring. They intuited that middle schoolers like playing video games, and came up with a concept — complete with cost estimate — for a bottle recycling machine that would reward those who put a bottle in with a voucher good for video game time. The combination of science, technology, engineering and math skills demonstrated by the five-member team — to say nothing of their communications skills — earned high praise from judges at the Hudson Valley FIRST Lego League qualifying tournament held Saturday at Amsterdam High School. “That’s the core of STEM, right there,” said Bob Renda, a Fulton-Montgomery Community College professor who was among the judges critiquing the team. He said the students’ idea for a reward system seemed to be completely original. The 18 teams, representing grades three through eight, were competing on the theme of “Trash Trek” — finding solutions to real-world trash disposal problems. Teams also had to program miniature Lego robot to carry out a series of tasks on a game table, using Lego pieces to represent trash, recyclable materials and compost. Some of the tasks are so difficult nobody on Saturday could perform them. Students have been preparing since September, usually meeting a couple of times a week. “There’s so much knowledge that comes out of it,” said Meg Marsden, advisor to the Programming Patriots, each of whom wore red, white and blue feathered bonnets. “I’d ask the questions and they wouldn’t answer me, but today they came in and knew all the answers.” The students learn a lot about working together as part of the process — how to sort out roles among themselves, play to each others’ strengths, and share responsibility. “You have to build it, and there are core values, which is how we work together,” said Lucas Sarabia, 13, a member of the Lynch Lions from Lynch Literacy Academy in Amsterdam. The program promotes STEM skills to students younger than high school age, and the ultimate beneficiaries are clear from the list of sponsors: Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and companies like GlobalFoundries, General Electric and Applied Materials. “Really what this is for is to reinforce STEM skills, get our kids ready for life in the 21st century,” said Amsterdam School Superintendent Thomas Perillo, who said it was the third year Amsterdam had hosted the Lego robotics competition. “It’s about computer programming and systematically solving problems,” said Kim Balfour,a product designer at Sabic Plastics in Selkirk and judge for the robotics competition for the last 11 years. “It’s a series of problems. Some are easy, some are hard. It’s a lot of fun, working with the kids.” Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara and Congressman Paul Tonko — both trained engineers — were on hand for the awards presentation Saturday afternoon. Winners on Saturday will go on to a competition Feb. 27 at Dutchess Community College, the winners of which go to national competition. The teams are judged on their robot’s performance, design, core values and on the project they come up with that asks them to reimagine how people handle trash. It’s a junior version of the FIRST Robotics competition in which high school students will build entire robots — that will take place in March. “Some people call it robotics, but it’s a lot more than science,” said Richard Bashant, an adviser to The Curious Kids, fourth- and fifth-graders from St. Mary’s School in Ballston Spa. “They have to talk about solving a real-world problem.” Reach Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 395-3086, swilliams@dailygazette.net or @gazettesteve on Twitter.