Understanding your team’s Sub-state tournament scores

 team support, tournament  Comments Off
Mar 112013
 

Congratulations to all of our teams who performed at the Sub-state tournament this past Saturday, March 9th. Tournament results are posted on the Competition Results page. A special congratulations goes to the Middle Level Challenge B (Wind Visible) team, Blue Eggs and Turkey (Team 112-18306), from St. Mary’s School in Storm Lake for earning a Renaissance Award. The Renaissance Award is awarded to teams or individuals who demonstrate extraordinary amounts of effort and preparation or outstanding skill in engineering, design or performance. You can read what the Appraisers and Challenge Masters wrote about this team on the Competition Results page.

So, what’s next? To prepare for the State tournament, teams are encouraged to analyze their Sub-state tournament standings, and to use that information to make changes to their Team Challenge solution. Your team’s tournament score is comprised of individual components detailing whether your team did an above average, average or fair job. To learn specifically where your team needs to make changes, it’s important to examine the individual components of its score very carefully, and to compare them to the Reward Points section of your team’s Challenge.

Raw Score vs. Scaled Score

Let’s start by discussing what the 2 rows of numbers mean that comprise your team’s score. Although there are some exceptions that we’ll get to in a moment, in general the bottom row of numbers is the team’s Raw Scores, or the number of points Appraisers award the team for its performance in the Central Challenge, Team Choice Elements and Instant Challenge. It is important to note that these are preliminary scores. Together, these points add up to a maximum combined 400 points: 300 points for the Team Challenge (240 Central Challenge points + 60 Team Choice Elements points), and 100 points for Instant Challenge. If your team is doing Challenge D, the improvisational Challenge, you have no Team Choice Elements and therefore your Central Challenge alone accounts for three-fourths of your team’s score, or 300 points.

The top row of numbers is your team’s Scaled Scores. What this means is that the preliminary or Raw Scores are turned over to the Score Room, where they are stacked against other teams’ scores in your Challenge and Level, and curved on a scale, much as grades in a typical classroom are curved on a scale. If Team ABC’s Raw Score of 76.75 is the highest Instant Challenge score for its Challenge and Level, for example, then its Scaled Score is 100 points, and all other teams in that Challenge and Level are scored proportionately beneath it.

The significance of the Raw Scores versus the Scaled Scores is that between the two is a narrow time frame when your team can get some initial feedback. Thirty minutes after a team performs its Team Challenge, one Team Manager and one team member may pick up the team’s Raw Scores and discuss them with the Head Appraiser or Challenge Master. If your team has not been doing this, there is no guarantee that the Raw Scores will be accessible later. More importantly, you have missed a great opportunity to learn more about the team’s performance. The official reviews areas of strength and areas where you team may need to improve, asking open-ended questions that the team should take to heart and discuss during a team meeting. The official will not suggest specific ways to improve scoring areas, of course, for this would be Interference. After this meeting, the Raw Scores go to the Score Room for final computerized calculations.

Breakdown of Reward Points

Where you will find your team’s Scaled and Raw Scores can be found in the bulleted list below. Note that the scores correspond directly with the Reward Points section of your team’s Challenge. It is critical that your team examine each column of its scores in relationship to (1) its own Total Scaled Score, and (2) other teams’ individual scoring elements, since this will help your team understand where it would be most impactful to make changes and/or focus additional effort. Point out to your team the pie charts that are in the Reward Points section of their Challenge. This will help them understand visually the impact of different scoring elements.

Challenge A:

  • Column 1: The top number is the Total Scaled Score (max. 400 points). Below it are deductions (if any).
  • Column 2: The top number is the Scaled Zone Score (max. 120 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 3: The top number is the Scaled Vehicle Score (max. 50 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 4: The top number is the Scaled Travel Score (max. 25 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 5: The top number is the Scaled Story Score (max. 45 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 6: The top number is the Scaled Team Choice Elements Score (max. 60 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 7: The top number is the Scaled Instant Challenge score (max. 100 points). Below it is the Raw Score.

Challenges B, C & projectOUTREACH®:

  • Column 1: The top number is the Total Scaled Score (max. 400 points). Below it are deductions (if any).
  • Column 2: The top number is the Scaled Central Challenge Score (max. 240 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 3: The top number is the Scaled Team Choice Elements Score (max. 60 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 4: The top number is the Scaled Instant Challenge score (max. 100 points). Below it is the Raw Score.

Challenge D:

  • Column 1: The top number is the Total Scaled Score (max. 400 points). Below it are deductions (if any).
  • Column 2: The top number is the Scaled Central Challenge Score (max. 300 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 3: The top number is the Scaled Instant Challenge score (max. 100 points). Below it is the Raw Score.

Challenge E:

  • Column 1: The top number is the Total Scaled Score (max. 400 points). Below it are deductions (if any).
  • Column 2: The top number is the Scaled Weight Held Ratio (max. 140 points). Below it is the Raw Score, based on the numbers in Column 3.
  • Column 3: The top number is the Total Weight Held by the Structure (in pounds). The bottom number is the Structure Weight (in grams). If you take the top number and divide it by the bottom number, this gives you the Raw Score for Column 2.
  • Column 4: The top number is the combined Scaled Score (max. 100 points) for Element 2 (Creativity and Workmanship of Structure), Element 3 (Structure Bill of Materials), and Element 4 (Story with Twist and Prop/Costume). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 5: The top number is the Scaled Team Choice Elements Score (max. 60 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
  • Column 6: The top number is the Scaled Instant Challenge score (max. 100 points). Below it is the Raw Score.

Types of Scores

Teams are awarded Subjective, Objective or Zero Scores for various scoring elements.

An objective score is awarded for fulfilling a specific requirement: If you do this, it is worth X number of points. If it is there, the points are awarded; if it is not, that scoring element receives a Zero Score. Make sure that your team is not losing easy points by missing required elements! Often, objective scores are awarded for problem-solving, i.e., solving a specific task.

Whenever you see a range of points awarded for a scoring element, this is a subjective score that is the result of the Appraisers’ opinions. Subjective scores are usually awarded for creativity, innovation, the Team Choice Elements, and Instant Challenge. Is your team getting the most out of its subjective scoring areas? Let’s examine these areas in more detail.

