This manual is intended to be used by Team Managers in addition to the Destination ImagiNation Team Manager’s Guide, Rules of the Road and Team Challenges. The information offered here does not supersede the rules set out by Destination ImagiNation.
The information is organized to follow the outline presented in the Team Manager’s Guide. We recommend that you read the TM Guide section followed by the related section in this manual.
This manual is a compilation of suggestions and comments from many different sources. Every effort has been made to recognize the individuals who contributed to this book. But, in many cases, we don’t know where the material actually came from.
Table of Contents
What
is Destination ImagiNation?
Why
do we do this?
Managing
a Destination Imagination team
Inciting
Creativity!
Tools
for Managing a Team
Interference
– Yes or No?
Solving
the Central Challenge
Side
Trips
Improvisation
Instant
Challenge
A
typical tournament day
What is Destination ImagiNation?
From the Destination ImagiNation website www.destinationimagintion.org.
Destination ImagiNation® is one of the most exciting creative problem solving programs for kids of all ages!
Call it Creativity 101, describe it as "thinking outside of the box," say it's the things they don't teach you in your regular classes at school. However you describe Destination ImagiNation®, the bottom line is this: It's the most important course in education.
Destination ImagiNation® gives kids a chance to expand on the skill and knowledge they have learned in school, albeit in a non-traditional way. Come discover how much fun creative problem solving can be!
Destination ImagiNation® volunteers are a committed group of adults that includes both parents, educators and former program participants who take the ideas of creativity, problem-solving and teamwork and package them in a fun and meaningful program.
Volunteers serve only as facilitators for the team. The dedicated Team Managers may help coordinate meeting times, shuttle the teams to different places where they obtain information and supplies, and generally support the administrative function of team life. Never do the team managers "coach" the members in their solution; their role is to enable them to access various resources in the community.
Parents, educators and other volunteers serve as team managers, program coordinators, tournament officials, as well as regional, state, and international board members.
Destination ImagiNation® teaches students the things they'll need as they traverse the sometimes rocky and often challenging terrain of the school of life-- like how to tap into their own creativity, how to solve problems, and how to work together in teams. You see in math class, there may be only one right answer to a given problem, but how often is that the case in the real world?
Based on the concept of divergent thinking --understanding that there is more than one way to solve a problem-- Destination ImagiNation® Challenges encourage students to build on their strengths and to discover skills they never knew they possessed.
Teams of up to seven members choose one challenge and spend several months perfecting their "solution" for tournament day. Teams also hone their on-the-spot problem solving skills as they practice coming up with solutions for Instant Challenges-- additional challenges that are revealed to the teams only minutes before their presentation time! Thinking on their feet, becoming comfortable with quick decision making and further developing the team spirit are among the skills that Instant Challenges promote.
Long-Term Advantages of Destination ImagiNation
One of the stories I often relate is from a professor of design at a private college near here. She said that the students who have never been involved in programs like this believe that the students who have been part of Creative Problem Solving Programs have an unfair advantage! The professor said she noticed that the DI students are able to use materials in new and unusual ways, they are capable of creating unique designs, sculpture, jewelry, etc. within a very short time (see - those competition tournaments are worth it, too!), and they are the ones who ask the most questions. . .and very good ones. She also noted that they are also more capable of sharing their ideas, cooperating with other classmates and helping other students to become more involved. Sounds like good leadership on the part of these students! Many other educators with students involved in CPS programs have said the same thing. The students themselves are saying that they are getting hired quickly because they have been involved. Their employers see them as capable of innovative thinking. -Pat Schoonover
So what are you waiting for??? Let’s get started!!!
I cannot imagine a greater way to stay close to my kids, have fun, and encourage other kids. There was never anything like this when I was a kid, and if there was I wouldn't have been able to be involved. I have had jobs all my life, and extra-curricular activities in school were very few, because I had to work. So, when my kids started getting involved, I swore I would let them do what they wanted and be encouraging them all the way. After some disappointments with coaches, we started to coach a lot of different teams and sports. Then we found CPS--we were hooked.
I also coach for those other kids--kids who maybe wouldn't have the opportunity because the parents are not involved. I hate to see a child miss out because his parents are not there--I was one of those kids year's ago.
I really think that the close relationship I have with all my kids (and their friends) is because of all the hours we have spent building, painting, gluing, joking around, being spontaneous, problem solving, eating, cleaning, band-aiding, and the list goes on and on. I can talk to "my kids" about boys, girls and cars; gear-ratio and electrical configuration still have me stumped, but I can pretend I understand--the point is that I am the team manager and parent and friend.
The biggest benefit is how young this makes you! I really feel that this program lets the kids be kids that much longer. They can still be pirates, cavemen, space aliens, cowboys and the group after them might be boys in dresses. What fun! When the kids see how silly everyone can be, why would they want to grow up! I know I cannot be as old as my driver's license says because I am having way too much fun "playing with the kids".
Yes, it can be stressful. Yes, you do not get to have a clean house. Yes, a home cooked meal is a major event. . . but, the memories are priceless! And when you have that team member that his teacher says to let him try DI (We do not usually turn any child away--we work out the teams to accommodate everyone if at all possible.) and this child sits in the corner for three weeks, not speaking, not moving, doesn't want to help, doesn't ..doesn't. And you go home going Why..Why..Why did I get talked into this. And then you see a spark one day, "how about if we try this" and then he starts helping and growing. And three months later--he is in front of an audience, loud and proud, working that project and talking the judges ear off. The parents catch you as you are gathering up things and give you a sincere "thank you for all the time and effort". And you see this child get his first ribbon with his team--the tears have to come. It is the difference in a child's life that you can make.
It is not all fun, and there are hard decisions. Not every team member works out. Not every team reaches their goal. But, if they know that’s okay, and they can come back to try again next year, you have to keep growing right along with them. . . the blue ceramic dishes can be washed tomorrow.
Why Do we Do This – Part 2
What is gained? Let's see, the child who wouldn't even sing with a choir he was so full of Stage-fright is now, constantly the "lead" in every skit, has joined the theater group at school, is confident when asked to do a presentation in front of his class.
The girl who has only been "cute" learned how to use a jigsaw and wire a battery to a light. She discovered she was an organizer, a leader and a person who was capable of doing anything.
The boy with a learning disability, who struggled in school, found out that he was amazing at figuring out how to make things with his hands.
The girl that was socially maladjusted in 5th grade learned how to get along and contribute in a group. The team didn't even want her on the team because she was "weird". However, the sense of belonging extended far beyond the team to school where she is now a member of the Jr National Honor society, a starter on the A -basketball team and also part of the theater group.
The confidence all of the kids gain from belonging, and doing, and solving.
The TM who otherwise would have been merely a spectator of these kids lives is now a confidante, a friend, and a presence.
What is gained, whether it is a great solution, an ok solution or a "we just didn't have time or inclination solution", is the benefit of a common struggle with fellow human beings. The focus should be on overcoming the challenge, as in anything in life, if the goal is to win first place every time ,the odds are you will be disappointed. However, the teams who do win are not hyper-competitive, they are devoted.
Why in the world do we keep doing this? – Part 3
I ask myself that question a lot. Between the lack of parental support, kids constantly bickering, and the infamous smoldering couch, I think that's a fair question. This is a team that has never advanced beyond regionals, too.
So, what keeps us going? It isn't the masochistic TM's. No, it just seems that way. We don't love pain.
It's the kids. It's my son, who every other day says, "I can't wait for DI to start again!"
It's the child who sits there without saying a word, taking everything in. When she does speak, it's worth ten times what the chatterboxes say.
It's watching four boys stop arguing with each other and claiming credit for each others ideas for long enough to create a simple, yet highly elegant device.
It's the boy who barked at me, "Don't touch that! It's interference!" (I swear I was just admiring the design, but I appreciate where he was coming from.)
It's the learning that goes well beyond the classroom. It's learning from the kids.
It's watching one of my son's many hare-brained ideas (he gets 'em in and out of DI) become a reality and win a DaVinci award.
