Happy Holidays!
Hopefully this newsletter finds you immersed in both the holiday spirit, and the DI spirit!
Christmas break has always been my favorite time to help teams get a jump on their challenges. While this is a busy time for all, finding a day or two to hold longer meetings, build props, take field trips to Home Depot, and conduct research has proven to be invaluable. It’s amazing how much a team can achieve during this break. It will also bring a great sense of relief to you, as the coach, knowing that many of the “to-do’s” are done.
So if you have the flexibility, I highly encourage you to take advantage of this time. It’s generally a time when kids are free of homework and sports.
And a time when parents may be looking for ways to get their kids outof the house for a few hours, here and there…
Ask parents for assistance. They can provide lunch, pizza, run team members to the store for supplies, provide a meeting place, or just give moral support.
Hopefully you have all registered your team, held your first team meeting(s), picked a team name, and started the process of picking a challenge for this year. If not, the links and resources below will help you get started.
HAPPY DI’ ING…
A WORD FROM THE BOARD…
EARLY BIRD TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION
Register your Team AND Appraiser for the tournament by DECEMBER 15, in order to qualify for the Early Bird Tournament Registration discount price of $25. You must register both at the MTDI website
Use this You Tube video to help introduce individuals to what is a DI Appraiser
All Teams and their Appraisers must register for the tournament by January 15. The regular tournament registration fee is $50 per team.
Remember the State tournament is March 2. Please help us by registering early so we know how many Appraisers we will need. Appraiser training will be in early February. Training dates and locations will be determined by the third week of January.
Heather Geiger
MTDI Interim President
2319 Kyd Rd., Three Forks, MT 59752
Phone: 406-285-3776
Cell: 406-285-1377
https://www.mt-di.org
2018 -2019 TEAM CHALLENGES
One of the most challenging tasks is guiding your team to choose a TEAM CHALLENGE. START NOW!
This link allows your team to watch a quick video, highlighting all of the challenges available this year and what they entail.
YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE WATCHING THESE…
Click the image below to view the Challenge Previews
DECEMBER TIMELINE GOALS
- COMPLETE ROSTER AND REGISTER YOUR TEAM BY DECEMBER 15TH
- PICK PRACTICE DAY(S) AND LOCATION
- PICK A TEAM NAME
- CONTINUE PRACTICING INSTANT CHALLENGES
- LEAD TEAM TO CHOOSE THEIR TEAM CHALLENGE (CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR PREVIEWS)
- MAKE A “TO DO” LIST AND TEAM CALENDAR. FOLLOW THE STAGES…
Season planning tips
Originally from Georgia Destination Imagination
Stage 1: Building Your Team & Understanding the Challenge
Length of this Stage: Approximately 2-4 weeks
Team Time: Approximately 1-2 hours/week
What Happens in this Stage of the Process
The Team (with Team Manager facilitating) should:
- Use books and tools* to learn about constructing opportunities, exploring data, and framing problems.
- Read the challenge and ask: What do we know? What do we need to know?
- Do Specialties Inventory*, talk about team’s collective and individual strengths
- Explore some Instant Challenges
- Do teambuilding activities to learn to work as a team
- Begin a “To Do” List, and list important dates (such as the Tournament) on a calendar
The Team Manager should:
- Provide a copy of Challenge and Rules for each Team Member
- Read Rules of the Road, TM Guide- Road Map, and check the TM Resource Site*
- Plan Meetings
- At the end of each meeting, debrief. Ask Team: where are we? Are we on track? Do we want to keep moving in this direction? Do we want to change our goal? Are we having fun?
Stage 2: Generating: Ideas, Research & Inquiry
Length of this Stage: Approximately 2-5 weeks
Team Time: Approximately 3 hours/week
What Happens in this Stage of the Process
The Team (with Team Manager facilitating) should:
- Generate Ideas
- Use reference books, field trips, resource people, etc. to research your solution
- Request Clarifications if you need them, and check the Clarification site
- Begin planning your Presentation: think about your performance skills, improvisational skills, practice using different materials creatively, and think about how to incorporate Team Choice Elements.
- Try different types of Instant Challenges: Task-based, Performance-based, and Combination Challenges
- Look at Tournament forms: What information will be needed?
The Team Manager should:
- Re-read Section E of the Team Challenge: “Important Directions for Team Managers”
- Remind Team, “If it doesn’t say you can’t, then you can.”
- Arrange field trips to begin to gather materials
- Update parents on progress; let them know what you need
- At the end of each meeting, debrief. Ask Team: where are we? Are we on track? Do we want to keep moving in this direction? Do we want to change our goal? Are we having fun?
Are you a new Team Manager?
WATCH THESE GREAT VIDEOS TO GET STARTED
LINKS TO PLACES YOU NEED TO GO…