Creativity and Innovation

In general, anywhere that creativity is scored, the team needs to ask itself: Is our solution really original, innovative, unique, uncommon, or unexpected? Is the team making sure that every element is its OWN solution, rather than being produced by someone else? This could be an Interference issue and result in a deduction, especially at State, where scoring is stricter.

Some Challenges (often the technical ones) call for an innovation score. Innovation is related to complexity of the solution. Ask your team what else it can do to elaborate, or add details. Is there something new the team can research that would result in a different, possibly more complex solution? Often (though not always), higher complexity results in a higher innovation score.

Team Choice Elements

Many teams do not score as highly as they can for their Team Choice Elements. Keep in mind, first of all, that Appraisers can only score what the team describes on its Tournament Data Form. If this information is not detailed enough, then the Appraisers will not have a clear understanding of what they should score. The Appraisers MUST use what the team describes on the Tournament Data Form. If the information is not there, the Appraisers cannot make assumptions about where the team wants them to award points.

Has the team selected the right Team Choice Element, or is there something else that would be a better choice? Make sure that the Team Choice Element is not something that is already being scored elsewhere. If your team’s costumes are a required part of the Challenge, for example, then you should not list them as a Team Choice Element. You may, however, single out one of the costumes because of its special properties; make sure you describe what is special on your Tournament Data Form!

A very important fact to keep in mind is that a Team Choice Element is awarded points in 3 areas, worth 10 points apiece: creativity and originality; quality, workmanship or effort that is evident, and integration into the Presentation. Creativity and originality are often apparent when common materials are used in uncommon, unintended or unexpected ways. Quality, workmanship or effort become evident by the details invested in the outcome, by the amount of time it takes to develop the final product, and by the learning that takes place during the process. Integration into the Presentation concerns how well the Team Choice Element fits into the story; would the story be the same if this Team Choice Element were not present?

Instant Challenge

A team’s Instant Challenge score is 25 percent of its final score, and often has a huge impact on the overall competitive outcome. Doing well in Instant Challenge is usually the result of practicing often and consistently, and of debriefing after every practice. A team should practice Instant Challenge at every team meeting. Ideally, a balance of different types of Instant Challenges should be included.

Instant Challenges are either task or performance-based, or a combination of the two. Task-based Challenges involve moving, guiding, controlling, building for weight, height and/or strength (or weakness!), modifying, narrowing down choices, or communicating. In contrast, performance-based Challenges require a performance involving a beginning, middle and ending. They may involve props and/or materials, or simply a team’s imagination. Any Instant Challenge may be non-verbal, in whole or in part.

Team Managers should feel free to modify practice Instant Challenges to address a perceived need that a team has. For example, a Team Manager can add or subtract time for a Challenge, remove or add steps, or substitute other materials that are smaller (or larger) in scale than the ones described in a published Instant Challenge. They can require a non-verbal solution, ask the team to split into two parts, remove or add materials, and so on. Have a team member or two sit out and make critical observations. Always debrief your team afterward, asking your team to evaluate itself: What do you think you did well? What could you do better? What would you change the next time around? Don’t be afraid to repeat the same Instant Challenge, requiring a completely different solution the second time around!

Swap out the roles that team members play; in business this is known as cross-training. Do the same with your team, making sure that different people act as facilitator, timekeeper, rules keeper, builder, planner, and so on. The ways in which your team members communicate with each other through these roles is an important part of their teamwork score. Most Instant Challenges have a planning component, when teamwork is evaluated. Keep in mind that a team that cannot be heard can also not be awarded points; do not whisper at any time during Instant Challenge!

A useful exercise is having your team write its own Instant Challenge, which makes them much more aware of the components of Instant Challenge, as well as the problem-solving process.

To best prepare for Instant Challenge, help your team build a library of experiences from which it can draw when faced with Instant Challenge in a competitive situation. At the very least, your team will feel more comfortable in dealing with the unexpected if it has practiced Instant Challenge often and regularly. Resources for Instant Challenge are found in cre8iowa’s Instant Challenge Library, as well as in the Destination Imagination Resource Area and at ShopDI. Next year, make sure your team attends cre8iowa’s annual Instant Challenger workshop.

Advancing to the Next Level

In moving from one Tournament level to the next, all teams are expected to evaluate how they did previously, set new goals and modify their solutions. The best teams often triple the level of complexity between the Sub-state and State tournaments, and triple it again between State and Global Finals tournaments. We are looking forward to seeing the results of that process!

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2012-13 T-Shirt Pre-Order Now Open

 team support  Comments Off
Jan 232013
 

2013 T-Shirt DesignStudents for a Creative Iowa is once again offering a pre-sale on the current season’s state t-shirts. This year’s winning T-shirt design was Keep Calm! (see left for design and shirt color). Cre8iowa is also leaving the back  of the shirts blank, so that your team can extend its creativity to the Iowa shirt. Celebrate your team or school, celebrate Iowa, celebrate DI, celebrate whatever you want on your shirt! We will be hosting a parade of shirt designs at closing ceremony at the State Tournament for anyone who has decorated the back of the Iowa State t-shirt (more details will be provided closer to the tournament date). Please note that Students for a Creative Iowa is planning on ordering a set number of shirts, so please plan accordingly.

Shirts are available for $10 for sizes Youth Medium through Extra Large and $15 for 2XL and 3XL.

In order to pre-order, you must fill out the order form (link below) completely by February 5th 2013. Once your pre-order has been received, you will receive an email from cre8iowa letting you know if the desired t-shirt size(s) and quantities are available and providing you with the official total. At that time you will be asked to mail in your check or purchase order for the total amount, which must arrive within 7 days to the address below.

Students for a Creative Iowa—Pre-Order
Attn: Sharon Wallace
1656 W. 42nd St. Apt. 2
Davenport, IA, 52806

Once payment has been received, you will receive an order confirmation email from cre8iowa.

You will be able to pick up your order at the sales table at the Sub-State Tournament on March 9th. Pick-ups may only be done by the person placing the order or other approved person named on this form. No other person may pick up the shirts.

