Welcome to New Team Manager Training for Rising Star Teams What Is Destination ImagiNation ? ® • Destination is a project based educational program that teaches creative problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork. • Teams learn these skills by engaging in the process of solving open ended challenges and presenting their solutions to the challenges at a tournament What Is The Central Challenge? • Teams work on a solution to one of six published challenges • Involves technical, structural, and theatrical elements What Is The Central Challenge? • RS Teams generally spend 1-2 months working on the solution • Team’s solution is presented at the Regional Tournament in March Central Challenges A-E assembly required the solar stage Destination ImagiNation® 2011-2012 Challenges Project Outreach the world canvas coming attractions news to me hold it built to last Rising Stars Central Challenge Or Rising Stars can do one of A-E Let’s Read the 2011-2012 Rising Stars Challenge built to last Video – Team Solution to a Central Challenge What Are Team Choice Elements? • Presented with the Central Challenge solution • Two team chosen elements which showoff team’s interests, skills, strengths, and talents • They are optional It’s the Process, Not Competition! • The TM Mantra • It’s Not Your Problem! – Let the Team Solve the Problem • If your team presents any solution at the tournament they are already winners • The value in Destination ImagiNation is in the growth and skills developed by engaging in the challenge solving process Team Registration • Coordinator usually sets up the membership • At the Resource Area at www.idodi.org, you can download documents with your membership information: – Challenges – Team Manager’s Guide – Rules of The Road • Team Managers need to register team and update team information at www.caldi.org What Do I Do First? • Meet with parents • Delegate and get help – Co-managers – Helpers – Share Snacks – Appraiser – Volunteer – Transportation What Do I Do First? • • • • • • Discuss time commitment Discuss expectations Discuss letting the kids do it themselves Establish meeting schedule Establish a budget Get Contact and Emergency Information – Including Allergies or other Special Needs What Do I Do First? • Find places to meet • Do Team Building Games and Activities • Have the team come up with citizenship guidelines for how they will treat each other • Do Instant Challenges • Choose a Central Challenge Rising Stars Rough Schedule Intro Destination ImagiNation® Meeting SEPT OCT Team Member & Team Manager Trainings & Workshops NOV DEC JAN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT March 3, 2012 FEB MAR CA STATE TOURNAMENT March 31, 2012 APR GLOBAL FINALS* MAY • Finalizing, refining solutions • Props, artwork, costumes, scripts • “Crunch” time, rehearse • And more Instant Challenges • Learning to work as a team • Instant Challenges • Understanding the Central Challenge • Brainstorming ideas • Research & experimentation • Creating the presentation • More Instant Challenges Time flies when you’re having fun Instant Challenge Basics What Is An Instant Challenge? • A surprise challenge solved at the Tournament • Teams generally have only 6 to 8 minutes to solve the Instant Challenge • May be task and/or performance based • RS Instant Challenge is age appropriate, fun, noncompetitive, not scored • RS Challenge is a secret for a day • RS Instant Challenges – Practice Instant Challenges Video – Team Solution To An Instant Challenge Rising Stars • The Beginning of the Destination Imagination Journey! • Teamwork + Imagination • Working Together for 2-3 Months leading up to: ~ 8 minute Central Challenge Performance ~ 9 minute Instant Challenge • Rising Star Team: – 6-9 team members 4-7 Year Olds • Guiding the Rising Star Team: – 1 or 2 team managers • Supporting the Rising Star Team: – Parents, Brothers, Sisters, Grandparents, Friends… Guiding Rising Stars - SAFETY IS #1 • Teaching creative thinking – Providing an environment for exploration with activities that let kids learn by doing • Encouraging independence – Let the kids make decisions – Let the kids learn from their mistakes – Let the kids DO IT THEMSELVES (DIT) as much as possible • Focusing on the process – All about the kids learning – Help kids getting frustrated, HELP WHEN SAFETY REQUIRES IT • Remembering your role: – Leading idea-generating sessions, practice and evaluation sessions – Teaching skills to help the kids: DIT – TM role is NOT to design and build, but to encourage, and ask questions • Teaching time management – To Do Lists, Calendar Let Them Do It Themselves The Hardest Thing for a Team Manager to do is…… KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!!! RS Meetings • 1 hour at 1st • Longer later on (1.5 hours) – depending on age, fun level • Can meet more often during crunch time • Be Prepared: Agenda, Materials for Activities • Set a Better Example Than I Did: Be On Time ☺ RS Typical Meeting 1.Warmups – 2 or 3 fun teamwork exercises - Often teams like to do them again and again each week 2. Discuss, Plan, Make Decisions for Central Challenge 3. Work on Central Challenge 4. 