Keeping everyone on the same page

Agile/Scrum is a simple way to manage complicated projects that feature several people and tasks. It’s used by a lot of companies to develop new software or new products. We discovered it can be used for school projects, too — like building a robot or designing a smartphone game. See how applying it to your class project can make it easier to work together and figure out who’s doing what.

Give each team member a role — keep this in mind for color-coding later.

Find some empty wall space, or use Post-it® Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface, in a highly visible location. Use Post-it® Full Adhesive Roll to make a grid with four columns: Tasks, To Do, In Process and Done.

Make a list of all the tasks your group will need to do in order to complete the project. Assign tasks from the list to each group member, writing each task on a Post-it® Super Sticky Note, one color for each person. Place all the Post-it® Super Sticky Notes in the “Tasks” column. Post-it® Flags can be used to identify the highest priorities.

As the group begins working on tasks, move Post-it® Super Sticky Notes from the “Tasks” column to the appropriate column in the grid. “To Do” is for weekly tasks. “In Process” is what each member is working on in real time. Once tasks are placed in the “Done” column, start moving more tasks into “To Do”.

By using this method, you’ll be able to hold everyone accountable, see where things stand at any given time and easily track the progress of your project.

Founded in 1989, FIRST® is an international youth organization whose mission is to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. Through mentor-based programs, including innovative projects and robotics competitions, students from ages 6 to 18 learn science and technology concepts, build self-confidence and gain valuable employment and life skills. Learn more about FIRST® here.