You can find the order form here: 2012-13 T-Shirt Pre-Order Form

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at cre8iowa@gmail.com.

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Improv 101

 team support  Comments Off
Dec 132012
 

guy in a boxThinking on your feet is a critical skill to develop. Life coach Gail Blanke said in a 2009 article, “There’s no getting around it. We live in an unscripted world. You can rehearse in front of a mirror till the cows come home . . . But the minute there’s another person involved, the script goes out the window.” How do you practice thinking on your feet? Simple, Improv. Practicing with improv games and techniques will help you become a better on your feet thinker. Below are some basics, tips, and games for you to try. If that isn’t enough, check out the cre8iowa Document Library and cre8iowa Members-only Gallery (which becomes available to you when you register for your Iowa Membership).

The challenge with any improv situation (whether a job interview, a first date, or an ice breaker game) is how to move the scene forward. This is called advancing. This sounds like a fairly simple concept until it comes time to do it. So how does one advance the scene? By accepting what is going on. This means that the improviser embraces the offers, any dialog or action, made by other performers in order to advance the scene. This requires a fair amount of teamwork and trust and most of all a willingness to say “yes . . . and”.  A good improviser will always try to accept what occurred before which is where this technique becomes handy. Below is an example of the technique.

 Person A: I made a pair of fingerless gloves.

Person B: Yes, they are very pretty. And maybe you should think about trying to sell them?

Person A: Yes, that would be a great idea and maybe you can help me market them?

Voila, you go from one person making something to a new business venture. All thanks to the “yes . . . and” technique which helps the scene advance. The opposite, blocking, is when an improviser rejects information or ideas offered by another player. This most often results in the scene coming to a standstill. This is where a team needs to learn to trust that each member is working to move the skit, conversation, or interview forward.

Once you get a scene going, the next concern is how to make the exchange as engaging as possible. This often requires conflict or a disagreement or argument. Think of your favorite movie or play. Do all the characters get along, have common goals, and work well together? Probably not. Skits without conflict are usually dull, there needs to be some sort of friction between characters. Other tips for how to make the scene as engaging include:

  • Make sure the story has a beginning, middle, and end. The sections do not necessarily need to be in that order, but cohesion between scenes is important. Otherwise, your audience gets lost.
  • If using imaginary props remember to give the object dimension and weight. Think of how you would normally hold a big box or a bowling ball versus holding a can of soda pop or a pillow.
  • Go with your gut. You do not want to over analyze what you are going to say. Over thinking the next line causes awkward pauses. There is no right or wrong response, so just go for it.
  • Make everyone else in your group look good. You do not want to be driving the scene. Driving means that one person take over a scene and does not letting other performers influence its direction. Just to be clear, this is not a good thing! Successful improve requires give and take to keep advancing the conversation or story.

Still, not quite sure you get it? Try to go to YouTube and watch episodes of “Who’s Line Is It Anyways?’. This comedy show makes four performers go out and do silly things, like work with unusual props, only ask questions, or come up with 30 second skits about a randomly selected scene (like alien abduction).

Now that we have talked about improv, it’s time to do it. Not only is the internet full of different improv warm-ups, exercises, and games, our document library and member’s only gallery has some activities too. My personal favorite is the “Word At A Time” exercise.

Word At A Time Description:  Each player in the circle contributes a word into the story. If the first person to speak says “Johnny” the next person could say, “set”, the next person would say “out”. And so on. This is the most commonly used of all the improv exercises and handles. It is also one of the most misused. The best way to help the players build stories is to try and keep them in the present tense. In improvisation present tense always works the best. The word at a time stories should also make sense. The players need to be listening to the story so far. Instead of offering the witty word that will make everyone laugh, they should add the next most logical word. This exercise takes control away from those players that tend to drive scenes. If you are finding that sentences are going on too long allow for any of the players in the circle to call out ‘period’ to end the sentence. Banning ‘and’ and ‘but’ are also good ways to keep people from prolonging things and leading to formed sentences.

Now how does this tie in with Destination Imagination®? Well, if you know about the DI Challenges, then you probably have heard of a little thing called Instant Challenge (for more information please check out our 2013 ICer Blog) and well as Challenge D which is the (you guessed it) Improv Challenge. Teams can elect Challenge D as their Central Challenge. All teams participate in Instant Challenge at tournament.

So go out and try to improv a scene with your team! It’s not only helpful exercise to develop on your feet thinking, but also a fun way to spend some time.

 

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/jscreationzs

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Reminder: Iowa Membership Registration and more!

 team support, workshops  Comments Off
Dec 062012
 

The DI season is definitely underway! And with all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, here are a few dates you do not want to lose track of and miss.

Iowa Membership

The Iowa Membership Registration Form deadline is right around the corner.

Early Bird Registration: January 14, 2013

Early Bird Iowa membership fees are $65.00 per competitive team (Elementary, Middle, Secondary Level, or College & University Level) and $45 for each non-competitive team. Non-competitive teams include Early Learners (Rising Stars!®) and those Elementary, Middle, Secondary, or College & University Level teams that choose to participate at an Iowa tournament without being scored.

Final registration: January 21, 2013

Registrations received after January 14, 2013 will have an Iowa membership fee of $85 per competitive team and $65 per Early Learners or non-competitive team.

Go to Iowa Membership Registration for more information including the registration form

 

Appraiser Training Dates

Each competitive and non-competitive team that performs in Challenges A – E plus projectOUTREACH® is responsible for providing an individual, who will be trained by Students for a Creative Iowa, to represent your team as a Challenge Appraiser at the Destination Imagination® tournaments in Iowa. The team volunteer must attend one of the following training dates:

  • Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 – Kirkwood Community College – Iowa City Campus
  • Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 – Kuemper Catholic High Schools – Carroll
  • Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013- Ames Middle School – Ames

See Appraiser Information for additional details

 

2013 ICer

Registration for the 2013 Instant Challenger opened on November 16th and we have already booked more than half the available time slots. If you want to come to this popular team workshop being held on January 12th, register ASAP.

