instant challenge

Improv 101

team support Comments Off

Dec 132012

Thinking 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

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 26^th 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.

Focus on teamwork: part 1

season kickoff, team support Comments Off

Sep 272012

Many Team Managers teach students that the acronym TEAM stands for “Together Everyone Achieves More.” Sounds great, doesn’t it? The reality is that good teamwork, or effective collaboration, takes a lot of effort. Good teamwork does not develop overnight, and there are no shortcuts.

Destination Imagination is an educational program that is based on the concept that the creative process can be taught, from imagination to innovation, through team-based Challenges. Everywhere you look in the program, from the international headquarters housed in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to teams scattered around Iowa, you’ll see teams. A team of adult volunteers writes the Challenges, teams of students solve them, teams of Appraisers evaluate the students’ solutions, and a team of adult volunteers runs Students for a Creative Iowa, the non-profit organization that administrates DI in Iowa. All of these teams share in common a passion for learning about the creativity process, but they also share some growing pains which they gradually overcome as they learn about each other, and as they work together.

If you take a look at your program materials, you’ll notice that Roadmap is a great guide for the path your team travels during the program season. On page 11 you’ll find a brief description of a psychological framework for group development, originally published by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965. According to Tuckman, all small groups or teams go through five stages of development that can overlap. At the beginning of the DI season, your team is in the Forming Stage, when behavior is characterized by reserve and politeness because group members don’t know each other well enough to be completely open with their feelings. Team members might also encounter roadblocks when generating ideas because they may not want to offend each other, and thus don’t share what’s on their minds. A Team Manager’s job, during this stage, is to help team members get to know each other, and to encourage disagreement—strange as that may sound—in order to get ideas flowing. This of course leads to the second stage of team development, Storming.

The Forming Stage conforms, to a great extent, to Stage 1 of the Destination Imagination season timeline, Recognize. Some teams will spend 2 weeks in this stage, while others will spend 4 weeks or more. This is a time for teams to focus on team building, not on choosing a Team Challenge right away. Whether a team is comprised of last year’s members, brand new ones, or a combination of returning and new students, it is critical for them to focus on teamwork at the beginning of the season. Not doing so often leads to conflict down the road, and sometimes to a team failing, or not finishing its Challenge.

Stage 1 in Roadmap is found on pages 19-54, and includes lots of team building activities: By the Numbers, Team Name, Shape Up, Let’s Hear It, and Team Planning—just to name a few. The 4^th activity is called Team Choice Element Inventory, and can be used to help a team discover its interests. Please note that a team’s interests do not necessarily reflect its strengths, but instead where a team may be motivated to place its efforts, both learning and otherwise. The very last activity in Stage 1 is Reflection, when teams finally select a Team Challenge.

In truth, team building is an ongoing process that continues during the entire season. Sometimes the best teamwork is facilitated not by what goes on at team meetings, but by what goes on between the meetings. When I used to manage a team, every student had a special role, one of which was the Team Spirit Coordinator. It was this person’s job to communicate with team members about generating ideas for non-DI activities the team could do together. This resulted in a trip to the local Dairy Queen store for ice cream treats, a board game night, a combination birthday/winter holiday party, a movie night, bowling, and many shared pizzas. All of these activities contributed to team members getting to know, trust and respect each other—and in their not being afraid to disagree with each other, ultimately planting a rich soil for creativity to sprout.

Team building activities

You’ll hear experienced Team Managers tell you that Instant Challenges act as team building experiences, and this is really true. As teams practice Instant Challenge, they build a library of experiences that includes not only problem-solving skills, but especially teamwork skills. That is why you are encouraged, at every team meeting, to practice at least one Instant Challenge. This week’s newly-released Instant Challenges, which are found in the cre8iowa Instant Challenge Library, are as follows:

Performance-based: Freeze Frame
Task-based: Target That Frame
Rising Stars!®: Nursery of Fame and the Frame

Improvisational and theatre games are an excellent way for team members to get to know each other. Felicia Borges, a long-time Destination Imagination volunteer from California, compiled and modified 21 pages of Kid Friendly Improv Games, based on information found at the Learn Improv site.

Icebreakers or warm-ups provide another great way for your team to develop effective teamwork skills. In 40 Icebreakers for Small Groups, you’ll find 32 pages of activities that are great to use with youths of all ages in a small setting (such as a home or classroom). Thank you to Grahame Knox from the United Kingdom, a youth ministry leader and trainer who has provided this free e-book on his blog, Insight.

