PS 8 Robotics Team Competes in Brooklyn Tournament--and Wins!
Gears, wheels, and little plastic blocks were the center of attention on a bitterly cold Saturday in January, as the PS 8 robotics team competed in Brooklyn's 2010 First Lego League competition, scoring well enough to make it to the citywide tournament at the Jacob Javits Center in March. The intrepid PS 8 crew joined teams from 28 other schools at Polytechnic University in a tournament for youngsters ages 9-14 that centered around the theme of transportation. PS 8's two teams finished 6th and 12th overall, an impressive showing as its competition included not only elementary schools but also many middle schools and even powerhouse Brooklyn Technical High School.
The First Lego League competition is a yearly event, organized around a theme, which starts in September and culminates in the citywide competition. The next two months will be filled with hard work for the PS 8 robotics club, one of 72 teams chosen to go to the citywide tournament out of a field of 227 competitors.
Now in its 4th year, the school-funded PS 8 robotics team is coached by veteran teachers Brandie Hayes and Tracey Posluszny. Ms. Hayes says, "The robotics season leading up to the tournament is insane. It's insanely busy, insanely challenging, and insanely fun!" Each year, the team members build and program their robots to complete missions--specific tasks centered around the year's theme--using the school's laptops for the programming. The more missions completed during each round of the tournament, the more points a team gets. In addition, each team is graded on a separate research project and presentation, as well as on its team spirit.
This year, over 75 students in grades 2-5 tried out for the PS 8 robotics team. In picking the 20 youngsters who made the cut, Hayes and Posluszny looked for those who demonstrated teamwork and problem-solving abilities. Ms. Posluszny says, "One of the greatest joys of the season is seeing the children grow and develop with their building and programming knowledge. If a child can look at a mission, create a program for it, watch the program run, and then tell you exactly what they need to reprogram, you know the child gets it!" Ms. Hayes adds, "To hear a member ask, 'Why can't we have robotics every day?,' to see them cheer when they complete a mission, and to see them beaming during the tournament makes it all worthwhile."
First Lego League is part of the international First Robotics Competition, which promotes science and engineering and awards scholarships to high school students. But for the PS 8 Robotics Team, the excitement is in mastering the computer and building skills needed to make their own robots and working together towards a common goal. Ms. Hayes sums up the tournament experience, "Going to the Citywide Tournament this year is a great thrill and privilege for us. It will be an exciting day for the PS 8 robotics team. We can't wait to do it all again at the Javits Center in March!"
Posted on: January 28, 2010
