Monday 28 May 2012

Alberta Success at Globals!!!

Congratulations to all the Alberta teams in Destination ImagiNation this year!  It's been amazing, and I have been impressed by all of our students!

Most recently, we were in Knoxville, Tennessee for the 2012 Global finals.







Brain Storm Troopers, from St Joseph's in Grand Prairie, placed 1st in Instant Challenges for their age bracket and 12th overall in the world!!!!



























Supercalifragilistics, from Teepee Creek in Peace Wapiti, tied for 2nd in Instant Challenges for their age bracket!!!!!

A.I.A.N.S., from Calgary, placed 1st overall among the Canadian teams!!!!













Team Helping Hands, from Springbank Middle School in Calgary, raised $29 000 for the Easter Seals Camp, Camp Horizon!!!!

Most importantly, we had 700 students who realized they had more potential inside themselves than they knew about a year ago.

Pretty good accomplishments for an affiliate in its 2nd year!

Thank you to everyone for their incredible work this year to make DI a reality in Alberta!







Saturday 14 April 2012

Gloing to Globals!

It was a great year for Destination ImagiNation in Alberta!  We had 110 teams this year!

Congratulations and Good Luck to the following teams, who are heading to globals:

AIANS, Calgary Independent
Brain Storm Troopers, Grande Prairie Catholic School Division
Destination Procrastination, Westmount Charter School
EEO, Peace River School Division
Lightning Birds, Rocky View School Division
Neon Purple Unicorns, Rocky View School Division
Productions to DI For, Westmount Charter School
Super Ninja Chix, Grande Prairie Public School Division
Supercalifragilistics, Peace Wapiti School Division
Team Elm Street, Medicine Hat School Division
Team Helping Hands, Rocky View School Division
Team Riverside, Medicine Hat School Division
Team Southview, Medicine Hat School Division
United Super Team, Westmount Charter School

GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!!!

Please remember that this is not a family vacation.  Your team manager is in charge of your daily itinerary between Wednesday evening and Saturday evening.  If parents wish to do something differently with their child, they need to speak to the team manager first to ensure that it works for the team.  This includes any camps and field trips.

Also, Destination ImagiNation expects all students to stay up-to-date on their homework.  Schools should not be giving students extensions on their deadlines.  Students are expected to take homework to globals, if necessary.  Team managers can schedule homework into the itinerary.  A great time to get some work done is on the flight to and from Knoxville.


For those of you who are going, these are things you can be doing right now, to get ready:
  • book your airline tickets
  • book your airport shuttles
  • book the Wednesday morning camp, if you want to attend.  Please wait until the schedule is released before you book any others.
  • If you want to go the Friday Night Family camp, let your school coordinator know and he/she can buy tickets in groups of 10.
  • book a field trip for Wednesday, if you want to go on one.  Please wait until the schedule is released before you book any others.
  • purchase trading pins from Karen Shepherd.  Just send an email to dialberta@shaw.ca
  • fundraise, if necessary
  • get ahead on your long term school projects so that you can finish early instead of taking homework to Knoxville
  • finally, you can tweak your presentation, do lots of instant challenges and then Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse

About 1 week before globals, you will get your schedule and find out which residence we are staying in.  Everyone in Alberta will stay in the same building.

Friday 3 February 2012

What to expect at the Tournament

Everyone in Alberta is new to DI and most of the students have never been to a tournament.  Some students are getting anxious because they don't know what to expect.  Here is a summary of what you can expect.