Cre8iowa has a limited number of improvisational, drama and small group activity books that are available to Iowa’s DI participants, as follows. To save costs, all books will be mailed via Media Mail, and shipping will be added to the book prices. Contact cre8iowa@gmail.com if you are interested.

Improvisation: Use What You Know—Make Up What You Don’t, 2^nd Edition, by Brad Newton, founding member of Kidprov. Price: $15 plus shipping
Team Challenges: 170+ Group Activities to Build Cooperation, Communication, and Creativity, by Kris Bordessa, a Destination Imagination Team Manager. Price: $15 plus shipping
More Team-Building Activities for Every Group, by Alanna Jones. Includes 107 games and activities. Price: $15 plus shipping
On Stage: Theater Games and Activities for Kids, by Lisa Bany-Winters. Learn about improvisational games, make puppets, discover makeup secrets, build a set, and more. Price: $15 plus shipping
Theatre Games for Young Performers: Improvisations and Exercises for Developing Acting Skills, by Maria C. Novelly. Provides imagination-expanding exercises in pantomime, voice and improvisational acting. Price: $15 plus shipping
The Ultimate Improv Book: A Complete Guide to Comedy Improvisation, by Edward J. Nevraumont and Nicholas P. Hanson. Complete improve curriculum in 24 class-length units. Price: $18 plus shipping

Next week’s post will discuss a number of fun products that are great alternatives to book exercises for team building. Remember: If your team thinks DI is fun, you’re doing something right.

Understanding your team’s scores

team support, tournament Comments Off

Mar 092012

The Sub-state Tournament is behind your team, and the State Tournament is ahead. So, what should your team do to prepare for the next Tournament?

The first order of business is an analysis of your team’s standings. Your team’s Tournament score is comprised of individual components detailing whether your team did an above average, average or fair job. To learn where your team needs to make changes, it’s important to examine your scores 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, 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 side column of 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 Equipment Score (max. 80 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
Column 3: The top number is the Scaled Product Design and Usage Score (max. 30 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
Column 4: The top number is the Scaled Order Completion Score (max. 100 points). Below it is the Raw Score.
Column 5: The top number is the Scaled Story Score (max. 30 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 (Design and Creativity of the Golf Ball Delivery Device) and Element 3 (Story). 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. In the case of Challenge C, where an Original Soundtrack is required, the team should ask itself: What is original about our Original Soundtrack?

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 Performance. 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 Performance 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?

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!

12 Tips for Instant Challenge Preparation

instant challenge, team support Comments Off

Mar 172011

Don’t forget about Instant Challenge between Tournaments. Especially at the State Tournament, the best teams can rank closely in their Central Challenge scores. What generally makes the difference, when it comes to team placement, is Instant Challenge, since this represents one-quarter of the final score. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Make sure your team practices Instant Challenge at every single meeting. Although one meeting does not make up for a lack of consistent practice, arrange for a meeting, if necessary, where you can focus on Instant Challenge.

2. It is not just the quantity of Instant Challenges practiced that matters, but also the quality of the Challenges and the quality of the debriefing that takes place afterward. Select Instant Challenges with a view toward providing students with exposure to new skills or experiences they need to acquire. Then make sure you discuss the outcome with students.

3. Although it is critical for a Team Manager or Coordinator to provide students with constructive feedback after a practice Instant Challenge, students also need to be involved in evaluating themselves. Ask them how they might score themselves, what they think they did well, where they could improve, and what they might do differently. In fact, give students a chance to repeat all or part of an Instant Challenge to help them experience learning success.

4. Go back to old Instant Challenges, and ask students to develop a different solution. Then encourage them to solve the Challenge again with a third solution. This teaches students not only that there is more than one solution for every single Instant Challenge, but also the importance of generating a unique solution.

5. Just as there is more than one solution to every Instant Challenge, there is more than one way to prepare for it. Encourage your students to play board games together that stress risk-taking (and consequences), critical problem-solving and creative thinking. Games to consider include Risk, Apples to Apples, Cranium, The Game of SCATTERGORIES, and similar games. To emphasize pattern analysis, ask your team to solve a jigsaw or Sudoku puzzle. To focus on balance, movement, and spatial awareness, have your team play Jenga or build a marble maze. To sharpen acting skills, play charades.

6. Emphasize to teams that they need to avoid the trap of seizing the first idea that occurs to them, since this is usually the most common solution. All Instant Challenges are designed to have more than one solution. Just because adults or students are unable to generate more than one solution does not mean they do not exist.

7. Avoid the trap of assuming there is a loophole that will solve the challenge. This is related to the assumption that there is only one solution to the challenge. When in doubt about the intent of a challenge, students need to refer to the Challenge statement that appears at the start of every Instant Challenge. Note that the Challenge is read once in entirety, and then the Appraiser re-reads the Challenge statement before the Timekeeper starts the clock.

