Share our July 24, 2014 FIRST Tech Challenge webinar slides! Info: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/gear-up-with-ftc and http://firsttechchallenge.blogspot.com/2014/06/gear-up-with-ftc-inaugural-first-tech.html Description: Team judging interviews can be a mystery for rookie teams -- and for many experienced teams and mentors as well! We'll share stories of good and challenging judging interviews and cover 5 steps to improving your team interview skills. Gigi Johnson, EdD, has both judged and coached FTC teams in the Los Angeles area and with humor and insight is glad to share ideas on gearing up your team judging interview skills.

1. FTC Summer Webinars 2014FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Gearing Up Mad Interview Skills
• Team judging interviews can be a mystery for rookie
teams -- and for many experienced teams and mentors
as well!
• We will discuss 5 steps that can help you improve your
team interview skills and preparation.
Host: Gigi Johnson, EdD, Exec. Director, Maremel Institute
Judge and Judge Advisor, Los Angeles FTC Region
(Emcee in the Dragon Costume, LA Region and West Super-Regionals)

2. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Learning to Interview:
A Lifelong Skill
• Aspects match “real life”
interviews, including
Group Interviews
• Impressions are made in
the first few minutes
• Understanding your story
is vital

3. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
5 Elements
Understand
Your Own
Story and
Strengths
Realize that
Judges Want
to Be Your
Fans
Make It Easy
to Tell Your
Story
Understand
the Judging
Day
Listen, Learn,
and Review

4. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
#1: Understand Your
Own Story and Strengths
• What makes you
Different?
• What is your Story?
• How do you explain the
path of learning that you
have been on?
• What can you give judges
that they can REMEMBER
about you that matches
the criteria for the
awards?

5. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Planning: What Can Be Shared in
10-15 Minutes?
• Thinking about your stories AND the
award descriptions – what matches?
What judging criteria are available?
• Spreading the wealth among team
members
• Balancing planning and being too
scripted
• Thinking ahead about key questions
• Designing around proof: evidence-
based stories
• Planning visuals, including what to
bring with you (including any tech
elements, e.g., laptop)

6. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
#2: Judges Want To Be Your Fans
• Judges want to support the
teams they interview in their
room – they are ready to be your
booster!
• They WANT you to tell them all
the things that you have done
and so they can represent you
well to the rest of the judges
• With rookie teams, judges may
step in and question more to find
the rich story elements

7. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Goals Differ
Judges’ Goals
• How to understand or coax a
story in 10 minutes
• Understand team based on
their own experiences and
understanding of FTC
• Match teams to award
descriptions
• Keep all the information
straight!
Team’s Goals
• Building fans and telling a
story that can be shared
onward
• Being remembered in a
busy, full day
• Getting “everything” across
in 10-15 minutes

8. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Your Head Game
• Getting in the right head
space that morning
• Energy – just the right
level; food and fuel
• Body language – yours
alone, your to each other,
the Judges’
• Eye contact

9. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
That Interview
• Reading the room and judges – each
judging panel has different experiences
and expectations
• Sharing the story across the team – not a
“one-man band”
• Being ready to “pivot” and shift
conversation – keeping team eye contact
with each other to more easily change
direction
• Closing the story -- things to keep in mind
• “Is There Anything Else You Want to
Share?” – Story Nuggets (1-2 minute sub-
stories that provide examples) at the ready
for evidence that has not yet been shared

10. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
#3: Make It Easy to Tell Your Story
• Judges see 6-8 teams in a row
• Judges THEN meet with other judges
to pitch your team for awards
• How can you make it easier?
• Pre-plan repeatable, memorable
story elements and examples
• PRACTICE with different people who
don’t know you – then have them
write down what they think and
remember

11. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
#4: Understand the Judging Day
• Interviews start the
nomination process for
awards
• After nominations, judges
split up to confirm strengths
of nominated teams
• Some judges review all of the
Engineering Notebooks, while
others make pit visits and/or
watch the play on the field

12. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Understand the Flow of the Day
• Interviews: First Impressions
• Meetings of Judges:
• Nomination Process; Convince Others
• Screen and Affirm
• Notebook Review Period (screen and
celebrate) – subgroups
• Pit Visits: Affirm Nominations, Seek
Alternatives
• Meetings: Review and Reflect
• Different by Region and
Championship (1 vs 3+ days)

13. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Role of the Engineering Notebook
• There is a mystery behind the
Engineering Notebook – and
what it DOESN’T do
• The Notebook is needed for many
awards, and may be used to
confirm details for awards
• A subcommittee screens and
selects for Think – a subset of
judges will have reviewed your
Notebook

14. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Role of Pit Visits
• Judges visit pits to confirm and
expand nominations
• What is this judge aiming to do?
Listen carefully to their questions and if
you aren’t clear – ask. Are they
interested in outreach?
Technical/design?
• Be interested and helpful but
be mindful of the judges’ need
to visit many teams

15. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
#5: Listen, Learn, and Review
• Learning for next time –
what did you think
happened and what
would help you learn?
• Self-review

16. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
Parting Suggestions
• FTC Mentors can/should volunteer
as a Judge early in their own
experiences to understand the
backside of the process AND see the
variety of other team experiences
• FLL Mentors can/should volunteer as
an FTC Judge (and volunteer at
competitions) as well

17. FTC Summer Webinars 2014
QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS?
What have been YOUR experiences?