DIscussions - Volume 1, Number 2 (12/01/2007)
Table of Contents
Welcome:
This is the second issue of DIscussions, the Montana Destination ImagiNation Newsletter. If you missed the first issue you can find it at DIscussion Volume 1 Number 1
If you are a new Team Manager we want to know the questions that you and your teams need answered right away. If you are a seasoned Team Manager, please share some of your successes so we can include them in this newsletter. Send your ideas to montanacq@mt-di.org
We wish all Montana DI Teams and Team Managers the best of luck as you carve your unique paths to our Destination ImagiNation celebrations next spring!
Creativity Yours,
Heather Geiger & Connie Ackerman State Directors
Tricks and Traps of Choosing a Team Challenge
One of the first challenges that Team Managers face each year is selecting the Team Challenge. Your team will need to select one of the challenges listed below.
- Obstacles, of Course!
- Hit or Myth
- DI’ve Got A Secret
- Chorific!
- Switch
- Rising Stars: Twisted History
Teams should choose a challenge that has elements that fit the team members’ interests. Don’t let the name of the challenge be the driving factor for selecting the challenge. A good way to avoid this issue is to present each challenge’s Points of Interest, (the tasks that must be performed to solve the challenge) before giving away the name. This way the team chooses the challenge based on the tasks that they feel they can accomplish and not on the catchy name. The Points of Interest are listed on the first page of each challenge.
Going over the Points of Interest will take some time. As you present the lists of tasks, ask the team to imagine ways that each team member can incorporate his/her interests. For instance, how can a team member incorporate his building skills if the team decides not to do the structure challenge? How can a team member contribute her talents in a performance challenge if she is not interested in acting? After reviewing all the challenges, have the team discuss which challenge would be the best fit for the whole team.
Team Managers sometimes become nervous when their team selects a challenge that calls for skill sets of which the Team Manager has no knowledge. To this we say, "Excellent!" When the TM has limited knowledge of the subject area, they are forced to ask questions that will help the team focus their research. There’s never a question of which kinds of Instant Challenges to present to their teams! In short, the less you know about the skills necessary, the easier it is for you to not become so invested in the solution that you are tempted to Interfere.
Team Building Activities Just for Fun
Try these team building activities Traffic Jam and People Machine .
Rule of Interference for Instant Challenges
Do the rules of Interference apply to Instant Challenges? The answer is yes, but differently. Many Team Managers become frustrated because they feel they are not allowed to teach the skills necessary to be successful at Instant Challenge. Since you and your team will not know their competition Instant Challenge until the day of the event, it would be difficult for you to teach them your ideas on how to solve it. In practice, you will present many different Instant Challenges and you are encouraged to talk about the skills involved. In fact it is a good idea to have your team do the challenge, talk about it and skills involved, and then have the team do it again a very different way.
So how do the rules apply? Interference rules for Instant Challenge come into play on tournament day. First of all, if you have heard anything specific about the Instant Challenges that are being done at tournaments this year, you should let the Tournament Director know immediately. You and your team will be asked to sign the Declaration of Independence stating that you know nothing about the 2008 Instant Challenges. Only one Team Manager and the team will be allowed in the competition room. Once in the room, your team will be asked how many team members are competing in the challenge. If you have team members that choose to sit out, those team members and the Team Manager may not help with the solution in any way. Team Managers should practice sitting on their hands and watching the Instant Challenge competition with little or no emotion on their faces. Your team will receive Interference penalty points if the Team Manager or non-participating teammates try to give hints or signal the team as it is solving the challenge. Can you laugh if the team does something funny? Sure! But don’t say or do anything that might be interpreted by the Appraisers as assistance. For more information on Interference rules for Instant Challenge see page 28 of the Rules of the Road.
Types of Instant Challenges
Instant Challenges fall into two basic categories: Performance Based or Task Based. Some of the more advanced Instant Challenges can ask the team to do both a task and a performance. This newsletter will talk about simple Instant Challenges that your team will be able to try right away.
Being able to identify the kind of Instant Challenge that you have been given is an important step toward solving the challenge. Your team should practice identifying the kind of challenges so that they can focus on the important elements that will give the team points.
Performance Based Instant Challenges
- Performance with props – your team will be given items to incorporate into an original story
- Performance with team made props – your team will be given materials to create the props for their original story
- Performance with imaginary props – your team will be asked to create a story using specific props…only they won’t really be there. The use of the imaginary props will be scored.
- Performance without props – your team will be asked to create and perform a specific kind of story but no direction on materials is given. In this instance your team may choose to incorporate imaginary props or use team members as props.
- Also check out the MTDI website for more Performance Based IC Tips.
Task Based Instant Challenges
- Your team will be asked to build something with materials that are provided.
- Your team will be asked to move something to somewhere else using materials that are provided.
- Your team will be asked to change something into something else using materials that are provided.
- Your team will be asked to protect something from a force that might destroy it.
- Your team will be asked to create a communication system for telling your teammates how to complete a task.
- Also check out the MTDI website for more Task Based IC tips.
Quick exercise: What kind of challenges were team building exercises in the last issue of DIscussions?
Instant Challenges of the Week:Modern Cinderella - Performance Based
Transport - Task Based
Out of the Box Humor
A fifth grader at our school was given the following problem: James took three T-shirts and three pairs of shorts with him to camp. How many different ways can he wear his shorts and T-shirts?
The student answered: " Upside down, right side up and inside out."
Jackie Meyer, Principal
Summerwind Elementary School, Boise, ID
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