And finally, it's watching a group of kids argue and fuss with each other for months, and finally have it all (sort of) come together at one moment - watching them take a bow in unison. Somehow that makes it worth it.
The Function of a TM
One very hard thing to realize (that can become easier with practice, but never seems to disappear) is that the team's performance is not a reflection upon you, but a reflection on the kids. How they do is “their” problem, not yours.
Your task is providing a structure. Part of that structure is in teaching the kids skills: the skills of play directing and of make-up use, to mention two. Part of that structure is providing a place and time for them to do the work. Another part is teaching problem-solving skills. Part is character development. A large part is teaching time-management skills (and, for the younger teams, keeping them on track and helping them plan).
James K. Gruetzner, Albuquerque, NM
Managing a Destination ImagiNation Team
How to Start DI in your school, community group or company
Sponsoring Organization
Each DI team must have a sponsoring organization. This is usually a local school but it can also be a community group or business. The sponsoring organization usually pays the national and state DI membership fees. In addition, the team will have other expenses such as materials (there are cost limits for the solutions) and in some cases travel for going to tournaments.
Recruitment
Tonight was the beginning of DI at our local middle school and it was a
huge success. The room at the school rapidly filled with team members and all
but 3 are new to creative problem solving. We displayed all our pins,
t-shirts, IC kits, books etc. for the new team members to see when they
arrived. We spent about 15 minutes discussing creativity and the program in
general. Then we did a short instant challenge. I threw a pencil on the floor
in the middle of the circle and asked everyone to tell what they thought it
was.
Next we watched the latest Global Finals video. Everyone was given a list
of important dates, challenge previews, “what is DI” and information about how
to avoid interference.
Each potential team member was given 1 large sheet of construction paper
and a colored marker. They were told to add their name, the day they were able
to meet and their favorite challenge. A few questioned how big they were
supposed to write their names........:) ah, the lead-in to "if it doesn't say
you can't, then you can" Now we really started talking about
creativity!
Next we did another IC with the students only. I gave the kids 1 minute to
divide into 2 large equal groups on opposite sides of the room. I then used
the “What's in the bottle part” challenge found on the IC playhouse website.
The parents enjoyed watching.........then they found out it was their
turn!
Parents were given the “Entertainment in the year 3000 challenge” (also on
the IC playhouse website). While the parents worked on the challenge, the kids
read over the challenge previews and listed their top 3 on their construction
paper. Everyone was having a wonderful time especially when the parents
performed!
After the parents finished performing, I told the kids, their last challenge was to use their creative papers to make their teams. Simple as that they all began calling out their preferred challenges and we have 3 VERY happy teams!
Team Formation
There are many different ways to form teams within your group. Each sponsoring group can decide the best way to do this. Some groups follow the scenario described above. Other ways to do this are through teacher/adult recommendations, auditions, assignment to teams by the group coordinator and team managers. It is best to try and match up students with the challenge that interests them the most.
Parent’s Meeting
The goal of the parent’s meeting is to convey the following information:
-This is a commitment and if your child wants to do this, he/she will need your support for the long haul.
-The team will decide roles both in front of the audience and in preparation, and parents and team managers need to support those choices, not second guess the kids.
-Team dynamics and roles evolve over time; be patient.
-It's a great time for kids to learn about responsibility; if the kid agrees to paint a widget by Wednesday, he/she needs to do it. (Not the parent, the KID.)
-If you've got a kid with multiple other outside activities or who has trouble getting homework done, think long and hard about how you are going to fit this all in before you commit.
-Emphasize the dangers of interference - especially taking the positive side that this is the kids' project and their chance to grow and shine. Tell the parents that this is the single toughest thing to do, since we are all used to jumping in and giving kids hints about how to do things the easiest way. Remind them that no matter how terrific their ideas are, if they share them, the kids cannot use them (even if they would have thought of it themselves later.) It's not just about losing points, it's about ownership: this is not the adult's challenge, it belongs to the kids and solving it is that much sweeter when you do every step of it without assistance. (And sooner or later, one of these unassisted teams really IS going to invent a wheel that works better than Firestone, but only if we leave them alone to do the trial and error it takes.)
-Do ask for help in appropriate ways: tell parents you'll need snacks and supplies, tell them to save whatever weird trash and recyclables their kid wants, because "you never know".
-You may want a couple parents around when you start building just to keep an eye on safety concerns, such as hot glue guns or electric drills (if your team chooses to use them.) Put out feelers to see who is interested.
- If a parent has a resource where the kids can visit and sort through leftover items (in our case, a small assembly plant opened its doors and we found cardboard boxes, pieces of acetate, spools from wire, that sort of thing), ask for an early field trip. Tell them you don't know what you are looking for, because it's true. You don't know what type of resources folks have if you don't ask, or ask the kids for ideas.
-Ask if anyone wants their garage sorted out, and let your team keep the stuff they can use.
-Budget: The $125 worth of junk that becomes your solution may just evolve from things the kids found or brought or dug out of a dumpster but, in most cases, you need glue, paint and other supplies to stick it all together. Those supplies can get expensive. Some teams ask each family to contribute $20 bucks (20x7 is $140 right? The $15 is extra stuff that doesn't end up in the solution.) --- but we must have used another couple hundred $ in stuff we started, and abandoned, or never worked out, or didn't really need. Or that the dog ate and we had to make a second time. So if you go the $20 route, advise the parents that they might need to chip in again in the spring if supplies run low. ($125 represents the stuff in the solution that the judges see, but you will have to "waste" a little practicing on the route to success. Surplus doesn't count in the final budget, just stuff you actually use.) Another budget consideration is how will you pay for any travel expenses you encounter. You may have to rent a truck to transport the solution to a tournament. How will you cover the cost if your team has the chance to go to Global Finals (the cost is about $400-$600 per student depending on how many pins they buy to trade).
-Meetings dates are important: first figure out what is good for YOU, the team manager, then offer a couple choices for the team. We had to work around soccer, basketball and baseball schedules, you probably will, too. So find out in advance who is doing what and when their practices or games are and see if there are obvious open times.
-One option is to have instant challenge practices at school either right before or right after school: the kids are already going to be there, not another trip to schedule. Before school wasn't an option for my sleepy team, but 3:30 to 5 p.m. was great. They were tired of behaving and being quiet and got silly quickly. We met on weekends to do our structure and set building, away from school, but if you have access to an art room (and Storage - very important!) you might be able to keep it all at school.
-Snacks: it might not seem worth considering, but depending on when you meet, having a bag of pretzels or fruit rollups, helps them settle down and focus. So work out a system up front with all the parents so that snacks and drinks are covered.
Brainstorming Tips
Here is how one Team Manager approach the "brainstorming process":
-- "When do we need to have this element finished?" (especially if it is a
component of a larger total solution).
-- "Will this solution be 'cool' and give us a feeling of accomplishment?"
-- "Will the process of creating this solution be fun?"
-- "What is the risk that this approach won't work?"
ALWAYS keep ALL ideas that are generated. If a team hits a "dead end", it is VERY likely they will have forgotten all their previous ideas. In addition, it is a good idea to revisit the brainstorming process from time to time -- because team members will have "good ideas" pop into their head hours (or days) after the formal brainstorming process is complete.
Research
Here is a different angle to try:
Sometimes the problem is not whether they know how to do the research but whether they feel the need to do it. Try asking them "What kinds of things to do we need to know about _________ and ____________and__________, etc." and have them come up with a list of useful information. Then, as they collect information on each _________, they can fill in a grid - not everything will fit and not all the answers will be available but if they have 20 key facts on __________ and just one on _____________it will pretty obvious where they need more research without you having to say a word. IF the problem is one weak person, then at least it will be visible to the rest of the team and they can decide what to do (tell him to work harder, have someone help etc.)
Team Notebook
Team managers -- you might want to start a notebook for those "great ideas" your team comes up with throughout their brainstorming sessions. It can be a spiral, if you like, or a 3-ring notebook. That way, if someone brings an idea, a photo, a sketch, to a meeting, you could punch holes in ANYTHING and put in the notebook. Before competition, the team can reorganize the notebook and divide it with tabs for different subjects the team thinks the appraisers might ask the team about:
If you use pocket dividers, they can put anything they like in the book and it can be added to the pages later.