1.  Before the tournament:  Ensure you have checked the published clarifications.  Ensure you have the required number of copies of your tournament data form, expense report and signed Declarations of Independence.  Ensure you have your sign stating your team number, team name, school name, challenge level (elem, middle, secondary).  Ensure you have a printed copy of any clarifications that your team has requested.  
Also, there are a couple challenges that instruct the students to verify something with the tournament coordinator (if they want the verification).  If your team wishes to do that, the students should be sending the questions and not the team manager.
Day of the Tournament:
1.  Registration:  Students should arrive 20-30 minutes before the opening ceremony.  Team managers should organize this with the parents on the team.  Pick a time and meeting place (just inside front door, just outside, near registration desk, etc).  Once the team manager arrives, the team can be checked-in at the registration desk.  The team should be checked in by the team manager, or a parent appointed by the team manager.  The team manager will be given a registration package. 
2.  Props:  Teams should take their props, backdrops, etc to their challenge's prop room.  Each challenge will have an assigned prop room and all of your presentation items can be stored there.  All work to assemble props/backdrop will be done in the prop room, if it's not already done.  
3.  Challenge E teams:  Take your structure to the structure appraiser and have it checked.  The team must bring a box to place the structure in once the check-in is complete.  If the structure does not pass inspection, the team will be permitted to fix their structure so that it can pass inspection.  They can then go back to the check-in appraiser.  Once the structure passes, it will be sealed inside the box/container that the team supplied.  20 minutes prior to the scheduled presentation, a team member can pick up the team's structure and take it (sealed) to the prep area appraiser.  The prep area appraiser will break the seal.  If the seal is broken prior to arriving in the prep area, the structure will need to be re-inspected.  If the structure has not passed inspection prior to the scheduled presentation time, the team will have the choice of speaking to the tournament organizers to request a later time (if it is available) or to present without the structure and only be eligible for partial points.
4.  Opening Ceremony:  Make your way to the opening ceremony and follow instructions that you will be given.
5.  Prep area:  Go to your challenge site 15-20 minutes before your scheduled time, with all of your props, backdrop, in costume, etc (assembly will not be permitted in the hallway).  Prep area appraiser will look over your paperwork, expense report, etc and make sure that everything is in order.
6  Long Term Challenge:  Prep area appraiser will tell your team when they can enter the launch Area (make sure everything can fit through a standard door).  Students move everything into the Launch Area and the team manager will be shown where to sit.  The challenge master will then give a copy of your tournament data form to each of the appraisers for review.  If the appraisers have any questions, they will ask at this point.  Once the appraisers are comfortable with your tournament data form, the time keeper will introduce the team and explain any unique details of your presentation to the audience. 
He/she will then ask the appraisers if they are ready.  They will then say, in unison, a cute little saying that they've created to mean `yes'.  The timekeeper will then ask your team if they are ready.  Most teams will also have a unique little saying that they have created to mean `yes' (example:  last year there was a challenge called `Triple Take Road Show' and the appraisers said, when asked if they were ready `yes we are, yes we are, yes we are' - it was play on words for `Triple Take').  Your team can simply say `yes, we're ready', but they might enjoy coming up with a unique/catchy phrase. 
Once the appraisers and presenters have said that they are ready, the timekeeper will start the timer.  At this point, the students will move their props/backdrop to the centre of the stage (nobody can help the students at this point).
If teams do not require their full time, they should say `time' at the end of their play.  Most teams incorporate the word `time' into the play so that it's the last word of the presentation.  Example:  `oh no!  We're late!  Look at the TIME'  When they say the word `time', everyone on the team typically says it, in unison.
The idea to have the student work `time' into their play at the end, and to have a funky phrase for the timekeeper, are not required in DI.  They are just pretty common and fun for the kids.
Once the presentation is over, the appraisers will step out from behind their desk and talk to the students.  They will ask how they thought of a certain idea, what process they used for a particular item, etc.  They show their interest and make the kids feel like they have done a great job.  Once the appraisers sit back down, the students quickly pack up their props/backdrop and move everything out of the presentation room.  Everything should go back to the cars at this point to save room in the prop room and to help clean-up at the the end of the day.
20-30 minutes after the presentation is complete, the team manager can check back at the challenge site for the raw scores.  Raw scores will be posted on the wall outside the challenge site once they are available.  Teams can review their marks.  If they disagree with the raw score, the team manager can speak to the challenge master.  An objective mark can be argued, but a subjective mark cannot.
7.  Instant Challenge:  Parents are not permitted to watch the instant challenge.  If there is more than one team manager, only one team manager will be permitted in the instant challenge room.  Students will have the choice of asking their team manager to sit outside in the hallway,  If the team manager has expressive body language, reacts when frustrated/surprised, etc, that team manager should wait outside in the hallway.  If the appraisers feel like the team manager's non-verbal language (verbal isn't an issue because they are not allowed to speak) is comminicating to the team, the team will lose points on their challenge.  Students are not allowed to discuss their challenge with anyone, other than their teammates and team manager, from the tournament until after Globals.  If they do speak of their challenge, or are overheard speaking of their challenge, the team can be disqualified from the tournament.
Once the instant challenge is over, the team will go into the Chill Out Room.  Team managers should not go into that room, but it is not against the rules.  While in that room, the team will create a `ta da'.  This is the little dance that they do as they leave the instant challenge area and see their parents to indicate that they are done, had fun and did their best.  It can be a little dance, a song, or anything they want.  `Ta das' are usually 5-30 seconds long.  Anyone standing in the area when students come out and do their `ta da' are expected to watch and applaud.  `Ta das' are not required, but every team does it. 
8.  Clean-up / Entertainment:  All teams are expected to help with clean-up.  The tournament program should indicate the areas of the school that the teams are responsible for cleaning up.  We are expected to return the school and classrooms to the state they were in when we started the tournament set-up.  Once the area has been determined to be clean, then the students can head for the entertainment.  This part of the tournament lasts about 40 minutes, and it allows the score room to get all the scores entered, winners determined, etc.
9.  Closing ceremony:  Awards are given to the teams who win or have demonstrated great DI spirit.

