Montana Destination Imagination

Welcome:

This is the third issue of DIscussions, the Montana Destination ImagiNation Newsletter. If you missed the first issue you can find it on the Newsletters pages on Montana's web site.

Make sure your team and appraiser are registered for this year's tournaments.

Also make sure you are checking the Published Clarifications for your challenge. These clarifications are binding on all teams for the specific challenge. If your team is not sure if the rules allow their creative solution send for a clarification from the International Challenge Masters. Challenge Masters will not validate a specific solution (is a specific device "legal") but will let you know fi the rules allow your idea. (e.g. May we use water in our solution?) For more information on how to request a clarification check out Rules of the Road pages 25-26.

Send your ideas and questions about Montana DI 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

Where Do We Start

If you are a beginning Team Manager, you are beginning to understand how difficult it is to get results without telling your team members exactly how to solve the problem. The first challenge you need to manage is how to turn on the creativity. This involves generating ideas and brainstorming is not as easy as it sounds!

The first thing you need to remember about brainstorming is that it does have rules. When considering ideas remember these guidelines:

1. Withhold judgment. Don’t comment give negative or positive comments until all the ideas are on the table.
2. Encourage your team to come up with a lot of ideas. 50 is good. 100 is better…
3. Look for combinations. Pairing two ho-hum ideas to make something unconventional is really creative…and fun!
4. Seek novelty. This is what creative problem solving is all about...a different character, a different story, a different vehicle, a different place, a different use for ______.

Ideas are hard to find if you don’t have a reference point from which to start. It’s like reaching into a black hole. Asking your team to come up with 100 ideas for a story could become a very discouraging exercise unless you have some tricks up your sleeve. Getting to know some of your team’s favorite (or least favorite) subjects could save some valuable time. Favorite TV show? If we asked your favorite cartoon character to be a on our team, what ideas would she have for a theme ? Favorite sport? How would your favorite team solve this technical challenge? Least favorite food? What sorts of challenges does your least favorite food have to overcome to be included on your menu?

Avoid Interference penalties. Keep your questions general and avoid asking questions that lead the team to your own solution. Remember that your team cannot use specific ideas that you bring forward. The acid test for Interference: if the Team Challenge solution looks anything like you personally envisioned, you probably had too much influence.

Team Building Activities

Team Building Exercises that help teams practice generating ideas are improv games such as "Hey Taxi" and "What are you Doing?". For more improv games check out the Improv Encyclopedia.

Cost Costumes and Creative Materials

Teams are responsible for budgeting the costs for their Team Challenge and submitting their Expense Report to the appraisers at tournament. Your team’s budget limit is listed on the first page of your selected Team Challenge. The primary reason for this rule is to keep the playing field even. No team should have an advantage over another team because they were able to "buy" better materials and costumes. This rule has intended consequences of forcing teams to use everyday materials and trash in new and different ways. In fact, successful teams make a game out of using discards in the most surprising and innovative ways possible. Think about this: which costume is going to leave a more lasting impression on the appraisers and audience, a glittery store-bought fairy costume or a flowing fairy costume designed by the team and made of toilet paper?

Every item that is displayed in your team’s solution should be listed on the Expense Report. This form is found on page 44 of the Rules of the Road. It assists your team by having them list costs by category. All team members must wear shoes, shirt and pants or skirt. These items are exempt unless they are altered or replaced by a costume to enhance the solution. Then the value of the enhancement or costume must be reported. New supplies purchased for the solution should have accompanying receipts. Report only the portion of supplies used for the solution. Used or borrowed items must have a reasonable garage sale value assigned. Caution your students in using "borrowed" materials. A good condition wedding gown reported with a garage sale value of $1.00 might not fly with the appraisers! Musical instruments and some basic furniture and are exempt. For a full listing of exempt materials and other Expense Report information see page 19 of the Rules of the Road.

Where to Find Supplies

Finding creative supplies for the team challenge solution and staying within cost can sometimes be a daunting task. Here is a flow chart of how teams can come up with ideas for and places to find supplies they might need.

• Think of the parts you need to build your prop, device, costume or scenery.
• What uses those parts?
• What business or repari business would have those parts?
• Do the team members, their parents or other people know anyone who runs one of those businesses?
• Call the businesses and see if they throw these parts away or have broken ones.
• Ask them to save them or find out when they are available. (Before they are sent to the dump or recycling.)
• Check to see if the owner or an employee needs to be on hand to supervise the team collecting the used parts. The team members should be the ones to go get the parts not just a parent.
• Remember the team members need to decide what they want, which ones they will use, what they will use it for, and how they will use it. (You don't need a garage or classroom full of junk the team will not use.)
• Finally find out what the price would be for this used part if the owner were to sell it to Jon Doe. Get a receipt for that amount even if they give it to you for free. It still has to be on your cost form.

Creating Storylines and Characters in Performance IC

Short term creative problem solving is simply taking what you know along with what you’ve learned and plugging it in to a new situation. Good performance teams practice, practice, practice. Spending the time to load your toolbox will pay off in points.

As you practice performance based challenges your team may have settings and characters that reappear to help the solve it. Your team’s settings can be anywhere that your team that your team has become comfortable: at school, on the moon, on the head of a pin, etc. Your team may also use favorite characterizations to help solve the challenges: a super hero, a forgetful teacher, a belligerent rock. The more wacky the characters, the more opportunities for puns. Developed characterizations are able to help your team by providing interest and humor for the appraisers.

Good teams have an imaginary tool box full of settings and characters that have worked in various performance based situations. As you practice performance based challenges, have your team redo the challenges with characters that they have developed.

Remind your team that not all characters and settings fit all performance based situations. Teams should use their settings and characters wisely. Developed settings and characters should not become canned performances. The first thing the appraisers are looking for is the solution!

Check out the MTDI website for lists of characteristics to consider when developing characters, settings, and stories.

Instant Challenges of the Week:

Lit By Grid- Performance Based

Montana - Task Based

Out of the Box Humor

How to be a kid again:

• Dot all your i's with smiley faces
• Put an orange slice in your mouth, peel side out and smile at people
• Change into play clothes
• Blow the wrapper off a straw
• Refuse to eat crusts