In Order to Teach “Outside the Box” – Kids Must First SEE the Box
Your 3 fifth graders CAN think outside the box, that's what this program is all about, teaching them how to reach that part of themselves. Even if your team never comes up with a solution, but these three students can reach and call into focus that creative part of themselves you have been successful!
Perhaps you need to look at these three kids from a different angle. Perhaps they don't even see the box, much less what is outside of it! For some kids finding the box is an “Aha! Experience.” Try this simple maze game to help your team with thinking “Outside the Box.”
Basically it's a simple 9 room maze. Split your team up into two teams - the 'finder team' and the 'hiding team' -- the one designated 'finder' must leave the room while the hiding team members hide something in one of the rooms then put up a couple of blockades that you explain cannot be gone through to get to the hidden treasure. The 'finders' team mates (who have been in the room and know where the treasure is hidden and where the roadblocks are) then must communicate to the finder how to get to the hidden treasure through non-verbal communication.
Time how long it takes the 'finder' to get to the right room. If you do this several times you will see that kids set up their own roadblocks where none exist. Remember, the only rule was that you can't go through the blockades, but no one said you can't go under, around, or over. As each group tries the methods of communication become much less convoluted and eventually boil down to the 'finder team' simply holding up fingers corresponding to the room number where the treasure can be found!
It's easy to see by using a small exercise like this that sometimes we create our own 'box.' This helps participants begin to understand that the first step in thinking 'outside the box' is defining the box itself!
The Limitations of logic-- Logic can be a great tool, but it can also cause you to have tunnel vision and only see things that "make sense." Many things would never have been invented or discoveries made if people always followed this straight and narrow path.
Other Thinking Tools -- if you can see something in your mind, you can visualize it. Practice trying to see your ideas in your head, and once you can see them draw a sketch. Then ask yourself if you can see it a different way.
Improvisation --Another helpful skill is doing something without preparation or practice. This is called improvising. Usually preparation helps, but sometimes it can make you develop tunnel vision. When this happens, improvise! Try something new that you didn't plan on doing.
Failure -- is also important, although it doesn't always seem that way. When you set out to invent something and fail, your failure demands that you use all your thinking skills to figure out how to try it again. As you work through a cycle of trial and error, you learn valuable information about what does and doesn't work. So don't be afraid to fail!
On the other hand, if you get it right the first time, chances are that you won't learn as much - or that your goal was too easy. Whenever you try something and get it right the first time, try it again, but make it more challenging the second time around.
When you are "Stuck for an Idea" try this IC
Do you suppose there is such a thing as "thinker's block?" Sometimes I wonder. I was faced with a group of stone-faced blank looks earlier this year - burnt out from trying to figure out 5 special effects and the rest of it, they had no script, no story, nothing to tie it all together. They didn't know each other well enough to take any creative risks and be laughed at, either. I did ask as many probing questions as I could and still got grunts and shrugs. So, I made it into an IC - and it worked so well, we used it for a lot of things. Try this:
Take 5 or 6 paper bags (I used lunch bags - anything will do.) Write on the outside the name of a category. The first time, my categories were "first name" "name of a street" "toy" "fruit or vegetable" "interesting job" and... something else. I forgot, but it could be anything: "dessert" or "foreign country" "animal" or "sport". Just make up categories that are broad and don't tell them why.
Then, hand out slips of paper or notepads and pencils. Each kid must write at least one word for each of the categories and then fold it and put it in the right bag. So, "choo-choo train" goes into the "toy" bag and so on. If someone wants to put an extra idea in a bag, that's okay, extra is good.
Then, turn the bags to the wall so you cannot see the categories. Mix the order of the bags, so they no longer know which is which.
Each kid picks three slips of paper from three different bags .From those, he/she must create a character, character name and job. BUT, the words do NOT have to relate to the original category.
So, it you pulled up "choo-choo train" you could be named Choo-choo or Chewy OR you could be an engineer, or you could be Joe Choo or you could be a Trainer, or anything else that made sense. You could be a "shoe" (choo) salesman - there are no rules. But something you pulled out of the bag must be either your character name or something about your character. You can use all 3 slips or use just 1 and make up the rest.
Each child gets think time (maybe 2 minutes) to come up with their character name and job/hobby from the 3 slips of paper. Then they go around the group and each tells what slips of paper they pulled and what character they created. It's okay for other kids to piggyback ideas on the original kid - such as "Or, you could be a SNOW shoe salesman named Chewy Engineer" or whatever.
Then, give the team 3 minutes to create a skit explaining why all these people are stuck in the same place.
If they are still "stuck" on writing a story then tell them these people are all "stuck" somewhere and they must come up with a story about where they are stuck and why. Each time they do the IC they must be STUCK in a different place. If they get REALLY good, tell them they must use teamwork to create imaginary props to help the group get "unstuck" from wherever they are. Maybe they need a ladder to crawl out of the pit, or a crowbar because they are in an elevator. Maybe they are in a bubblegum factory. Whatever.
It's a good IC just for fun, but also got them thinking OUT of the box for characters - and names, and jobs, etc. (Until this point, often the only characters they could think of were a mom, a dad and bratty kids. Over and over and over...if they could think of anything at all.) We did this IC several times with different slips coming out of the bags.
Later, when they got quicker at it, I brought in a tub with odds and ends of costumes (hats, scarves, old Halloween junk, pots and pans, feathers, you name it) and they added costume touches to the characters - but wait until they get the first part down! For my team, it just erupted into dress-up and they forgot the IC the first time, so I took the tub of costumes away for a couple meetings. Too distracting.
Anyway, that's one way to get the ideas flowing --- set up some specific borders or guidelines to fulfill freely and see if it helps.
In the beginning, they weren't ready for unbridled creative freedom, but they liked the first taste and eventually they were hungry for the whole meal --- and they cooked it themselves.
What to do when the team is “STUCK”
Excursion-take the team on a trip. Sometimes, it helps to leave the problem behind and get away-literally. This can be to the next room, a walk outside, out for ice cream, the grocery store, etc. Each team member must come up with two new ideas during the excursion. One year, my team (5th graders) was talking about using ice cream as part of their theme. We took them to a local ice cream shop-they listed lots of ice cream flavors and features of the shop. Many of the ideas generated actually wound up in the script. They came in second place in state that year-just their second year of CPS!
Creativity is influenced by:
FLUENCY-The ability to generate a great number of ideas.
FLEXIBILITY-The skill that allows us to produce a variety of
ideas.
ORIGINALITY-The talent to think of unusual ideas.
ELABORATION-The process of filling in all the details.
EVALUATION-The process that allows us to select, test, and revise
ideas.
Activity: The Tube
Give each table an empty toilet paper tube.
Ask each table to have someone write down their answers.
Ask them - Name creative uses for an empty toilet paper tube.
Give them 1 minute.
Ask each table to state how many answers they generated.
Ask each table to go back and find their three most creative answers.
Have each table tell you their choices.
Indicate to them that they were:
CPS Tool: Categories/Environments
The Tool called Categories or Environments can be used to create unique situation or examples by placing an object within a setting, a subject matter, or environment. Below is an activity using subject matter and following it is an example using an environment to generate ideas.
Activity: The Straw
Part 1:
Hold up a colored drinking straw for the participants to see.
Tell them the Challenge is to "Name Creative Uses for the Straw".
However, you are going to give them a little help. Tell them, you are going
to put the straw in a "Category" - Sports (a subject matter). Now ask them to
name uses for the straw. Give them a hint to get them started, e.g. hold the
straw like a baseball bat, or a javelin.
Some answers they could come up with are:
Baseball bat Javelin Goal posts Hockey stick
Lines on a field Pole Vault Golf Club Splint for sprained ankle
Now switch them to another Category or Subject Matter - e.g. Medicine
Thermometer Splint Shunt IV line Bed rails
Now switch them to a final Category or Subject Matter - e.g. Music
Drum Sticks Clarinet Baton Flute Staff on a sheet of music
You will find the group can usually come up with 40-60 answers within one minute.
