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6th-Graders Display Problem-Solving Skills: Team Participates in Colorado Meet

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Joy Campbell, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Jun. 7--A team of sixth-graders from the Owensboro Catholic Schools 4-6 Campus placed 22nd out of 55 teams in the Future Problem Solving Program International Conference at Colorado State University that wrapped up Sunday.

The booklet the youths created with their solution earned them an eighth-place ranking in their junior division for grades 4-6 with three judges placing them first, third and fourth.

To put those honors into perspective, the team had to find the most effective solution and implementation plan for their topic, which was the redistribution of wealth.

The conference was held in Fort Collins near Boulder, and the team arrived back in Owensboro on Monday.

"In the beginning we felt nervous," said Megan Alvey, 12. "Then we were calmer near the middle, and in the last five minutes we were panicky and jotting things down."

The team earned its way to the international meet by placing first at the state level in the junior division for 4-6 grades, beating Porter Elementary School in Johnson County.

Both teams advanced to the international event, and Porter Elementary went on to win the top honor.

Head coach Lorraine Riccio said this was the first year the campus participated in the Junior Future Problem Solving Program. Two teams qualified for state competition with one taking first place and the other placing in the top 10.

"You solve problems all your adult life, and this process, even though it's in the future, can be useful for them throughout their lives," said coach Susie Alvey.

Four team members actually participate in the problem-solving scenario, with two alternates in the wings in case emergencies arise.

At the international conference, the alternates also were placed in their own competition.

"I was kind of nervous because I didn't know who I would be working with," said Peyton Booth, 12, an alternate. "It was neat, though, because we had time before to get to know each other a little."

Booth's team members were from Hong Kong, Louisiana and Wyoming.

Alex Riccio, 12, enjoyed the mixers at which the students traded mementos from their home state or country.

The other alternate, Joseph Christodoulou, 12, worked with students from Australia, Wyoming and Missouri.

Christodoulou's favorite part of the trip was river rafting. The youths also visited a ranch, a museum of the West and Estes Park in Colorado.

Michael Crowe, 12, reminded the group of their challenge to write and present a skit. They had three hours to write it and create costumes and props.

"Ours was about making gold out of ordinary metal," Crowe said.

The students' creative and acting abilities came out during that activity, Lorraine Riccio said.

Allen Rakotoniaina, 11, won Kentucky's individual future problem solving competition. Based on that accomplishment, he was invited to carry the flag in the conference's opening ceremonies. His group created an Abe Lincoln costume for him to wear.

The problem students must solve is from the future, so they aren't bound by today's technology in finding their solutions. They must use a six-step process to arrive at their solutions.

The steps involve identifying 16 challenges or problems, narrowing that list to the most important one and creating an implementation plan.

"They have to look at all possibilities to the best of their abilities, and do what we call 'walk around the problem' to see it from different persons' perspectives," Riccio said.

The Future Problem Solving Program was founded by E. Paul Torrance to help students create a vision for the future. According to the Web site, http://www.fpsp.org, the program involves more than 250,000 students annually from the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia and Russia.

OCS Sixth Grade Future Problem Solving Team

-- Megan Alvey, 12; parents -- Jack and Susie Alvey.

-- Peyton Booth, 12; parents -- Tom Ed and Robin Booth.

-- Michael Crowe, 12; parents -- Mike and Julie Crowe.

-- Joseph Christodoulou, 12, parents -- George and Becky Christodoulou

-- Alex Riccio, 12, parents -- Charles and Lorraine Riccio

-- Allen Rakotoniaina, 11; parents -- Claude and Anna Rakotoniaina

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Copyright (c) 2006, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Messenger-Inquirer

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