8. Make sure your team practices a balance of all types of Instant Challenges: Performance, Task and Combination. Don’t be afraid to modify existing Instant Challenges so that your team is exposed to as many different types of challenges as possible. Shorten the time, add or subtract a step, change the materials, or switch a verbal challenge to a non-verbal one. Your goal is to help your students build a library of experiences from which they can draw when they compete, or at the very least achieve a level of comfort with the unexpected.

9. Be aware that within each type of Instant Challenge are sub-categories. Performance-Based Instant Challenges can be verbal or non-verbal, involve props or have no props at all. Task-Based Instant Challenges can be verbal or non-verbal, and involve moving, modifying, controlling, protecting, extending, building, communicating or solving a critical thinking problem that has more than one solution. Combination Instant Challenges can involve both a task and a performance which may or may not be related to each other. Sometimes a team is required to divide its members in order to accomplish multiple tasks or parts of a performance or task. Instant Challenges can have 2 or 3 parts whose tasks are well-defined; other times, there is only one part and the team must monitor the time closely to complete all of the requirements.

10. Make sure your team members are cross-trained in various roles, such as facilitating idea generation, tracking time, analyzing the rules, knowing how to score points, and manipulating materials. Even though all teams are comprised of external (talky) and internal (reflective) students, make sure everyone has a role during Instant Challenge, since this affects your teamwork score and, ultimately, the outcome of the challenge.

11. Where can you find Instant Challenges? Besides the set of Practice Instant Challenges that arrive with your program materials, you can download the Beta Roadmap to a Tournament from IDODI, which contains many Instant Challenges and warm-up activities. Visit cre8iowa’s Instant Challenge Library to download challenges written by Iowa adult and student volunteers. Go to the cre8iowa Document Library, and discover links to Instant Challenge collections found elsewhere on the Internet.

12. Next year, when your team participates in the Destination ImagiNation program, make sure you sign up for the cre8iowa Instant Challenger workshop that is held in early January. Teams who take advantage of this workshop, as well as teams whose adult facilitators attend Team Manager & Coordinator Training every year, generally experience fewer problems during the program season.

Interference: Hurtful, not helpful

team support No Responses »

Feb 112011

We usually encourage helpfulness in ourselves and others. If you have a useful idea, you want to share to help make the project better. If you have a skill set that would allow you to meaningfully contribute, you want to get involved to help the solution along. If you have access to some material(s) that would be perfect for some aspect of the problem, you want to provide said materials without being asked. However, in regard to the Destination ImagiNation® solution the teams are putting together, such acts are not actually helpful. In fact, in all of those cases the Team Manager, Parent, Teacher, Audience members, etc. are actually hurting the team, not helping them.

Interference is one of the most serious obstructions for the teams. The success of a team is not only determined by its standing at Tournament, but also by the knowledge and experience our students gain from the process. It is not an accident that Destination ImagiNation is described as a learning process instead of a competition. The program facilitates the learning of many life-long skills including creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, performance and technical skills, time management, budgeting, organization skills, and many others. When non-Team members contribute to the solution of Team Challenges or Instant Challenge, then it takes away from the team learning these lessons and skills. The importance and seriousness of Interference is highlighted by the fact that DI requires every team member and Team Manager to sign a Declaration of Independence. By signing this Declaration, the team members and Team Managers are promising 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 about the Instant Challenge.

If a Tournament Official happens to observe Interference, then the Tournament Official must act by either giving a warning (if it is a small manner of Interference) or giving a deduction to the team. The Tournament Officials are thus required to act in order to maintain a level playing field for all teams. We strive to promote a fun and fair competition and a part of that is to give out warranted deductions, if the Interference unduly gives an advantage to the team.

So what can Team Managers, Parents, Teachers, Audience members, and other adults do to help the team, but to not interfere? The Interference Triangle, found in the middle of page 14 of the Rules of the Road, provides the answer. The Skills and Challenge & Rules, which make up the foundation of the Challenge (and the Solution), are the areas where a Team Manager can assist the team. (Please note that while a Team Manager can arrange for skills to be taught, these must be a range of general skills that do not suggest a specific solution to the Challenge.) The Solution, which makes up the top of the triangle, is the area where the Team Manager(s) cannot help the team. For more information on what is and is not Interference, please read pages 14-17 of the Rules of the Road. (Note: Even veterans of the program would benefit from reading the rules on Interference.)

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

Happy Creating!