Now you can tell them that Tony Buzan, a leader in Creativity, in his tape, Instant Creativity stated:
The average person will list an average of 4 words per minute
A person considered creative will list an average of 6-8 words per minute
One person out of 2,000,000 will list an average of 10-12 words per
minute
And, they listed 40-60 in one minute. THIS IS THE POWER OF THIS TOOL. Yes, they did it as a group. However, if they had to go back and do another "Category, they would have at least 10-12 each.
Part 2: Now, let's try using "Categories" as an Environment
Tell them their new Challenge is to alternately name things that are loud and
things that are soft.
Let them try, as a group, naming some "louds" and some "softs."
Then tell them there are 20 points for "the creativity of their answers."
If the group would chose a "Category" or an "Environment" to place their
"louds" and "softs" in, they would come up with much more creative answers.
Example - Place the Challenge into the "Environment" of a Zoo.
Now they can have answers like "thundering ants" and "tip-toeing
elephants"
What this CPS Tool, Categories or Environments, does is to take the Challenge out of the BBH - The Big Black Hole, and place it into a smaller defined space. That way the mind can then visualize shapes and stories, etc.
This is one of the most powerful tools when searching for a way to "display" your answers - within a framework.
Teamwork and Teambuilding Tools
Stages of Team Development
Team Development Exercises
These easy (and fun) exercises can help you get your team moving in the right direction!
Start simple: The leader can take one step either forwards, backwards, left
or right. The group then tries to follow, but of course reversing the
direction. As they get better, allow the leader to take diagonal
steps.
Afterwards, chat about how difficult/easy it was being the leader. Did you
have to modify what you wanted to do to make sure someone didn't knock over
the lamp? Was it scary to be in front of all these people? How about being a
follower? Were you able to anticipate what the leader was going to do? What
happened when you were wrong?
The team stands in a line facing the leader. They are a human dictionary
machine. First they spell the word, one letter at a time. The first person in
line says 'B', the second says, 'R' and so on until they word is spelled. It
is spelled when one of the team members says 'Breblefraxion.' Then, one WORD
at a time, they define the word. Once again, it is completely defined when
someone says the word.
Invariably, each person has his or her own idea of how the word should be spelled, and tries to 'stage whisper' a letter or word choice to another team member. Or there's just the 'that's not how you would spell it!' response.
That's when it's time to point out that good team members SUPPORT EACH
OTHER WHEN THEY MAKE MISTAKES. It's not the job of a team member to point out
the mistake of another team member. It's the job of a team member to make it
look like no one on their team EVER makes a mistake! If for some reason a Q
shows up in Breblefraxion, then its' up to the team members to make it look
like Q is the best idea in the world when it comes to spelling
Breblefraxion!
Successful teams always know what they are working towards, and have a plan about how to get there. Team members talk about progress and acknowledge each other’s achievements. Achieving consensus is the first step toward any team goal. This positive team approach will support resolution of any difficulties that arise during the year.
Team Rules
Have a meeting with ALL the team members and have them write the "rules for the team." Everybody should brainstorm ideas for how to treat each other.
Here are some ideas for team rules:
If the team is in disagreement, a simple vote does not necessarily count. Every team member has to say they can “live with” the decision. So each person has veto power to some extent. Each team member has a feeling of control over the situation if things get out of hand. This would have to be modified if you had one team member that insisted everything be his or her way or they couldn’t live with it.
Write all these rules up on a poster board and have the whole team sign it,
like a contract.
AND bring it to every meeting.
Then, team managers and team members should GENTLY point out when somebody doesn't follow a rule.
-You can even add rules as you go along, provided everybody on the team agrees to add something.
-Try and close each meeting with a positive feedback time - at the beginning of each session we draw names from a hat - and whichever name you draw for that session you have to observe that person - then at Positive Feedback time each person has to provide a positive comment about AND a quote from the person they observed - increases the chances that they are listening to each other and validates at least one contribution from each team member.
From another TM -- With a couple of kids, it takes a little more encouraging comments or some one on one questioning like "how is the team behaving when you are over here with me?" And "are you respecting the team rules - that your team wrote at the beginning of DI?" I find I don't have to do much, because the team will help the kid - "hey, you're speaking when I'm speaking, that's against our rules."
This year, the teams created a "punishment" when a member broke one of the rules. At the first meeting, they wrote rules like "respect everyone", "don't talk when others are talking, "listen to everyone's ideas." When a team member breaks one of these rules, the other team members can demand 5 Hawaiian pushups. (A Hawaiian pushup is one pushup regular, then flip over and one backwards.) The kid that broke the rule immediately recognizes he broke the rule and the team laughs together as the pushups are done. It is a FUN way to address the kid that is not supporting the team.
Top 10 List for Getting Started with Your Team
10. Read and re-read the Rules of the Road and the Team Manager's Guide. Read and re-read the specific Central Challenge which your team picks. Have the team read it and re-read until you are sure they understand it.
9. Make sure everyone understands Interference rules. You, the team, and their parents.
8. Have a discussion about expectations. Let the team set their own goals for the season. If you start pushing a team beyond their desire to excel, things will go sour pretty darn quick. Let them discuss and set some team rules. Make sure they understand your expectations such as how they will behave in your house and how often they can miss team meetings.
7. Remember that you don't have to solve the challenge for the team. That's their job. Understanding this can be a big relief for a new manager.
6. In the early stages, concentrate on building the team rather than solving the challenge. Do a lot of improv and instant challenge activities. A team that feels good about working together and trusts each other will do a better job.
5. Enlist your team members' parents. Have a parent meeting. Don't be shy about delegating some responsibilities. You'll go crazy if you do it all yourself.
4. Attend Team Manager's training. They have some excellent training materials and a good training session can give you a big boost. Don't miss it!
3. Use the web. This list is a good start. Visit the Destination ImagiNation web site once a week or so. Check out the clarification pages at least that often. Find your affiliate web site (www.georgiaenrichesminds.org). Visit the VOMBO web site (www.vombo.org). Follow some of the links and you will discover lots of resources.
2. Find a mentor. If you can, find a more experienced team manager who doesn't mind if you ask a few "dumb questions". A good candidate would be a manager who is in your challenge but at a different level.
1. Always remember to have FUN! If the team isn't having fun and you aren't having fun - something is wrong.
Taking Control Of Meetings
As a general thing I have a poster hanging Signs of Good Teamwork at every
meeting. (Arguing is not on the list) Once they know what to do instead of
arguing...I make a point of recognizing publicly any evidence of Teamwork that I
see and letting the Team know how proud I am that they are catching on. I even
write up little stickies with sincere & specific comments and post them for
each Kid on a Teamwork Wall of Fame. Sometimes the stickies are for two or more
kids and a positive interaction. Sometimes for the entire Team for an
exceptional Team moment (they do come once or twice a season)
I start off with finding one for each kid and then add on randomly but as evenly as possible throughout the season. After awhile the kids can write up stickies for each other. This exercise even helps me to feel good about the Team when I might get bogged down by the negative instead.
Another thing you can do with arguing over a decision syndrome is to Brainstorm lots of ideas and then let them try to experiment or play with some of the ideas...and/or do the A- Lo-U (see TM Guide). The goal is for new or combo ideas to develop and to have their choice based as much as possible on first hand experience, not on politics. In your case, you can ask what are the things they like about each challenge...Are there elements in each that satisfy the same interests? For example, could the Transforming Prop in Holiday be made to have the same appeal as the StranDId Device? As long as everyone has something they are excited to do for the Team and as long as StranDId and Holiday are the 1st and 2nd choices of everyone..they should be able to stick with their choice. Remind them that in a matter of weeks this decision will be History and they'll be on to bigger and better things.
