December 5-6, 2014
Barrie School, Silver Spring, MD
Over 130 learners and designers of all ages spent two days shaping and designing the future of learning. Congratulations to Team Learners on winning for their prototype model of a Google Glass-augmented 3D-printed animal dissection lab!
#FIAumd #ShapeLearning
FAQ
When is the team competition?
The team competition is on Saturday December 6 from 9-5pm. On Friday December 5 from 4-8pm, the event kicks off with an exciting panel of speakers and a poster and demo session. You can check out the agenda for both days here.
Who is allowed to compete?
Learners and designers of all ages are invited to compete. The event is free, but everyone must register in advance since space is limited.
How many people are allowed on a team?
A maximum of 10 people are allowed per team. Teams can be all kids, all adults, or a mix – whatever you want.
I want to compete, but I don’t have a team. What do I do?
Don’t worry. We will help you find a team at the event. We expect lots of people will still need to find a team. Part of the fun is meeting and working with new people. Remember to register so we know how many people to expect.
How long will teams have to work on their ideas at the event?
On Saturday morning, we’ll give you some quick instructions on how things are going to work, and then help people form teams (if needed). Then your team can get busy working. Semi-final judging will start at 2pm. We’ll provide box lunches so you can work right through lunch if you want.
My teams wants to start working early. Is that allowed?
Yes – go for it.
My team doesn’t know what to work on. Do you have any ideas?
Check out the challenges posted by our partners for inspiration, or create your own.
What do teams have to make to demonstrate their ideas?
Teams can build low-tech prototypes, make a video, develop software, create a website — anything that demonstrates your idea. Not sure what low-tech prototyping is? Here are some examples:
We will have some basic low-tech prototyping supplies available, but feel free to bring anything you might need (extra scissors, markers, sticky notes, paper, craft supplies, etc.).
You should bring any technology you want to use (laptops, smart phones, tablets, etc.). Projectors will be available to use during judging. If you want to use your devices with a projector, remember to bring any adapters needed (VGA only).
How will the judging work?
The semi-final round of juding will start at 2pm on Saturday. Teams will be divided into groups and each team will present their ideas to a panel of judges. Your team will only have a few minutes to make your presentations (we’ll tell you exactly how long at the event). You might want to show a video, or the low-tech prototype you made, or maybe a PowerPoint presentation – you decide! If you want to present something on your own laptop or device, remember to bring any adapters you might need to connect to the projector (VGA only). The judges will pick up to 5 semi-finalist teams who will then compete in the final round of judging at 4pm where the grand prize team will be chosen.
What are the judging criteria?
The judges will be looking for how innovative your idea is, how much impact it might have on learning, and how feasible it would be to implement.
Are there prizes?
Of course! Thanks to our amazing partners and sponsors we have some great prizes and raffle items. Everyone gets a free baseball hat just for competing. The semi-finalist teams will receive a prize bucket filled with cool stuff to share including Newseum tickets, a Sesame DVD set, KID Museum tickets, UMD sweatshirts, Google t-shirts and hats, and more. Each person on the grand prize team gets a Nexus 7 tablet and a Google messenger bag. At the end of the day we will raffle off an 11″ Chromebook and a mobiwatch plus other fun stuff.
What if my team gets stuck and needs help during the competition?
We will have learning consultants on-hand to help you brainstorm ideas and answer your questions.
What should I bring?
Please plan to bring any technology you want to use (laptops, tablet, smart phones, etc.). Projectors will be aviable to use during judging. If you want to use a projector with your device, remember to bring any adapters you need (VGA only).
We will have some basic low-tech prototyping supplies available, but feel free to bring anything you might need (extra scissors, markers, sticky notes, paper, craft supplies, etc.).
Will there be internet access?
Yes – there will be wi-fi access during the event.
Who do I contact if I still have questions?
Email fia@umd.edu and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.