Monday 5 December 2011

`Tell Us Your Story' Video Contest

Tell Us Your Story Video Contest

Deadline: March 16, 2012

Destination Imagination (DI) has been changing lives for 29 years. With more than a million alumni and 38,000 volunteers worldwide, it has made a huge impact on many kids and adults. So tell us how DI has changed your life. We want to hear about the late nights practicing, about your first tournament with your team, life-long friendships, and problems solved. Be creative and tell us something great!
This contest is open to ALL Destination Imagination team members, Team Managers & volunteers. The winning team member or Team Manager will receive free passes to Global Finals 2012 for their whole team. If you are a volunteer without a team, your winning entry will allow you to send the team of your choice to Global Finals. All you have to do is produce a 60-second video that tells us your story!
Download a PDF flyer with all the details.

Prizes

Free pass to Global Finals 2012 for your team (even if your team does not qualify).
Free room and board for your team and Team Manager at Global Finals 2012, May 23-26 in Knoxville, TN. Total value of $635 per person. (Does not include airfare.)
The winning video will be played at Global Finals 2012 Opening Ceremony and will be featured in DI marketing efforts.

To Enter

  1. Create an amazing 60-second video.
    Post your video to YouTube. Name the title of your YouTube video: “My Destination Imagination Story.”
  2. Email your YouTube video link to myDIstory@dihq.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and use “My DI Story Contest” as your email subject.
  3. In the body of your email, also provide the following info: Full Name, Age, Address, Phone Number,  Parent or Guardian’s Name. (So we can contact you if you win!)
  4. Deadline: March 16, 2012.
  5. Questions? Contact myDIstory@dihq.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Terms

By submitting videos, you automatically grant DI a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable license to use and publicly display them.
You may only submit materials that you own or have permission to use, and you can only submit photos or videos of people who have given you consent to use their image.

Tips

  • Choose One Theme
    Here are a few themes we recommend: A Memorable Moment, A Problem Solved, Best Experience at a Tournament, Lessons Learned or Lifelong Friendships.
  • Keep It Real and Specific
    Tell us your unique experience in your own voice. Keep your tone positive, natural and even. Try not to over rehearse or memorize your story line for line. And focus on only the import details of your story.
  • Frame Your Shot
    In a head shot, you should be able to see the top of your head to the middle of your chest. Any edited footage or photos should use smooth transitions and be clear to the viewer. Make sure the audience can follow your story!
  • Lighting & Location
    Choose a location with a lot of available light. Lighting from multiple sources around the room is preferable to overhead lighting. If possible, use natural light by working a few feet away from a window, standing with one shoulder toward the window. If you shoot outdoors, choose a spot where the sun will not be directly in front of or behind you. Before 11:00 am and after 2:00 pm are the best times to shoot outdoors.
  • Sound
    Test sound quality before you shoot. Do not submit videos that contain ANY music, instrumental, vocal or otherwise.

Thursday 3 November 2011

DI University is now available for Online Training!!

Training is available for the following modules:
Team Managers
Rules of the Road
Appraisers

Anyone who wants to know more about DI, volunteer, staff member or parent can go online and complete their training in their own homes!  Go to www.diuniversity.org, create a log-in, click on My Curriculum, and then choose a module to complete.

These modules do not take the place of in-person training, but they are a great first step towards a better understanding of Destination ImagiNation.

More modules are scheduled, so this site will get better and better!

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Any student who is participating in Destination ImagiNation in Alberta can enter this contest!  I am looking forward to seeing the great designs that you can come up with!!  Good luck!!

2011 - 2012 Challenges

Destination ImagiNation is an educational program where student teams work on open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. A Challenge is a fun exercise that socially and intellectually engages students by prompting them to use creativity and teamwork to solve a problem. Because everyone is unique, we have developed seven different Team Challenges to unleash every child's potential. As well, each year Destination ImagiNation creates new and exciting Challenges with help from our more than 38,000 volunteers, many of whom are educational professionals.

A. Technical - Assembly Required: Education Focus is technical design, mathematics, and logistics. Build it and get it there on time!
B. Scientific - The Solar Stage: Education Focus is solar science and theatre arts. Light the way for the audience!
C. Fine Arts - Coming Attractions: Education Focus is storytelling, international cultures, and theatre arts. Coming soon to a theatre near you!
D. Improvisational - News to Me: Education Focus is improvisation, story development and cause and effect. This just in: an improvisational performance!
E. Structural - Hold it!: Education Focus is architectural design, structural engineering and theatre arts. Hold for a new type of structural challenge!
projectOUTREACH® - The World Canvas: Education Focus is service learning and marketing. Spread the word!
Rising Stars!® - Build to Last: Education Focus is storytelling, technical design and theatre arts. Welcome to a fun factory for early learners!