We love to Brainstorm, but at a certain point they have to come to a conclusion though...there's always the pressure if the schedule. My Team is getting pretty good at Teamwork (and not arguing...but it's still difficult under pressure of time. Here is something one TM did last year that has stuck with me as an inspiration. (Perhaps she would like to stand up and identify herself too.) This TM agreed to dye her hair blue if the Team accomplished something..it must have been major! My idea, is a bit less drastic as I am not that brave (yet?!) . They have had weeks of generating , brainstorming and exploring. At our next meeting...If they can come to consensus about who their Travelers are and what Country they are going to On Holiday (..that means a decision they all feel good about with out negative arguing...)I am going to let them give me a TM makeover...goofy hairdo and a new outfit from the dress up box. How's that for positive reinforcement?
Another technique is to fold a piece of paper (computer size) (you need seven pieces of paper) in half and then in half again one way and then the other. Each paper has about nine spaces then to write.
Each team member should write three ideas for say a prop across the paper and pass it on. No one can repeat ideas but they can build on ideas. It can get noisy but not as much as talking.
A few ideas about meeting control -
1) Present the problem to the team re: noise, complaints, maybe needing to meet elsewhere (at their homes), etc.). ask them to find solutions.
2) Last year with my 5-7 year olds, I gave them a lollipop as an IC. 1st, one had to pick one & give a creative idea as to what it might be. While they ate it, I would give tell them anything I needed to - but if they talked, they would lose their candy (although it wasn't a problem because they were too busy eating!) Anyway, maybe you could do something similar - 1 person give an idea at a time, going around the circle while brainstorming.
I also had private talks with a few of the noisier ones. I asked them why they were in DI, what their goal for the team was & how their bad behavior added to the solution. Just making them aware (away from the group) of their behavior & its negative effects helped. Having them come up with solutions (1 said he was bored, etc.) to bring back the next week helped, also. I reminded them that it is their team and they are in control to make it work for them.
When your team is hesitant to try something new
Remember, amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic.
When your team seems to be too pleased with themselves too early and has quit
coming up with new ideas too soon:
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
When they keep on procrastinating:
In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.
Mata Plumb
Running the Meetings
Don’t tell my team, but for years I have used a devious plan for getting them to work on parts of the Central Challenge – disguise it as an Instant Challenge!
Let’s say your Central Challenge is to construct a “water vehicle” – you might create an Instant Challenge in which the team uses the standard list of IC materials (straws, labels, stirrers, corks, paper, string, index cards) to create a floating structure. After the IC, initiate a discussion of how they decided to give those items buoyancy, and get them to think about how they would solve the challenge if the items were bigger or smaller? If the items were heavier, lighter? (Of course, be very cautious about wading into interference waters – make sure that your discussions are very open-ended and that YOU have no pre-conceived notions of “correct” answers!)
With younger teams especially, I think part of the role of the TM is to help the team break down the Central Challenge into smaller challenges, and IC is a great tool to do this! And just between you and me, I’d be careful about having your meetings be too structured – or too close to what the kids have been doing for 6 or 7 hours in school that day – even the word “Homework” might be changed to something more intriguing?
Each year we seem to have a couple of kids who enjoy the research and a couple who are deathly allergic to it! Here’s an idea – each kid who has completed thorough research on her country gets to run a GAME for the others in which answering her questions about that country correctly allows each kid to take a step forward, with some kind of silly prize to the first one to reach the end – we’ve used things like having a soda while everyone else has drink mix- or being able to grab the couch rather than floor or chairs for watching a video- whatever your team values! The key is to turn this over to the kids – have the kids decide the prizes, have the kids make up the rules, have the kids run the game.
And don’t worry too much about each kid bringing their Challenge copies, or Current Events or notebooks - (all good ideas, by the way!) - It’s more important that they keep looking forward to meetings and bring their enthusiasm!
Team Expectations
Expectations of Team Members
Expectations of Parents
Expectations of Team Managers
Some TMs have students and parents sign a “contract” that outlines these responsibilities. This works in some cases and is not needed in other cases. The objective here is to be sure that everyone involved understands-up front-what they are getting in to when they decide to commit to involvement with a Destination ImagiNation team. Having a clear understanding of what is expected will go a long way to preventing problems during the year.
Team Goal Setting
Once the Challenge is chosen, the next step was to get agreement on how hard the team members want work. This is an important step for teams -- because if a couple of team members want the team to be "competitive" -- while other members want the team to be "casual" -- it can create a LOT of friction. There are three options:
The nice thing about having this discussion with the team is it allows the team members to set their expectations and commitment at a level that is comfortable for them.
Some Secrets of a Winning Team
Success/Winners
On winning...
And they come in last, you have been a wildly successful TM and DI has fulfilled it's goal.
Tournaments and the Meaning of Success to a Team
Near the end of the year, many teams and TM are VERY frustrated – only one technical element done, no script (we don’t need no stinkin’ script), costumes are non-existent, props only half done and no solution in sight.
Here is a truly INSPIRATIONAL story that was passed along by Dee Urban, AD from NY.
It must have been more than a decade ago, tournament day in our region, and it was all the wonderful things that tournament day always is..... here's a great big secret that Regional Directors have known for years - we plan and try to have everything just right for the kids, but know that it really doesn't matter what we do..... if we provide a space (even the minimum allowable space) and some caring and enthusiastic folks to appraise the solutions, that's all we really need to do because the kids are going to come into the building, they are going to bring all manner of 'stuff' with them, and then the 'magic' happens! The kids take over, they ARE the tournament, and they make everyone associated with a tournament look great!
Anyway, at this particular tournament there was a vehicle challenge, it was one of the large, ride-on types of vehicles the kids had to build that year, and things at that particular venue were going very well.......until...... I got a call on the walkie talkie from our Challenge Master/Head Appraiser, Julio, that he needed me IMMEDIATELY! I have to tell you that this particular fellow was one of those rock solid folks that NEVER panics! Always knows exactly what to do, and is ALWAYS there for the kids first and everything else is a far distant last...... so when he called I knew something must be very unusual!
When I got to the site, the Julio explained to me that he had a 'team', well, actually two girls, out in the staging area who had no vehicle, no props, pretty much nothing done, but they had the plans and drawings of the vehicle they planned, they had a rack of costumes they had made, and they had storyboards and a script. They wanted to show the appraisers what they had done, and they wanted to be scored..... Julio asked "what do we do?"
We looked at one another for about one second and KNEW exactly what to do. We went out in the staging area and chatted with the two girls. They had started on a team of seven kids, one by one the kids dropped off the team for one reason or another - that was not the important part - but these two young ladies were determined to complete a solution and compete. The Team Manager had told them early on that all they had to do to be champions was to show a solution to the appraisers and that simple act would make them champions in everyone's eyes.... and they believed..... we asked where the Team Manager was and the two girls told us that he had also dropped out..... so we went back into the performance site and spoke with the timekeeper announcer - who introduced this 'team' by telling the audience what the team had told us in the staging area.
There must have been 300 people sitting in the bleachers in that gym, and it fell dead silent as these two young girls came out dragging a clothing rack behind them, with rolls of drawing paper under each arm, and no vehicle. They read their script, using 'voices' to denote different characters, they held up the costume that each character would wear....they indicated they were 'on' the vehicle and where they were going and what they were doing, they showed the audience and appraisers the drawings of the vehicle and props they planned, when time ended the last thing they said to the audience was "Next year we will be back WITH a vehicle!"...... the audience sat stunned for a few seconds (felt like an eternity) and then as if attached to each other rose as one to it's feet to offer a standing ovation..... these two girls really did embody the Spirit of CPS!
The appraisers, combed through all the schematic drawings of the planned vehicle with the girls in the post performance interview. Clearly these two had done a great deal of planning and research and had completed a marvelous solution, very creative, and very innovative, but of course not 'real'.
The team performed in it's Instant Challenge, and got some points on their team challenge for what the appraisers could give points for..... obviously they could not offer any points for 'tasks' but they could offer points for design of the vehicle, and for costumes, and script etc.
As it turned out this 'team' did NOT come in last at that tournament. They did get a special SPIRIT award, and when it was offered at the awards ceremony everyone once again stood to their feet to cheer..... these two young ladies had really made a difference in the lives of everyone at that tournament!