1 or More Instant Challenges - can rotate with co-team-manager, parents 5. SNACK – rotate snack volunteers 6. Squeeze in free play time – they’re young! RS Meetings What is the shape of teamwork? RS Meetings – Warm Up The Ha Ha Circle Game – The SRFP’s Fav • Everyone sits in the shape of teamwork • Going around the circle: – 1st person says “Ha” – 2nd person says “Ha Ha”, – 3rd person says “Ha Ha Ha”, and so on… • The rule: Must do the right number of Ha Ha’s (with young kids you can be loose with this rule) • The twist: no one can laugh during the game! • When the Ha Ha Circle is broken, next person starts over with 1 Ha • Keep track of the team’s record (SRFP’s was over 100) RS Instant Challenges Basics • Building teamwork, praise teamwork • Give your Team Instant Challenges at meetings – More than 1 during 1st meetings – 1 during later meetings • a great reward for getting work done – Skip if need to focus on central challenge (kids will boo :-) • Extend time limit if they need it – At least for awhile, then ask team if they want to stick to the time limit • Choose different types and difficulties – Ask team if they want to do a more challenging one • Talk about them afterwards – the team’s thoughts and yours • Repeat Instant Challenges if team wants to Great Activities to Kick Off Team Work • Creative Thinking Activity: Brainstorming, then discuss/select/combine: – Have the team come up with a team name • Instant Challenge: – Have the team come up with a team cheer • Team-Art-Work Activity: – Have the team create the team sign Central Challenge - Developing the Story • Teach Story Elements – can use warm ups, Instant Challenges – Beginning, Middle, End + Characters, Settings, Props – Entertaining! • Brainstorm Ideas, Then Discuss/Select Ideas – Include all team members’ ideas – Destination Imagination Policy: No violence • Storyboarding: Make a Comic Book – Draw simple, high level cartoons that show the action in panels – 6 panels per page, or 1 panel per page – One approach: • Each team member tells their story to the team with their storyboards • What did you like? No criticism. • Combine panels from all team members together into team storyboard – Inclusion • Connect the dots or train tracks: add panels when parts of story don’t connect • Scriptwriting – Storyboards have characters, action, settings, props, so now they can write the script Peter’s Star Trekin’ Teamwork Tools • Like Covey says, Begin With the End In Mind – Do activities, Instant Challenges that work towards the solution • Divide and Conquer – Split up into sub-teams: script, gadget, props/costumes, music/choreography – Or everyone does a bit of each • DI Homework – For the next meeting, …, do this 1 thing…, don’t overload – If parents are OK with that. DI is lower priority than school. • Team Decisions – Great opportunities for instant Instant Challenges – Conflict: offer to flip a coin, hard decisions often get made very quickly when faced with chance Central Challenge – Time Management • Help the Team Make To Do Lists – What things do you need to get done? – Highlight stuff to do that day or week, mark off when they are done and celebrate! • Help the Team Make a Schedule Using a Calendar • Have the kids work backwards and mark on the calendar: – When is the tournament? – Do you want to do a dress rehearsal? When? – When do you want to start practicing? – What are the only things you need to start practicing your performance? – What things do you need to get done? When do you need them by? When should you start working on them? • Don’t fret or stress when they don’t get things done by when they think they will – it’s a learning experience – “a schedule is just an organized means of change” Central Challenge – Side Trips • Help the Team Figure Out What Special Skills/Abilities They Have • Have Fun Putting Them Together – Can Be Incorporated into Story, Or Not • Don’t Encourage The Kids to Go Overboard with Side Trips – 2 at most!! • Inclusive Team Manager Resources • The Rising Star Guide In Your Hands! – Tons of warmups, activities – Instant Challenges – Tons of great, important advice • IC/Instant Challenges/Warmups Links: – I’ll send email with these links too! Team Manager Resources • • • • IC CDs from ShopDI store Theater and Improv games Check your library for theater games Team Manager’s Guide Team Manager Resources • Check the SV Region Calendar for IC Trainings for Team Managers http://www.caldi.org/region/sv • Check the Handout for links to free ICs and theater games on the internet. • There are links available at http://www.caldi.org/node/343 • The DINI List on Yahoo Groups • The svdi_tm List on Yahoo Groups Team Resources • • • • • Thrift Stores Craft Stores Hardware Stores RAFT www.raft.net/ American Science and Surplus www.sciplus.com/ Important Dates Events and information will be posted on the Regional Web Page at www.caldi.org/region/sv • TBA Instant Challenge Festival • Jan. 15, 2012, Regional Tournament Registration Deadline - Describe your team at the state website • Jan. 21, 2012, Team Manager Walkthrough – Last day to pay regional fee of $100/team • February 4 and 11, 2012 Appraiser Training • March 3, 2012, Regional Tournament • March 31, 2012, State Tournament 36 Appraiser and Volunteer • Your team must provide one tournament volunteer and one appraiser for the Regional Tournament • Appraisers must attend two Appraiser Training sessions: February 4 and 11, 2012 • Appraisers must attend the Regional Tournament on March 3, 2012 37 Points To Remember Team Manager Survival • Know the RS Rules and the RS Challenge • Do not feel that you must tolerate inappropriate behavior. Inappropriate behavior on the part of a team member is not acceptable. • Ask for help from your Program Coordinator whenever you need it. • Contact your Regional Director when you have questions Points To Remember Team Manager Survival • Contact your RS Challenge Master when you have questions – Peter Shepherd – [email protected] – 408-679-0975 Points To Remember Team Manager Survival • A month before competition, you will feel that they will NEVER be finished. They will, but almost always at the last minute! • If for some reason the team doesn't complete its solution by the date of the tournament, please remember: This is the TEAM'S Challenge and the TEAM'S solution - NOT yours. The Most Important 3 Things to Remember … HAVE FUN! Work Together! Wing It! THANKS for coming!