To register fill out the following online form: 2013 ICer Registration

 

Clarifications

Remember to regularly check for new Published Clarifications. Also, don’t forget you get to ask the International Challenge Masters 10 Team Clarifications as related to your solution. The deadline for asking Team Clarifications is midnight PST on February 15th.

To check out the Published Clarifications and to ask Team Clarifications go to Destination Imagination Clarifications

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Acting 101

 team support  Comments Off
Nov 302012
 

All the world’s a stage, at least according to William Shakespeare. I cannot help but argue that while the world may be a stage, a performance area is vastly different than everyday life. In everyday conversation, someone isn’t worried about forgetting a line. On an ordinary day, people do not need to worry about how to walk through an imaginary door. In a normal setting, an individual isn’t worried if the entire room can hear him. Time on the stage is slightly awkward. Thankfully, there are some tips of the trade that can help any team get through the scary minutes in the performance area.

The Audience

If you remember nothing else, please remember the audience is your focus. First, you need to define your audience. Who are the people that need to hear and see what you are doing in the performance? Let me give you a hint: it is difficult to appraise and give points if you can’t hear and see what is going on. Second, whatever you are doing or saying, direct it towards the audience. Performing is significantly different than everyday life in this. Most of us are taught that you look at the person you are speaking to or the person speaking. So it seems correct that Character A is looking at and facing Character B. However, if Character A has his back to the audience, then it is not correct since it makes it hard for the audience to hear and see what is going on. However, you want your performance to seem real right? So you don’t want to just face the audience and talk. In fact doing that has a name in the acting world; it is called breaking the fourth wall and it’s considered to be a big mistake. Instead of letting the audience see someone’s back and another person’s front or both people just talking at the audience, try letting the audience see both people from the side. This mean you need to think about the performance area.

The Stage

Knowing the space you have to work with is the next step in creating a better performance. Did you know a stage has its own directions? These directions are based on where the audience is located; take a look at the diagram and definitions below.

  • Stage Left—the actor’s left facing the audience
  • Stage Right—the actor’s right while facing the audience
  • Upstage—towards the back of the area (away from the audience)
  • Downstage—towards the front of the area (towards the audience)

 

Now, using these definitions, you can figure out where you want everything to go (people, props, scenery, etc.) For example, place the main scenery stage left, upstage so there is plenty of room for the actors to move in front of the set. Place the main technical device downstage, stage right to allow the engineer to get everything set up behind the device away from the audience. I would recommend each team makes a diagram of their set. Having a plan laid out will help when it comes to the tournaments. If someone forgets where something goes, then a glance at the diagram should solve the issue. There have been quite a few teams I have watched trip over their props and sets, because they are not used to where everything goes. However, you also do not want to damage your props and sets by practicing too much with them. So what is a team to do? How about substituting another item for your props during practice? There are plenty of household items that will be roughly the same dimension as your props. Using placeholders will allow your team to practice with the space they will have. Once you are comfortable on the set, you can then work on your skills as an actor.

The Character

Pretending to be someone or something other than you is difficult. But it becomes easier if you know who that character is. Try getting to know the character like you would a person. Where did he come from? What culture did he grow up in? Is there a defining moment in his life? What does he want to do/accomplish? Does he have a bad habit? Who is his role model or hero? What is his personality like: loud and over-the top or quiet and reserved? What are his talents? How does the situation affect his mood and attitude? Practice being your character outside of the main performance such as in a short improv skit, and see what happens. Don’t worry about portraying the character badly. If you don’t like how something happened, then figure out how you would change it to work better. Once you figure out the character, you can work on getting the script down and reciting it.

The Recital

Like I mentioned earlier, trying to remember what you need to say when is difficult. When trying to memorize the script, repetition is key and so is giving yourself breaks. Read the first line and then say it without the paper, ready the first and second line and then say it without the paper, and continue this process until you can say all the lines without looking at the paper. If you cannot do it, then just keep going back to the beginning. Once you have worked on it for a bit, take a break and do something else. It is easy to derail the memorization process if you try to learn and remember everything at once. Now beyond just repeating the lines, you need to make sure your audience can hear. So when reciting a script, work on breathing, projecting, and enunciating. Before you speak, try taking a deep breath. This will allow you to say the whole line through without any pauses (you know the pauses that happen when you need to breathe). Make sure you project your voice, allowing more than just the people in the performance area to hear you. Pretend that you are trying to get someone to hear you across the library or another place you just can’t yell. When you speak, over enunciate (e-Non-C-aTe). You want to emphasize consonants to allow your audience to understand what you are saying. Yes, doing it in everyday conversation sounds weird and you may feel ridiculous, but it will help you to speak clearly.

If a team works on focusing on their audience, planning their staging, creating realistic characters, and reciting the script well, then that team’s potential success will increase. Yet success is not always an easy road. One of cre8iowa’s experienced Team Managers recommends practicing one more thing, preparing for a disaster. Try having the team brainstorm and write down all the things that can go wrong (everything from someone missing a line to a prop being forgotten at home to the scenery falling down). Let the team briefly discuss what to do to fix each problem. Then, while the team is practicing their performance, select a problem randomly and shout out the disaster. The team has to then think on their feet and solve the problem while the show continues on. Repeat this exercise a few times with different problems and times the problem takes place. As the saying goes, if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail. But most of all, remember and prepare to have FUN!

Image courtesy of worradmu / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Being an effective DI facilitator

 team support  Comments Off
Nov 132012
 

Because  there is much to learn at the same time that your team is learning about its Challenge, the first season you manage a Destination Imagination team can feel daunting.  Even if you have managed a team for several seasons, there is always room to refine the way you manage a team. Make no mistake—Destination Imagination is a learning process for everyone, not just the students, from start to finish. A little bit of training and organization benefits everyone. Here are a few tips to get you on the right path.

Take advantage of facilitator training opportunities

Are you aware that there are multiple ways for you to acquire facilitator training, and that you can take advantage of them before you send in your Iowa membership registration. Training, which provides the same information to everyone, helps level the playing field for all teams. A facilitator benefits personally from training by becoming knowledgeable about common DI terminology, becoming familiar with DI program philosophy, learning new ways to manage a team more efficiently, and discovering how to use CPS (creative problem solving) strategies to lead your team in effective discussions that will minimize team conflicts and keep your team moving forward.