Now you would think this is where the story ends, but it's not. About two months later, after Globals, in the summer, my phone rang and it was one of these young ladies, she wanted to know if I could come and SEE the vehicle, they had just finished it and wanted to show it to a appraiser. I got in my car and drove the two hours to the school parking lot where I promised to meet them the next day.... and there they were.... both of them riding on the vehicle! Laughing and crying at the same time! They had set up the course as it was set for the tournament and were showing me all the tasks one by one, that the vehicle could do...... the three of us laughed and cried together that day in that empty school parking lot.
Now this was a VERY long story, but one that I think has some bearing on team's in a similar situation....... the tournament does NOT have to be the end of the journey for the team, and they CAN be a team with only two members who truly strive to be champions! (A champion is defined as a team that BEATS the challenge!)...... it's never too late.... there is time ..... and if all they do at a tournament is IC that's still more than many kids dared to take on!
Celebrate the successes of the team, continue to encourage them to achieve all they can, and they will amaze and delight you and make everyone look good that is associated with them.”
Pre-Tournament Time & the CPS Process & Edison
The important thing to focus on in February & March, when the stress of looming tournaments is upon teams and TMs, is THE PROCESS! There can be no failure in trying, and every success along the way should be noted and celebrated.
Edison found a thousand things that DIDN'T work for use as a filament in his light bulb, when asked how he handled the failure he responded something to the effect of "These attempts were not failures, I'm now a thousand things closer to success"
(The quote is from Ben Franklin: "I haven't failed. I've found 10,000 ways that won't work." )
.... sorry but I don't remember the exact quote or number of things..... the point is - maybe the team isn't going to be perfect at the tournament, maybe they are going to score in the bottom of the pack of teams all competing against that Challenge.... does that wipe out all the successes they have achieved along the way?
In 20 years in CPS I have never seen a team that I could not enthusiastically applaud at a tournament - I have never seen a team that didn't deserve the title "Champion"...... on some days, some teams will perform better than others, that is what a tournament is about, but all teams who have taken on the challenge have had success..... how can a TM ever be embarrassed by that?
From another TM -- I went in search of the famous quote by Thomas Edison about how he kept trying different solutions to CREATE the light bulb - something about how he was 900 ways nearer to getting it right...but found these three quotes instead. sounds like a round of D.I. team posters to me:
Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's
useless.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up.
I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by
accident; they came by work.
-Thomas Edison
Funding The Team
Hey guys! How do you determine how much money to ask each parent for? I am finding that I seem to be footing the bill for practice supplies and everything.
Also, any ideas on how to handle this situation... One family is having major financial problems. Their phone was disconnected before Christmas. I have heard rumors that their house may be foreclosed on. I don't think I can ask them for money. As if this wasn't sticky enough, this particular parent seems to hate me. She's very confrontational with me. I can handle the attitude. I just don't know what to do about the money. How are other DI teams funded? I'd like to continue doing this each year. Does that mean I pay for it each year?
Reply
I learned the hard way to KEEP RECEIPTS
My team is now an individual membership so we are not affiliated with school.
What our school district did was each kid was charged a set fee to do DI then
money for registration and T-shirts for the tournament was taken out.
What was left the managers got. Last year I got 60.00.
This year as an individual membership I have asked each kid for 35.00 then I
took the money out for registration as well as regional t-shirt. The rest went
for balsa. I am keeping receipts but truthfully I have so much junk from doing
this for the last 8 years that except for balsa and duct tape I have not spent
too much.
Snacks we do a snack rotation. A monthly calendar has everyone's name on it
for snack and if someone forgets well no snack. Sometimes I tell the kids to
bring money for marathon meeting and if they get things done we go out for a
treat or order a pizza.
As far as the one with no money....well I'd just carry her or him. I have
done that in the past. Funny the parent was also confrontational. In retrospect,
I think she was looking for a way out (which I never gave her) because she
couldn't afford it. I wish I would have realized that sooner because I took a
lot of it personally. It would have been better had she just told me they could
not afford snacks etc......
Reply #2
A TM paying for everything? Absolutely not!
At your start-of-the-year parent meeting, explain that everyone shares all costs of supplies, both IC practice and stuff for solving the challenge and, perhaps, costs for any field trips or pizza parties. Two ways I've done it:
-- collect an amount up-front from each family, maybe $20 or 30. Keep receipts and a record of what gets spent. Make copies of the record periodically and give to each family as an update, or
-- keep all receipts, total them, divide by number of kids on the team and send a "bill" to each family at tournament time.
It's also helpful to make lists of items needed and send them home with the kids. This works especially well for IC supplies, as most people will have a handful of straws or a half skein of yarn lying around and will be happy to donate them to the team. Or, when the team decides it needs a 2x4 or a sheet or a tennis ball, ask the kids if anyone has an old one lying around at home that their parents wouldn't mind getting rid of.
If you haven't told the families about sharing costs, perhaps it's time to hold a parent meeting and explain the situation. Ask everyone for ideas on ways to address the issue of keeping the team supplied. It probably would be helpful to have copies of receipts or boxes of stuff you've purchased, in case your confrontational parent decides to argue.
REMEMBER – It’s Their Solution
If they don’t finish, then they didn’t finish – but that doesn’t mean that
the TMs failed
Karen said:
I think my husband is getting a little worried and he's trying to make sure they show some progress at every meeting. Which can be a little restraining at times for the kids. Does anyone have any advice I can give him on patience and how important it is that the kids do this themselves, in their own way, even if they don't get it all done the way they planned?
Dear Karen -I think this is one of the major problems we all face at one time
or another - TM's and parents alike. I had a parent last year very concerned
about my teams progress - which up until the last three weeks was practically
nil. I had to constantly repeat to her that "it's their problem - not ours" -
over and over and over again. She would sputter and vent - and I found the only
thing I could do was keep repeating that statement until she finally "heard"
me.
I think the hardest lesson we have to learn - as both parents and teachers
and TM's - is that the things our children do are not reflections of us as
individuals. We like to think that we are responsible for the things our kids do
- but we're not - they are. If they don't get done - THEY don't get done - it
means THEY didn't finish - it does not mean we failed them. Ultimately we are
all responsible for our own behavior. And what better time than when they are
this young to learn that they only have themselves to blame in life for what
they do - or do not do.
And maybe stressing to your husband that the best lessons we learn in life -
we learn through our own mistakes and accomplishments. And the BEST way to teach
a child - is to allow them the freedom to take a chance and do things their way
- and make mistakes - and learn from them . And then their accomplishments and
successes will be THEIRS! The sense of pride that comes from doing a job well
–and knowing you did it yourself - well - to me it is unmatched. And if they can
discover that kind of pride in themselves at this young age - they will carry
that with them through their life. And later into adolescence - maybe they'll be
less likely to follow peer pressures that lead to problems with drugs or alcohol
- and maybe when they are adults - they'll be more likely to take have
confidence in their abilities and they'll have the knowledge that they CAN go
after their dreams in their careers instead of taking a job that just pays the
bills.
Tell your husband - that what helps me - is when I trust that the kids will learn from this no matter what happens - and sometimes – the learning curve is slower for some than others. Some kids need to not get done and have huge mistakes happen during competition in order to learn the price of procrastination and not working up to their abilities, you know ? We can tell them this until we are blue in the face - but they need to learn it for themselves to KNOW it. And the only way to learn it for themselves - is to sit back - pretend we have duct tape on our mouths - and just let them be.
Interference Is Easy-Avoiding it is a Challenge
Question: I am wondering how much help can we give them. For instance,
can we help them paint, color, cut, glue, etc? Or do they have to do it all? I
mean if they design the object, can we help them get it's form?
Answer: Destination Imagination is a "challenge" for team managers and parents, too, because we are really used to "helping" our kids, as in boy scouts and budding scientists with their projects. The short answer is "DON'T!" Helping them do something or showing them how to do it is interference.
The DI Team Managers Guide explains for team members and for managers exactly WHAT interference is and how to steer clear. I go over this with the team at the very beginning and make sure their parents understand, too.
