Just wondering if any of your children are doing DI this year? I know there were a few who did it last year.

It's so much work, but so much fun too.

Im new here .. what is DI? (Davidson Institute?)

No, DI is Destination Imagination. Destination Imagination link

It's a great program! It allows kids to use their knowledge and creativity.

Wow, that looks great. I wish I had known about this sooner. We'll have to see if we can form a team for next year.

Yes, I am managing a team of six kids. It *is* a lot of work, especially for me as a first timer. There are a lot of rules to know and follow. But the kids really love it; I think they're learning a lot, too.

DeeDee

Sadly no. Ds10 was SO excited to do DI this year but couldn't find anybody to do it with him A girl team had formed but no boys wanted to do it. In our district it seems to be more of a "boy thing" Too bad he couldn't have done it just by himself, but I guess you have to have "at least" two people on a team. I would have even volunteered as a team manager! Wahhhhhh.....Good luck to your team, DeeDee!

This looks like fun. Is it something that the school typically does with the kids? We have a meeting with the school next week and they said to bring in any ideas we had that might help our dd get enrichment in a group setting. It doesn't seem that expensive for the rising stars kit. Am I reading it right that it is just around $200 to start a team? Just want to make sure I understand it before I bring it up as a suggestion.

Our school paid the registration fee and let us meet in their building; I provide the labor as a volunteer. Our school doesn't always have a team; I think there are 4 or 5 teams running across our school district.

DI is a weird but likeable subculture. Fun so far, but I won't be sad when I get a break either.

DeeDee

I feel your pain DeeDee! I am also managing a team of six. Which challenge are you doing? We are doing Verses Foiled Again.
Today I told the kids if they have all their props done soon we can cut out Friday meetings. We have been meeting 3 times a week since November.

I love this program!

Landofthelost, DI is a fantastic program, but it's also a huge commitment. Be prepared for a ton of work. I'm not trying to discourage you by any means, but you need to know what to expect.

I thought Cub Scouts was a big commitment, it's a walk in the park compared to DI. It's not so bad if you're not coaching a team. Non coaching members need to spearhead the fund-raising part of DI. Fund-raising helps offset the expenses of going to globals, if a team makes it. Globals are in Tennessee.

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.

DI District meet was today. Our middle school team was the only one at that level doing 'Unidentified Moving Objects'(or something like that!) So, on to the state competition in 5 weeks.
Our kids participated in OM, some 20 years ago. The programs are similar, but I think they're segregated geographically.

Congratulations OHGrandma!!

We won 1st place in "Verses, Foiled again". We have states in 3 weeks. Maybe we really will be able to meet each other at globals.(fingers crossed)

Congratulations, guys!

Our regional meet is next Saturday. DS8's team seems to be doing very well in practice, as of this week, so we'll see! They were running way over in time, but it appears that they've got the bugs worked out. We're in "Unidentified Moving Objects".

I have my fingers crossed for you Nautigal!

I really had my doubts for our team. The building stress over the impending competition was overwhelming for the kids. They were melting down at every turn.

Congratulations to everyone who competed in DI; I helped coach a team for a few years, and remember it fondly. The kids felt so accomplished, regardless of how they did in the competition. I remember just wishing every child could have the opportunity to participate in the program, to have the opportunity have enrichment in critical thinking and creativity.

Hats off to the coaches!

I coached a Rising stars team for the first time, amazing experience and way to get started in the program! My older kids got 2nd place in Mythology Mission, so off to state:) DI is such a great 21st century thinking skills program, wish it was part of the gifted programming in our district, but I help make it happen at our school- we had 8 teams this year:)

Congratulations slpmom!!

Eight teams, that's great! We only had 4 teams this year. It was a very low year. Last year we had 16 teams.

Congrats, slpmom! Good luck at state!

We have 8 teams this year as well, thanks to my DH's fundraising efforts. Last year was the school's first try at it, and they did it as a GT thing, with 4 teams (one noncompetitive little guys). This year they wanted to expand it for anyone who wanted in, so we had to come up with some outside money.

Whew, we had a great day! We took six teams (two of our teams were little guys) to regionals today, and came home with three 1st place trophies, including my son's team! We also had two 4th places, and one team didn't get any points because of technical difficulties with their structure.

We are shocked and amazed at DS8's 1st place, as they didn't even finish inside the time limit! So while we (or at least I) had resigned ourselves to "ok, better luck next year", now we're scrambling to make plans for the trip to Denver again! Yeehaw!

Congrats!

Wow, good for you!

DeeDee

Congrats Nautigal!!

I've been a DI Appraiser for two years now. I'm going to the VA state competition on April 2nd to appraise again. I love it! It is AMAZING what these kids can do. I'm a GT teacher and even if I didn't get points toward my re-cert, I would still do it.

Who had states yesterday? Is anyone going to globals? We made it. I would love to meet up with others from this board.

Congratulations, TB!

Our state is in two weeks.