1. Basic Training Podcast for Team Managers & Coordinators. Learn the basics of managing a team by visiting our podcast page. The basics of managing a team are recorded in sections so that you can fit them into your schedule at your convenience. Note that there is a segment for returning facilitators called “What’s New This Season” under Getting Started.

2. DI University. An overview of DI terminology, philosophy and the components of the program is available at DI University, where you will find slide show presentations that allows you to quiz yourself afterward. Different modules are available; do them all whenever you wish: Being a DI Team Manager, Rules of the Road, Being a DI Appraiser, and Challenge Master. All of these training modules provide you with information from different points of view. Consider having your team go through Rules of the Road, too.

3. Advanced Team Manager & Coordinator Training Workshop. This training is not just for experienced facilitators, but also for new ones. You will benefit more from it, however, if you listen to the Basic Training Podcast before you come. The training is being held Saturday, December 1st, at the Iowa Energy Center in Ames from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This year’s topics include:

  • Helping Your Team Understand How to Make Materials Work
  • Drawing the Line Between Helping Your Team and Interfering
  • Developing Skill Sets for Your Team Challenge
  • Q & A with the Challenge Masters

To make sure we have materials available for you, please REGISTER by November 26th for this workshop. There is no extra fee for this training, since it is included in your Iowa membership registration. It is okay for you to come, even if you have not yet paid your Iowa membership registration fee.

Make sure everyone is on the same page

Start off by gathering the “tools” you will need to manage your team. Both you and your team members should have a 3-ring notebook that contains sections for contact information, your team meeting calendar, Rules of the Road, the Team Challenge and Published Clarifications, and team discussions. Draw up an agenda for every meeting, and make sure you distribute hole-punched copies to team members that they can add to their binders. Have your team generate a to-do list and update it regularly to keep track of  tasks, deadlines,  and who is responsible for what. Team members can insert research notes, charts and diagrams into the “team discussions” section of their binders. A 3-ring notebook, essentially, helps everyone to be on the same page.

Create a framework for team meetings

Prepare for team meetings ahead of time. Yes, you will have to adjust your agenda to meet your team’s needs, but there are certain parts of your meeting that can be in place long before you actually meet. A suggested framework is as follows:

1. Do an ice breaker, warm-up, or team building activity. Refer to our earlier post, Focus on teamwork: part 1, for ideas about where to locate these activities. You will find additional ideas at the New Hampshire DI Web site:

2. Develop the Challenge.  

At the beginning of the season, challenge development means reading and re-reading the Challenge. Encourage team members to divide the Challenge into sections, and explain it to each other. This helps students to take ownership of their eventual solution. Check the team’s understanding by asking questions; turn this into a game with an old Chutes & Ladders or Parchisi-style game board; write questions on an index card.

Use the areas of academic focus found at the top of page 1 of every Team Challenge to help the team develop a KWL chart that you can use to schedule educational opportunities such as speakers, demonstrations, workshops and field trips. K represents what the team already KNOWS, W represents WHAT the team needs or wants to learn, and L stands for what the team has LEARNED by the end of the season and serves as a great assessment tool after the final tournament, when it is time for the team to celebrate its success. Learning is a big part of that success! Remember to avoid Interference when you arrange for educational opportunities.

As the season evolves, your team will need to schedule time to get the actual work of the Challenge completed. This means researching, writing a script, creating props, building a theatrical set, making or locating costumes and developing devices. Make sure you have chart paper handy. Have your team fill in columns of an SML chart to keep track of individuals’ responsibilities and timetables. S stands for a SHORT period of time (24 hours), M represents a MEDIUM length of time (one week), and L stands for a LONG period of time (one month). Make sure you have a column that shows who is responsible for what task, and remind students to check and update the SML chart at each meeting. Having the team take responsibility for this chart keeps students accountable to each other.

3. Practice Instant Challenge. Make sure you practice different types of Instant Challenges (performance-based, task-based and combination) at every team meeting. It is even more important to debrief the team afterward. You’ll find sample debriefing questions in the Instant Challenge Practice Set found in the Resource Area, as well in Iowa’s theme-based Instant Challenge collection, A Roll of Plenty. Take advantage of the many resources in our Instant Challenge Library, which includes links to other online Instant Challenges.

4.Take time out for a snack.  Some Team Managers meet with students after a long school day and have discovered that before their team can focus on DI business, they need a snack. Other Team Managers use a snack in the middle of the meeting as an organizational break; while the team is enjoying a treat, the adult(s) are preparing for the next activity. And sometimes a snack simply breaks up tension. Do what works for you!

5. Plan for your next meeting. Take 5 minutes at the end of a team meeting to review what was accomplished today and what needs to be accomplished at the next meeting. Do team members need to perform independent research? Finish a project or two at home? Bring some specific power tools or working materials to the next meeting? Use pre-planning as a way to close your current meeting, and launch your next one.

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Understanding the role of an Appraiser

 appraisers, instant challenge, team support, tournament  Comments Off
Oct 272012
 

If you’re a Destination Imagination veteran, you have heard us say many times that we can’t hold a tournament without the help of our volunteer Appraisers. This is really true! Every team doing Challenges A-E and projectOUTREACH® is required to provide an adult Appraiser (age 18 or older) who spends one Saturday in January or February getting trained, one full day at the Sub-state tournament, and one full day at the State tournament. Every Rising Stars!® team is required to provide one adult volunteer who serves up to a half day in a non-scoring role at the Sub-state tournament, and does not need to have advance training.

Although Team Managers often ask a team member’s parent to step in as an Appraiser, there are many other ways to find one. Read How to Find Appraisers for suggestions. You may wish to share Top Reasons to Be an Appraiser with anyone you ask to serve in this capacity. We also welcome adults who are NOT representing a team to become an Appraiser. If you would like to become a Friend of cre8iowa by serving as a non-team affiliated Appraiser, please contact Keith Kutz at only_kman@yahoo.com.