The long answer is, The help you CAN provide is a place where the kids can experiment and build, access to the resources they need and time to do it. Solutions in Destination Imagination are entirely the children's work. ENTIRELY...that's the tough part. That means you can't hold the wood while they saw, you can't tell them it would be a little stronger if they'd put hot glue in the joint, you can't suggest painting the cardboard box yellow, etc. etc.
One team manager told me that she drew the line at safety: if the children
"needed" to use a piece of power equipment that she didn't think they could
safely operate, then she'd do that piece for them.
BUZZZZZ! That's a wrong answer. If the kids can't do something safely, they need to invent or create a way to solve it that is safe and up to their skill level. Or do something else entirely. If they determine they need to cut wood, for example, you can give them (or have someone else give them) a lesson in sawing safely and accurately. BUT you may not give the lesson on the exact wood that they will use in their solution. That piece of wood needs to be measured and cut BY THE TEAM ONLY. (You can however, drive them to the lumber yard or the scrap wood alley and drive them back after they pick out what they need. Or they can tell you they need XYZ specific kind/size of wood and you can get it for them.)
I remind them a lot "this is YOUR solution" and everything the audience and judges see will represent their work, their ideas and their creativity. My team knows they can give ME a warning if they think I'm stepping over the interference line.
Subject: Is This Interference?
Question: Some of you more experienced hands help me out, please. I
built two balsa structures (part of Triplicity solution) for my team to test in
our crusher - NOT to be used in their solution itself (in fact I wrote TEST all
over them in magic marker to invalidate them). The sample structures were built
according to their plans, and they used the results of the crusher tests as
confirmation that their plan was good enough to suit them and proceeded to build
their own, slightly different structures to use at the tournament. Those
structures, the ones that'll be in the tournament, were built entirely and only
by team members. I think this is not interference - what do y'all think?
Response: YES, it is absolutely interference. Let me explain why......When you do ANY part of the solution for the kids, you are literally stealing the opportunity for them to learn from what they are doing and even when they fail at doing something, they learn...and usually more than they would have if it all worked out fine the first time. I know it was their design...but as your hands did the cutting and gluing, did they learn how to hold the blade just right? Glue just enough, get the feel of the wood and how it holds together? Why it works when you press it just this way...but doesn't when you do that?
The learning is IN THE DOING. You can teach them the skills of how to safely use a tool...how to use a sewing machine for costumes, or how to do other skills that THEY have decided that they need to know in order to create their vision of what they want...but it MUST come from them. It is their experience in DI, not yours...they own this...not you. Think of yourself as their 'Guide on the Side.'
Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to stand by and watch them do something (while talking and horsing around) that would take you 5 minutes and they are going on three hours...and I have had moments when I had to walk outside and even once I locked myself in the bathroom! But if I had interfered, they would have lost that opportunity to learn time management, and to feel the true satisfaction of “We did it ALL ourselves!”
The trial and error part of this PROCESS is key to their learning experience. Please help them to take these life skills and make them their own.
You also have the opportunity of teaching them honesty. When your team goes to competition, please make sure that when you sign the Team Declaration, that you show them that you all honestly write down that their team has had outside interference, and exactly what it was.
I am very glad that you wrote. It shows that you truly want your team to go by the rules, to learn what this program has to teach, and for you to understand what we have to offer as well.
Interference Examples-Team Supplies and Materials
It would be interference to listen to the kids plan, say, a costume, then say, "I have just the thing for the headpiece," and drag out that old steam iron that no longer works. It would even be interference to say, "When you get around to planning costumes, I have a box of old fabric you're welcome to use." It would NOT be interference for you to give the team a tour of your stuff, pointing out that you have many things around the house that they're welcome to use. Just do it in a general way, saying, "If you think of a use for this or these or those, then you're welcome to them." It's good to do this before they've laid a lot of plans--too easy to GUIDE them to use something if they've already gotten ideas about what they need to make. Do it early, and avoid suggesting WHAT things can be used for. Just offer them for use.
[If you can, designate a place for storing these items and let them know anything in that location is theirs to take. I strongly suggest you have them check with you before they use anything you have lying around. If you don't do this, your brand new sofa cushion or tablecloth or vacuum cleaner will suddenly turn up (dismantled or painted, of course) in their presentation. BELIEVE THIS!]
The key here is that it is interference to provide specific materials intended for use by the team for a specific purpose. It is also interference to suggest materials they might acquire for specific purposes. It is NOT interference to provide a stack of raw materials for which there might be many different uses, as long as you refrain from making suggestions about those uses. Many teams use fabric, paints, glitter, glue, tools, old motors, cardboard, wood, etc., sometimes in surprising ways. Providing these general-purpose things is part of the team manager's job, in my opinion and not interference. It is also NOT interference to say, "What kinds of things do you think you could use for that?"--even to suggest they look around them for ideas--as long as you haven't carefully "seeded" their supplies with things you think they should use.
Safety/Interference
An important point to make here is that it is not the intent of DI to force young kids to do dangerous things by themselves. If they have designed a solution which they cannot build safely without adult assistance, then what they must do is to modify their design (or scrap it altogether) and come up with something which they can build safely.
There is a tendency for the adults to want to jump in and help the kids with the sawing or the drilling because the kids are just too young and inexperienced to use the devices safely. You must understand that it is still interference.
Safety comes first, but the correct response to a design which can't be built safely is NOT for the adults to do it, it is for the kids to modify the design or to use simpler tools.
You also may be surprised at what the kids can do if you take the time to train them on the tool and how to use it safely. When you're done, not only can the kids be proud that they accomplished a difficult task by themselves, but
you'll have taught them a skill they'll use for the rest of their lives.
Advice from an International Challenge Master
....the Challenges are written to allow teams as much latitude as possible when solving them. This means that the definitions of some of the elements are left "vague" to allow teams to solve the Challenge any way that they wish. The Challenge can be solved using very simple technical devices or more complex ones. Those choices are up to the team.
There are 2 main principles that can be applied to solving any of the DI Challenges.....
Rule #1 states that if the Challenge (or the Rules of the Road) doesn't say that you cannot do something, then it is safe to assume that you can do it.
Rule #2 states that if the Challenge (or the RotR) says that you cannot do something, then you cannot do it. The corollary to Rule #2 is that if the Challenge (or the RotR) say that you must do something, then you must do it.
However, it is important for the team to understand the scoring of the Challenge. There is another principle called Sutton's Law....it says "go where the money is". Willie Sutton was a bank robber and when asked why he robbed banks he said "because that's where the money is". The practical application of this is that your team must understand where the points are coming from. This is not so they can be more competitive but so they understand what they are being asked to do and how much emphasis is being placed on that aspect of the Challenge. Every subjectively scored aspect of each Challenge has a continuum that the Appraisers apply. At one end of the continuum will be very very simple solutions and at the other extreme will be very innovative ones. The simple solutions will usually receive scores on the lower end of the range while the very creative and innovative ones would be expected to receive scores at the higher end of the scale. Now, if we apply this to your question regarding the technical aspects of It's Your
Move, then those solutions using very simple principles with minimal innovation, creativity, and/or integration (and sometimes complexity) would fall at the lower end of the scoring range. Those solutions demonstrating a high degree of creativity, etc. would hopefully be rewarded with a higher score. (Frank Begun)
Tips for Writing/Presenting the Team Challenge
Destination ImagiNation Production Checklist
Background/Backdrop/Props
Characters
Costumes
Script
Improv
Acting
Dialogue/Sounds
A Performance that Follows the DI Rules
Script-Writing Tips From A to Z
A - Action, appropriate, keep the audience in mind
B - Backdrop, background of characters, balance, build logically to a
conclusion
C - Conflict, costumes, number of scene changes, characterization
D - Dialogue
E - Expression, emotion, enunciation
F - Finish, fit in the performance area, function of each prop &
backdrop
G - General tone of the script - drama or comedy, reality or fantasy
H - Humor - is it funny to all?
I - Innovation, imagery, improv, imagination (but it still has to make
sense)
J - all team members join together to give input and write script
K - Knowledge of subject - research before and while writing script, keep the
interest of the audience
L - where is the play located geographically, do props fit in limited
space
M - moving in the presentation area, who moves where when? Music, moral at
end?
