KGS Teaching Ladder / Ideas

This is a page set aside for ideas that our members have to develop the Go-playing spirit of our room, feel free to post ideas as well as comments/critiques.

Ideas

voxvam?

Rengo Tournament

• All the frustration of pair go with the added pressure of a tournament, what better way to make friends (or lose them) This is a new idea, with a very loose description:
  • Players are sorted into one of three categories based on rank. A team would consist of a player from the middle category and another from one of the other categories. there would be two main divisions: one for advanced-average teams, one for average-novice teams. The teams would be created randomly and made so that the overall strength of the teams is similar for their division. Then we would have some sort of tourney, perhaps a round robin.
  • your thoughts?

voxvam?

Teaching Tournament

• Ever worried that you won't be pushed to play your best when in a teaching game? what if it mattered? another new idea, holds some promise
  • The games would be even games between players of different strengths, the object is to have the student play his best while the teacher tries to do his best to come up with a close game
  • Part marks would have to be awarded for difference in score, such as a big black win would count for 2, a close game would count for 0 for black and 2 for white, a big loss would count for 0 points.
  • your thoughts?

voxvam?

Student Program

• A chance for very dedicated teachers and students to help each other along up the ladder
  • Basically a partnership between a stronger player and a weaker player, this involves more dedication on the part of both individuals, a sort of mentor program.
  • Can be a great learning experience for the student, and for the teacher it is an ability to practice reviewing and teaching skills as well as help him/her understand their game better.
  • Perhaps after a set amount of time, like once a month or something similar there could be a simple organized tournament for the students so they could measure their progress. These games would also make for very good reviewing as well.
  • Of course a teacher could also be a student of another. Perpetuating the ladder.
  • your thoughts?

BramGo/WuQingYuan: I really like this Student Program Idea. I'm sure I could teach a lot to a devoted 20k player. And I'm sure a 1k player could teach me a lot if I could play him about 3 times a week or more. Contact me on KGS if interested !

Monthly event?

Anybody knows what's up with it?

How about a monthly recognition award for Best/Favorite KGS Ladder Teacher? The teaching volunteer selects a minimum-maximum rank range that they feel they can manage. Students must submit an assessment afterwards. We would need a formula to select the best teacher based on (1) the number of students taught and (2) how good the students thought about their teacher.

Different award categories could be made for language, skill level or teaching methods.

The objectives of this event would be to encourage participants, providing teachers with feedback, and recognize their investments in time and effort. The Cho Chikun Judan Cup encourages people to play as much as possible. I think we should have an award that encourages people to teach as much as possible.

Mef: DrStraw tried to do something like this a few months ago and offered teaching games to the person who taught the most each month, however the idea died due to lack of participation after the first month.

It would even be nice if KGS mailed certificates to the winners. I think its a great inexpensive way to give them a momento of their recognition. Either that or discounts on Kiseido books and merchandise.

Maybe the most outstanding teacher of the year can get a special award too.

Using the game list

N.B. Even though the following has little to do with "Go-playing spirit", it may be of practical value, and the KTL page is already such a mess that I decided to post it here. -- jantiff

This idea is inspired from the french "Chaîne de commentaires", a game review ladder.

To request a review there, the pupil posts a "fake" game offer, telling which game in the notes. Just like this: "jantiff vs. clair2lune 25/06/04".

This makes it easy for the teacher to load the game. Upon agreement with the pupil, you get to his/her game list via the user info button in the challenge window. The pupil can then cancel the game offer and join the reviewed game.

After the review, the teacher - de facto owner of the game - will be automatically proposed to save it in his/her own game list, and should do so. In the "Chaîne de commentaires", which comes with a points system, this enables you to earn points you can use to buy reviews yourself.

I think it would work fine in the KTL. A slight disadvantage is that the room's tab won't highlight from just a game offer being posted. On the other hand, it is more clear who is requesting what at a given time, and it's easier to keep track of past reviews.

Teachers who are really eager to review, and cannot bear waiting for a request ;-) could, just as well, post an announce as a "fake" game offer.

On the longer term, it would be very nice to have such proposal/request for review features integrated into KGS's interface.

Blake: Be careful doing this. KGS has a clause against "ad games" in its terms of service, meant to combat things like people posting ads for paid lessons and so forth (I suppose). I asked an assistant whether this sort of thing would violate that clause, and he said no -- but make sure the game isn't listed in the Open list (just uncheck that box when making the challenge), so that it's in the KTL room.

yaya I give weekly lessons on thursday about semeai and would like to put the lesson in the net after having done. Does anyone know if that is possible? Would like to make a link to the lesson.