Matt's Davinci: September 2013

Destination Learning for the 21st Century

When will what we know change what we do?

Students need to learn critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, and collaboration skills[1]. We struggle to contextualize these skills in our content driven curricula. Destination Imagination (DI) is a program that supports students learning how to think critically, how to develop their creative thinking skills, how to communicate personally and publicly, and how to collaborate on multiple levels[2].

At present, where this program is supported in North America, it is generally an outside of school program, an extra-curricular. I have written before, and cited experts repeatedly who espouse the need for us to change what and how we are doing education to our students. The case for meaningful change is strong and increasingly strengthening. The knowledge is available and we have a plethora of ability. Why do we not do what we know is right?

In DI, there are several entry points, but I will reference three here.

1. Team Challenges

These challenges are issued every September, one in each of the areas of Science, Technology, Structural Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisation, and Social Outreach. Teams of up to 7 people form to solve a challenge and they work together over the coming months to create the best solution they can. At tournament time their solutions are appraised. The ultimate tournament is referred to as the Global Finals where teams from around the world (14 nations attended Global Finals in 2013, while 30 countries participated) converge on Knoxville, Tennessee to compare their solutions with others[3].

In doing these challenges students learn to collaborate together, not only solving the set challenge, but also the myriad of problems that arise along the way. Students learn to communicate with one another and others in a productive, effective manner. They develop many technical skills, learn how to learn, learn to look at challenges from many perspectives and how to think creatively and critically about their many challenges and potential solutions.

Students that participate, especially those committed to the whole process (presenting at Globals) are particularly effusive when describing the value of DI to their learning and school experience. Does that mean that it’s without conflict, strife, tears, and struggle...absolutely not, and that is one of the true values of the program: all work and all solutions are 100% student generated and delivered. The ultimate team manager is one that can, a. exist in chaos; b. allow students to fail without interfering; c. support psycho-social growth and skill development; d. prepare diverse Instant Challenges.

2. Instant Challenges

Instant Challenges are similar to Team Challenges, other than the teams do not know what they are going to have to do in advance. An example might be “use these materials (3 straws, 2 pieces of paper, 5 elastics, and 2 feathers) to create a structure that will move a feather the furthest. You have 3 minutes to do this and to create a 1 minute story about how the feather came to be in this projectile predicament.” Whereas the Team Challenge is worked on in detail for months on end, the only way for students to improve their work in Instant Challenges is to practice more and more Instant Challenges cognizant of their creativity, critical thinking, team work, and communication skills.

For the outside-of-school program, scores at the Tournaments are derived ¾ from the Team Challenge and ¼ from the Instant Challenge. However, we have had considerable success with moving Instant Challenges into the classroom. Students, in general, are enthusiastic to participate and the learning and deep skill development, become a by-products of their own, rekindled passion to learn and to challenge themselves. It needs to be noted here that this is true for the whole gamut of students and quickly, many of our traditional “stars” come to appreciate what our “disenfranchised” can offer.

3. Classroom Version

Not coincidentally, Pearson Canada and Destination Imagination have partnered to see if the essence of the DI program (creative thinking, critical thinking, innovation, communication, and collaboration) can translate into the classrooms while still addressing the perceived need to meet government prescribed learning outcomes[4]. Chuck Cadle, the CEO of Destination Imagination, has a Doctorate in Education in Curriculum and Instruction and is on the strategic council for the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills[5]. The program is presently targeted to students in grades 3-9 and will be launched this fall. It uses the Team Challenges (15 of them at present with 5 more being added each year) and Instant Challenges (50 of them at present with more being added annually).

As we recognize the need for our system to adjust to meet the needs of the 21^stCentury, we need to find ways to do things differently. Destination Imagination provides an engaging, proven, meaningful way for students to learn the skills we know they need. Why do we not embrace it?

Money? In British Columbia, BC Gaming and the Ministry of Education have provided all team registration fees (about $12.00 per student for the Team Challenges). Tournament costs vary, but DI is a not-for-profit organization and the tournaments we have attended, other than Global Finals (which our school district pays for), cost about $5.00/student each to register. Transportation to these tournaments could be where the costs climb; however, again, our district is very supportive and provides transportation for all of our teams to the Provincial Tournament. Instant Challenges are free, except for the materials which can be found in most dollar stores and recycling bins, and are readily available. And the classroom version is projected to cost about $3.00/student/year when it is available. I’m not convinced that cost is the problem. The cost : reward seems very skewed to the reward side.

Elitism? There is a misconception that this is just for our gifted and talented students. This is not true as most successful teams have students that are successful in diverse areas. Also, many of our successful teams have had students that struggle mightily with school. This program supports students with diverse needs – they all have them – to work toward a common goal without glossing over the realities and the challenges that exist. This is hard to do, but not a reason why educators should avoid it.

Time? Granted, like any extra-curricular activity, time is needed in order for the teams to learn and to grow. Is that why people are not engaging with this?

I don’t think so. I think it is mostly because it is human nature to be afraid of the unknown. Despite its history of success (in 1999 it grew out of Odyssey of the Mind) and thousands of participants (125,000 students this past year in 31 countries), many are unsure about what DI is and what it takes to be successful. DI is one of those activities that the best way to learn is to roll up your sleeves and to figure it out as you go. Failure happens. Is this paralytic? Many, it seems, would rather not do, even though it is right, than take the risk of trying. Why? Granted, it does help when one has people around who have done it before, successfully. There are many, many, many people who offer such expertise with very few takers. Why?

What is it going to take for what we know to guide what we do? At what point are we responsible for our inaction? I wish I had the answers. I do know, that because our Superintendent and our School Board have supported this work, in four years we have gone from having one trial team (affectionately and appropriately named Cannon Fodder) to having hundreds of students in our district participating and 8 teams qualifying for this year’s Global Finals (5 are here presenting their solutions). I also know that the students that have participated have found the experience very valuable. We are fortunate but in no way unique.

One valedictorian candidate stated that “school without DI is like sleep without dreams.” As educational leaders it is our responsibility to do what we know is right and in this case we have no excuse to avoid making what we know change what we do.