The main role of an Appraiser is to keep an open mind in order to discover areas in which to “praise” teams by awarding them points. That’s why ApPRAISErs are called Appraisers. Appraisers set the tone of the tournament to a great extent. If they are happy to be there, then that is evident to the teams and their spirit is infectious. The scores you award teams at tournament provide them with critical feedback they need to evaluate themselves, to improve their solution at the next level of competition, and to set goals for their next Destination Imagination season.

It is definitely fun to watch teams’ creative performances and to award them well-deserved points. Many of our Board members, in fact, began their volunteer experience with Destination Imagination as Appraisers; most of them serve as tournament officials today (in addition to wearing other hats). At Destination Imagination Global Finals, it is considered to be a privilege to be selected as an Appraiser. You can see how some Appraisers celebrate the fun by participating in a Team Manager & Officials Challenge at Global Finals.

When you check in at Appraiser training, you will sign up to appraise a Challenge that is different from the one the team you represent is doing. Challenges focus on technical, scientific, fine arts, improvisational, structural or service learning areas, or—in the case of Instant Challenge—on on-the-spot problem solving. You can find a preview of the Challenges HERE, and can see what practice Instant Challenges look like by visiting our Instant Challenge Library. You’ll get an overview of the Destination Imagination program, become acquainted with the difference between objective, subjective and zero scores, learn all about the Challenge you will be appraising, and experience how to work together as a member of an Appraisal team.

Speaking of Instant Challenge, this week’s newly-released Instant Challenges include:

By becoming familiar with the same rules that teams follow, you’ll help us to create a fair and consistent playing field for every team at tournament. You’ll take what you learn at Appraiser training to the Sub-state tournament, refine your skills and learn some new lessons, and apply them at the State tournament, where the first place team in every Challenge and Level earns the right to advance to Global Finals. In a sense, you are doing the same thing that teams are doing, i.e., both of you are improving your performance from one tournament to the next. You’ll have a chance to evaluate teams for creativity, teamwork and problem-solving, and will nominate some teams and some individuals for exceptional creativity, expertise, DI spirit, community service and other areas.

Several points to keep in mind about being a DI Appraiser are that you are making a commitment to the team you represent by serving as an official.  The team is not allowed to advance to the next level of competition without your completion of training and your service at both tournaments. You will spend the entire tournament day at the site of the Challenge you are appraising, and will not be able to leave the site until the last team has performed and your Head Appraiser or Challenge Master excuse you. Your free lunch on both tournament days is provided by Students for a Creative Iowa. Teams who have a single Team Manager must be accompanied by that Team Manager at tournament, who may not also serve as an Appraiser. Appraisers can choose on what day to attend training, as follows. Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m., and training runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

  • Jan. 26, 2013 – Kirkwood Community College (Iowa City)
    • 1816 Lower Muscatine Rd.,  Iowa City, IA 52240
    • Check-In: Room ICCR 255
  • Feb. 2, 2013 – Kuemper Catholic High School (Carroll)
    • 116 S. East St Carroll, IA 51401
    • Check-In: Cafeteria/Hallway
  • Feb. 9, 2013 – Ames Middle  School (Ames)
    • 3915 Mortensen Road, Ames, IA 50014
    • Check-In: Commons

If you have never served as an Appraiser (or even if you have), and would like to have a better sense of what to expect as an Appraiser, you will benefit from visiting DI University. This is a free online training that gives you an overview of the program and explains some of the roles that Appraisers fill. It is not a substitute for learning about the Team Challenge you will appraise at tournament, since that information is provided at your official Appraiser Training, but it definitely helps to paint a picture for you. The two modules that will benefit you most include “Being a DI Appraiser” and “Rules of the Road.”

As we get closer to tournament, you will find updated Appraiser information, on the Appraiser Information page on our Web site. For now, you’ll want to add these 2 tournament dates to your calendar:

  • March 9, 2013 (Saturday). Sub-State Tournament. Ames Middle School, Ames.
  • April 6, 2013 (Saturday). State Tournament. Ames Middle School, Ames.
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 Posted by at 6:58 pm

Walking the line between facilitation and Interference

 instant challenge, team support  Comments Off
Oct 192012
 

It is the natural tendency of adult facilitators to want to be helpful to students solving a Destination Imagination® (DI) Team Challenge. In DI, however, the rules of Interference provide clear instructions about where the lines of Interference are drawn.

A Destination Imagination team is charged with interpreting its own Challenge, generating its own ideas, selecting its own resources, doing its own research, and constructing its own solution. When non-team members get involved in these activities, Interference rules have been breached, directly affecting a team’s success.

The success of a team is determined not only by its standing at tournament, but also by the knowledge and experience our students gain from the process. Competition is only one aspect of the Destination Imagination program. Most of the season, in fact, is spent learning about the process of creativity from imagination to innovation, and gaining life-long learning lessons in analysis and problem-solving, teamwork, performance, technical skills, time management, budgeting, organization, priority-setting, and more. When non-team members contribute to the solution of Team Challenges or Instant Challenge, this takes away from the team’s ability to learn these lessons and skills.

The importance and seriousness of Interference are highlighted by the fact that DI requires every team member and Team Manager to sign a Declaration of Independence at tournament. By signing this Declaration, the team members and Team Managers promise that the presented solution and all its ideas and research were produced by ONLY the team members, that they understand the rules of Interference, and that they do not know anything in advance about the Instant Challenge performed at competition.

Interference is one of the most serious obstacles for teams. If a tournament official observes Interference, then the tournament official gives a warning (if it is a minor matter of Interference), or a deduction to the team. In Instant Challenge, a team may be disqualified from competition because of Interference. Tournament officials are required to act in order to maintain a level playing field for all teams. We strive to promote a fun and fair competition; part of that involves giving warranted deductions, if Interference gives an unfair advantage to a team.

What can Team Managers, Coordinators, parents, teachers and audience members do to avoid Interference?

1. Early in the season, review the rules of Interference with team members and parents. Have everyone read and sign the Interference Contract found on page 28 of Roadmap.

