Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Anyone doing DI this year?

We're doing it again this year, with Unidentified Moving Objects.

Last year the school funded it, for 5 teams chosen from the gifted kids, as an experiment. This year they opened it up for all kids who wanted in, and DH did some fundraising for them. They got nearly $2k in donations, enough to pay for 7 or 8 teams.

This is a really difficult challenge for elementary kids, so I have a feeling we won't have to worry about raising money to go to state this year! I was hoping they would choose Verses, Foiled Again, and DS8 wanted that one, but the vote went the other way.

GS11 was on a team of 5 last year, they came in 2nd in the state. The 5 invited 2 more to join their team this year. They are also doing Unidentified Moving Objects. Meeting has been rough for the last month and a half. They ordinarily meet after school once a week but we've had so many snow days that they've lost some time.
It's really great for GS11.

Both of you are doing Unidentified Moving Objects? That's great! When I saw the challenge, I thought it was so cool. Every single kid on our team voted for Verses, Foiled Again though.

Nautigal, I'm happy to see the school continued the program.

OHGrandma, second in the state! Whoo-Hoo! I can relate to all the snow days. We went through a period of sicks kids and too much snow for safe travel.

Maybe we will see each other at globals. Fingers crossed. Here's to hopeful thinking.

We are doing Verses, too. We meet only once a week; it's probably not enough, but we'll have *something* done to show for it, and I don't think any of these kids could tolerate more in their schedules; they all have other commitments.

DeeDee

I find the props take sooo much time to create. We wouldn't have as many meetings if it wasn't for the props. We also have a 2 hour meeting every other week for Instant Challenges.

DeeDee, do you use a gym for crushing your structures or do have weights at home?

We're not even there yet-- I think you are operating at a different competitive level from ours! We will borrow weights...

DeeDee

I'm so interested to hear about all of your experiences! I grew up on OM (even coached/judged), but DS6 particpated in DI activities at the Stanford seminar a few weeks ago and LOVED it!

I'm trying to learn more about the difference between DI and OM. From what I'm hearing, they're very similar but OM has more technical rules??

I'm teaching a critical thinking class this semester for 3rd/4th graders using the short-term hands on challenges in the DI/OM materials. The kids are having a blast, and they don't even realize how much they're learning!

Gratefulmom, I didn't know OD was still in operation. I think our town used OD before DI, but it was a long time ago. This is my second year with DI, so there is so much I still don't know yet.

Have you tried doing Instant Challenges with the kids? It builds a fantastic team work environment. The kids earn points for solving the challenge and team work. If someone says "no" or anything negative, points are taken away. They learn very quickly the right things to say to support each other and how to disagree respectfully and graciously.

DeeDee, I have elementary kids, ages 8 to 10. It's funny to watch the differences in ages work.

Tallboys, ours are ages 8 and 9. I meant: you are competing much more seriously than we are. We meet once a week; it sounds as though your team's level of investment is altogether different.

DeeDee

Sorry for the misunderstanding DeeDee. Yeah, our town takes it seriously. We have had a team go to globals every year for the past 25 years. There's a large handful of DI enthusiast around here.