N - accentuate what you want the appraisers/audience to notice
O - originality, opening, start with an outline
P - plot, plot, plot, parody, props, is your script practical?
Q - question each line/action to make sure it fits
R - resolution of conflict, are you taking a risk? rewrite, rewrite,
rewrite
S - sound effects, number of scene changes, have you solved the challenge?
Setting, does it tell a story? Special talents of team members
T - transitions between scenes (are they smooth), time period, technical
aspects
U - understand the challenge and the characters, does every line have a
use?
V - voices of the characters
W - write tight, write long first - tighten and cut it later
X - eXamine the script for eXcellent eXamples of eXessive eXaggeration
Y - yesterday - when the script was due!
Z - does it pass the ZZZZZZZ test - does the script put people to sleep?
Hints & Tips For Team Challenge Solutions
Big Stuff vs. Momentum
I forget the source on this, but I've heard a story about a speaker on time management who begins by taking a jar and saying it represents the available time. The speaker then places several large rocks in the jar -- and asks "Is this jar is full?"
After about half the people raise their hands, the speaker takes a cup full of sand and pours it into the jar. This time, when he asks the question, only a few people raise their hands (I guess nobody likes to look dumb). The speaker then proceeds to pour a glass of water into the jar.
The speaker then asked "What is the lesson we learned from this exercise?" Somebody responded "You can always get more done in the available time if you're organized". To this, the speaker responded "That's true, but the REAL lesson of this exercise is that you'd better start filling your jar with the big rocks!!".
The reason I'm sharing this story is that I found the teams I managed were usually drawn to solve the "easy" or "fun" parts of their Challenge first. This often created significant constraints on how they would solve the "hard" parts of their Challenge. The "problem" is that trying to start with the "hard parts" might leave the team "stuck" or frustrated.
One of the Challenges a TM faces is making sure their team "strikes a balance" in how they fill their jar. They need to think about the "big rocks" (the "hard parts" or the high-scoring elements) early enough that they have "maximum flexibility" in how they attack those issues. Similarly, I've found that progress begets progress -- by which I mean that if a team gets SOMETHING done, this often provides inspiration and energy to get other things done.
I often tried to "channel" this energy towards the hard/important bits -- but would redirect the team to something "fun" or "easy" whenever it appeared they were losing momentum.
There isn't a single "right answer" on this. However, I've had enough teams dismiss a REALLY creative approach to a high-scoring element simply because it wasn't consistent with the approach adopted for a low-scoring element that they'd already completed that I tried to get the team to at least brainstorm the high-scoring elements before they built ANYTHING.
Motivation = Food
Our team set a goal of what they had to accomplish before they were allowed to eat. Sometimes they were eating on the way out the door, but usually they reached their goal for the meeting. At the beginning of the year their goals weren’t very big and then they got more serious as time went on.
My team loved to build things and hated doing research and writing – and we used that as an incentive too. No making of anything until the research and script are basically done. I think we all figure out what works for our teams and utilize that.
Solving a Challenge Using a Matrix
Although time consuming, another strategy to help create a team solution is to use a matrix to make the decision. The team lists the best solutions that they have brainstormed in the first column, and what they are attempting to accomplish (or what points they are attempting to achieve) across the top row. Pick a scale) I like 1-2-3: doesn’t work, works, great) and compare each idea the each criteria. (I have them hold up a finger with their vote and average each comparison.
At the end, we add up the points for each idea and unless it’s nearly a tie, it becomes obvious to everyone what needs to be done. The most difficult team I ever had, did have a 16 to 15 result on a crucial decision. We rethought the solution, adapting it to include elements of both ideas and everyone was ready to move on.
Criteria to Solve the Challenge
Which solution will:
(adapted from Future Problem Solvers)
These could be adapted to fit the type of problem the team is doing.
| Criteria 1 | Criteria 2 | Criteria 3 | Criteria 4 | |
| Solution 1 | ||||
| Solution 2 | ||||
| Solution 3 | ||||
| Solution 4 | ||||
| Solution 5 | ||||
Theatre Training
Before the team begins solving their challenge take them backstage at any theatre production (community, college or HS production). Ask the backstage director/crew might be able to point out some particularly interesting “stagecraft” – how to paint cardboard so that it looks like wood, brick, velvet or rock; how to create cheap costumes that wow an audience; observe skills that have been used to give props a realistic appearance. Also have team members observe other theatre skills like enunciation and how important that is so that the appraisers hear every word. When they see a stage production, they can visualize how to get the biggest impact from their art, their ideas and their script. Practicing on a stage is helpful too. If one team member is in the audience, they can convey to their team members if they could hear and understand lines and see their art and backdrops.
Scavenger Hunt/Field Trip Idea
Take your team to visit four types of stores: craft supply store, hardware store, fabric store and office supply store for 30 minutes each.
The kids were armed with a list of questions to answer in each store, with the end product being a list of materials and supplies from which they can draw ideas when they are working on their solution during the year.
SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTIONS
Hardware store only:
Name different sizes and/or types of lumber. (Look at different shapes.)
Name things that have to do with electricity.
Fabric store only:
Name different kinds of textiles (fabrics). Look for different textures and
different properties.
Name items that can be used to embellish (decorate) other things.
Office supply store only:
Name different types of paper products. (Look for different textures and properties.)
Name items that can be used to embellish (decorate) other things.
Craft supply store only:
Name the different shapes of wood that you see.
Name items that can be used to embellish (decorate) other things.
All stores:
Name things used to fasten things together.
Name items that could be used for drawing, writing or painting.
Name items that could support things.
Name things that could be stapled.
Name different kinds of adhesives (glues).
Name things that could be glued.
Name things that could be nailed.
Name things that could be painted.
Name things that could be cut.
Name things that give off light or reflect light.
Name things that you see with holes in them.
Name things whose shape or size can be changed.
Name different ways of making things change color.
Arts & Crafts
Let kids experiment in arts and crafts. Give them arts & crafts materials and let them experiment. Don’t give them instructions unless they ask how to be taught a specific technique.
Give them paint and “things” to add to the paint - eggshells, coffee grounds, sand, glitter, etc. Let them mix it up and get messy and paint it on cardboard, wood, fabric, etc. Also painting utensil – my team did this while they were painting some box houses used in their props. They had a crappy paint brush and in frustration, one started pounding it on top of the “house” - and what do you know...next thing I hear is “Cool guys, come here - when you paint like this, it looks like stone!”
Storyline Idea
Our team has such trouble getting our storyline together. I found a blank adding machine roll tape. I had the kids draw their story idea like a comic strip – putting the story in sequence – I had each of them work in a separate point in the script of their own choosing. Then they put them all together, taped all the separate comic strips to the wall in sequence – and it took off from there like a rocket. Crayons can say so many things that words can’t.
You can also do this with a large newsprint pad. Once the scenes are drawn, the kids can put them on the wall in the order they choose.
Cost Issues
This can be tricky; there are lots of opinions on the subject. My idea is that brand new or used things the team went out and bought specifically for use in their solution must be charged out at the actual cost. If they buy a can of paint for $5 and use half of it, they need only charge out $2.50, not the entire $5. They only need to claim the cost of the actual amount/portion of something they used. On the other hand, if you buy a new lawnmower for $250 specifically for use in the team's solution and then use only the wheels, it isn't OK to decide the wheels are only 5% of the total weight of the lawnmower, charging out $12.50.
Old or used items you (or the neighbor) have lying around, we generally charge out at a fair rummage-sale price. If you have an old t-shirt that is still usable--that is, in good shape, then you have to figure out what it might sell for at a rummage sale (in its current condition) and charge it out accordingly. If the t-shirt is stained and has a hole in it, then I'd call it a rag and charge it out at 5 cents or call it junk and assign it no value. It wouldn't be OK to take a good t-shirt and stain it or put a hole in it just so that you could charge it out at 5 cents though.
Something we've always struggled with is what to put for cost on broken items. My teams have used a lot of broken things--that is, broken for their orig