2. Discuss the Interference Triangle, found on page 14 of Rules of the Road. The Solution makes up the top of the Interference Triangle, and represents the area where the Team Manager(s) CANNOT help the team. The bottom of the triangle, Skills and Challenge & Rules, represents the areas where a Team Manager CAN assist the team. For detailed information about Interference, refer to pages 14-16 of Rules of the Road. (Note: Veterans of the program would benefit from reading the rules about Interference.)

  • Skills are both those the team already has, and the new ones it acquires during the course of the DI season. It is the responsibility of a Team Manager to help a team acquire new skills. How? A Team Manager can arrange for a speaker or demonstrator to teach a broad range of general skills to the team. However, please note that these skills may not suggest a specific solution to the Challenge; it is up to the team to apply the skills they learn to their Challenge. In general, if a team does not know the skills to accomplish a task, then students either must learn those skills, or find a different way to solve the Challenge.
  • Challenge & Rules include the printed Challenge, Rules of the Road, and Published Clarifications. Published Clarifications supersede all other rules, and can be found HERE. Follow Destination Imagination on Facebook and Twitter and you will be alerted when a new Published Clarification is posted. It is the job of team members, the Team Manager(s) and tournament officials to know and understand these rules. If a team does not understand the rules, it can write for a Team Clarification. Each team is allowed to ask up to 10 Clarification questions by visiting http://www.diatlas.org/clarifications/login.php. The deadline for submitting Team Clarification questions is February 15, 2013. A Clarification will not be shared with any other team. Keep in mind that it is not the answers in Team Clarifications that are a secret. The answers come directly from the Challenge or the Rules of the Road. It is the team’s questions that are completely confidential and will not be shared with any other team. This is because the question often reflects the thinking and direction of the team’s solution.

Before your team submits a Clarification question, remind students to re-read the Challenge carefully, paying special attention to grayed text that provides special definitions or explains special rules. Encourage your team to use a standard dictionary if they don’t understand terms, and to discuss their understanding. Remember that it is NOT the Team Manager’s job to interpret the rules! A Team Manager may point out where the team is violating a rule by asking the team to re-read that section of the Team Challenge, but it is up to the team to come up with a solution.

3. Encourage your team to develop independence. One excellent way to do this is through Instant Challenge practice, where team members learn to rely on each other. Each week through November, you’ll find new Instant Challenges in cre8iowa’s Instant Challenge Library. This week’s Instant Challenges are:

If you have questions about Interference, feel free to contact Judy Nolan, Co-Affiliate Training Director, by email at: judynolan@aol.com.

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Training opportunities for facilitators

 team support, workshops  Comments Off
Oct 122012
 

Destination Imagination season is now well underway. If you’ve purchased your Team Pack(s) and are ready to dive into training, you’ll want to take advantage of the following opportunities:

The Basic Training Podcast for Team Managers & Coordinators is divided into 7 sections that you can listen to as your time allows. Whether you’re a new or returning facilitator, you’ll find useful information in these audio recordings. Returning Team Managers and Coordinators will wish to pay special attention to Getting Started, which contains a “What’s New This Season” segment.

An Advanced Team Manager & Coordinator Training Workshop is being held on Saturday, December 1 in Ames at the Iowa Energy Center. Training runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (although we may finish earlier). Even if you are a new Destination Imagination participant, you’ll benefit from this training which includes the following topics:

  • Helping Your Team Understand How to Make Materials Work
  • Drawing the Line Between Helping Your Team and Interfering
  • Developing Skill Sets for Your Team Challenge
  • Q & A with the Challenge Masters

Although this workshop is already included in your Iowa Membership Registration fee, we ask you to register HERE by Monday, Nov. 26th so that we can plan appropriately and have enough working materials on hand. Please note that it is NOT necessary for you to pay your Iowa Membership Registration fee in order to be able to attend this workshop. Coffee, water and snacks will be provided; just bring a sack lunch and yourself!

Finally, as you meet with your teams, take advantage of Instant Challenge training opportunities by visiting our Instant Challenge Library. This week’s newly-released Instant Challenges include:

Questions? Contact Judy Nolan at judynolan@aol.com.

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Focus on teamwork: part 2

 team support  Comments Off
Oct 052012
 

1 The Forming Stage

Last week I discussed the fact that at the beginning of the Destination Imagination season, teams are in what educational psychologist Bruce Tuckman calls the Forming Stage, when it’s time for students to get to know each other, not to make a major decision about what Team Challenge they are going to solve. The team, in other words, has to be more important than the Challenge itself before any effective progress can be made with the Challenge.

Some ways for teams to get to know each other, besides the ones described in last week’s post, include the following discussion activities that sell for under $20 at Amazon.com (and likely other places, such as your local educational materials store):

  • Conversations to Go, by Moonjar, is a fun discussion-based activity that is available for around $14.95. Question cards are inside a box that you shake up and open. Pick a question, read it aloud, and surprise each other with your answers. Sample questions include: What do you like to do most on the Internet? If you could have a conversation with any animal, which one would it be and why?  If you could shout something out loud what would you say?

  • TableTalk Conversation Cards, by US Games, is another discussion-based activity that sells for about $6. Each card in the deck presents an interesting fact and asks a question to get a conversation started. There are no right or wrong answers, and no special knowledge is needed. A sample card reads as follows: With the possible exception of the spiny anteater, all mammals sleep. The average human infant sleeps 16 to 18 hours per day. The average adult sleeps seven to eight hours a day, or about one-third of every day. How would your life be different if you didn’t have to sleep?

  • Would You Rather…, by Zobmondo!,  is a question-based game whose objective is to stimulate entertaining, ridiculous, and thought-provoking conversation with questions that act as icebreakers.  The game sells in many variations that range from about $9-$18. Sample questions include: Would you rather sing every word you speak –OR- always speak in rhymes? Would you rather live in a home without electricity –OR- in a home without running water? Would you rather run across a hungry alligator’s back –OR- run underneath an angry elephant?

2 The Storming Stage

It doesn’t take long before a team moves into the Storming Stage, when it becomes critical for members to learn to trust and respect one another. As they do this, it will be normal for you to see disagreements erupt. And that’s okay, as long as trust and respect are still there.  You’ll find that activities such as Helium Stick  and All Aboard will help promote teamwork. You can find many other team building activities at Wilderdom Games, Great Group Games, and Great Solutions to Team Challenges.

The Storming Stage is a good time for you to remind your team that there is no “I” in TEAM, that the team is stronger than the individual. But at the same time, it is important to reassure individuals that they are valued. I used to remind my team that there are really no bad ideas, only good ideas and better ones—and it is the team’s responsibility to develop good ideas into the most unique ones they possibly can. We tried very hard not to ignore stray ideas; in fact, every team member had a stack of Post-it Notes® handy so that if an idea occurred that wasn’t directly resulted to the current discussion, the team member could write down that idea and paste it to chart paper without interrupting the flow of the team conversation. This way, every idea was acknowledged and treated as a “jewel” to be examined later.

When teams are having trouble getting past disagreements during this stage, it is helpful for them to share an experience that helps them grow in their confidence to deal with a challenge as a group. If you refer to page73 in Road Map, you’ll see something called a K-W-L Chart. To use this chart, encourage your team to list skills they already (K)now and skills they want to (L)earn as a group. Then, zero in on a shared learning goal, such as an art technique, sewing, making a closed electrical circuit, using a power tool—or whatever interests your team; the number of learning opportunities is endless. If you bring in a speaker or demonstrator who can help your team learn a new skill, your team will feel empowered with its newly-acquired knowledge. Who knows how they will apply it? That’s up to the team.  I have seen more than one team develop an awesome Team Choice Element, however, simply because of a learning experience shared during the Storming Stage. At the end of the season, return to the K-W-L Chart and include the skill the team has learned in the (L)earn column as one of its positive outcomes, and make sure to celebrate it as an accomplishment when evaluating the team’s progress.

3 The Norming Stage

Although the focus is on producing results during the Norming Stage, it is still normal for a team to encounter personal conflicts as the season progresses. To the extent that a team deals with these conflicts constructively, that determines how much the group will grow.

As a Team Manager, you can help your team focus on what it needs to do during this stage by reminding team members of the objectives they set at the beginning of the season, as well as the timeline that the team (not you!) has set.  Encourage your team to modify its short-term goals (within 24 hours), medium-term goals (within a week) and long-term goals (within the month) as needs change, and to assign responsibilities to specific individuals. This keeps team members accountable to each other, and keeps the team moving forward.

If your team gets stuck, remember that you can use CPS (Creative Problem Solving) strategies to help your team get past an obstacle. In Roadmap, refer to ABC Brainstorming on page 59, and Mix and Match (also known as Morphological Matrix) on page 66 to help your team brainstorm more effectively. Use Decision-Making Matrix on page 38, Choice Helper (also known as Evaluation Matrix) on page 87, and Paired Choice Analysis on page 104 to help team members arrive at decisions efficiently. You can learn more about CPS strategies from this document in cre8iowa’s Document Library: Using CPS Tools to Teach Your Team Creative & Critical Thinking Strategies.

Remember that team building is a process that continues throughout the season. The ice breakers and games you play during the Forming and Storming Stages of the program continue to be useful as the season progresses. A fun problem-solving game that also promotes teamwork, discussion, creativity and reflection, and was developed by DI, is Schema, in which your team divides itself into a Challenge Team and a Building Team. You’ll find this game at ShopDI.org for $9.

The basics of Schema are as follows:

  1. The Challenging Team chooses a set of tasks from its cards and gives those tasks to the Building Team. The Building Team chooses items from its cards to build a device that completes all the tasks. The Building Team will have a set time to build the device from the items chosen.
  2.  If the Building Team’s device completes all the tasks, all the cards in play are removed from the game. If the Building Team’s device doesn’t complete all the tasks, the Challenging Team gets all the cards in play.
  3.  The teams then switch roles and repeat the process.
  4.  The first team to run out of cards loses.

As always, continue to practice Instant Challenge, which develops good teamwork and keeps the energy flowing. This week’s newly-released Instant Challenges can be found in cre8iowa’s Instant Challenge Library:

 4 The Performing Stage

As your team approaches tournament, it is normal for tempers to flare and for frustrations to build. You can help your team deal with this by encouraging open and honest (and respectful) communication. On page 100 of Roadmap, Team Managers are reminded that they serve the role of a facilitator. In concrete terms, this means helping your team walk through conflict resolution through discussion. Encourage team members to (1) identify the issues, (2) clarify people’s positions, and (3) pinpoint the underlying concerns, needs or desires of individuals. This helps everyone on the team to be on the same page, and to find a way to meet in the middle.

Sometimes a team will get lost in the proverbial forest without seeing the trees. Remind your team to re-read the Challenge, and point to the scoring rubric found in every Team Challenge to help them set appropriately their priorities for time, energy and effort. Every Team Challenge has a couple of pie charts in its Reward Points section that serves as a visual reminder of priorities.

5 The Adjourning Stage

The final stage of the DI season should be a celebration of all that the team has accomplished, whether it finishes its Team Challenge solution and showcases it at tournament or not. Tournament results represent only a small fraction of a team’s accomplishments. Stress the positive outcomes of the season, rather than trophies or special awards. Make sure you take the time to ask each team member, in a group setting, to describe an experience he or she particularly enjoyed, or an aspect of the program that was especially valued. You’ll hear responses such as, “ I really enjoyed working with my friends,” “I learned how important teamwork is,” and “DI was so fun this year; when will we start next season?”

Whether you hold a potluck dinner, pass out awards for individual or group accomplishments, go to a theme park to celebrate, or have a party, it is important to acknowledge everyone’s contributions, to list the objectives the team has accomplished, and to end on a positive note that reminds teams of the fun times they’ve shared. This sets the stage for the next season, whether that season involves DI or another team-based activity, or to the next stage in life if your team members are graduating.

Teamwork is the glue that forms a team and keeps it together. It is also one of the skills DI participants remember most years after Destination Imagination is behind them. Three years ago, 2009 Students for a Creative Iowa Scholarship winner Marissa Paulsen wrote in her application, “DI stresses the importance of teamwork, but I don’t think everyone realizes just how important it is for every aspect of Destination Imagination. Our DI team has many talented individuals, but I truly believe we could not have accomplished what we have without teamwork.”

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