Over the past few weeks in maker we have been working on DI at the provincial level. Everything is pretty similar to the regional contest except everybody had revised and worked on their performances. Everything is more intense and way more impressive. For this tournament we really had to be next level.
To start off where we left off the regional tournament just ended (go read the blog post about that) and we finished third which was pretty good. we had about a week of school before spring break, but it was mostly reflection on on regionals. When we got back we were breaked, energized, and ready to put our best effort into the provincial tournament.
When we started school again we went right into the top gear and started to do everything which needed to be done right away. First we needed to reimagine our entire performance. This consisted of brainstorming ideas, refining them, and bringing them into actuality. Although this step may seem easy, it’s hard to find an idea that really fits with everything else. Throughout D.I. I think I have learned to become much better at generating ideas. This is because your brain is like a muscle, if you use enough in one way, it will become stronger or better in that sense and I have used my brain to generate good ideas during D.I.
After the ideas were there, it was time to set our thoughts in stone by creating, building, writing, programming and engineering our ideas. First of all we had to assign roles to each other. Roles may seem like a very minor detail but putting the right person to the right task can make things not only easier, but five a better finished product too. For our tasks we often worked together as a team to do a number of things. I worked on our teams backdrops, script, electronics, and props. It might sound like was putting in to much work but, our entire group was putting in lots of work all time. By the time we had to work on provincials we were all very committed and insistent on making things better. In D.I., especially in this stage of work I think my skills in teamwork and learning how to collaboratively reach a team goal have improved immeasurably.
It was finally time for the final steps to present our performance to the world. In the spare time we had, we worked on a few finishing touches by fixing any thing that broke, or by making things more transportable (the provincials were a 45 minute car drive so everything had to be moved). The only other thing we did in class was practice. We repeatedly practiced the script because firstly, we had to know our lines inside and out and secondly, some members of our team had a little bit of stage fright so that was even more reason. This section of D.I. really helped show to me that constant practice can really improve whatever you are practicing like nothing else. Like they say “practice makes perfect”
We woke up early on a Saturday to make the drive out to Destination imagination. We would be presenting in the gym, where the biggest audience would be. Because we were in the scientific challenge we also had a small and cramped warmup room, this didn’t matter to much to us though because we already knew what we were here to do. Before we knew it it was our presentation time (which was earlier than normal because PLP9 had to be at the airport at 3:30 to catch a flight to Ottawa). Our pre-performance inspection went smoothly and it was finally show time. While you are presenting you don’t even really realize what is happening. At least for me, you are so locked in and committed to your role you pay no attention to the audience or the appraisers, only saying what needs to be said at the right time, with enthusiasm.
The performance stage of D.I. taught me two big things that I needed to learn. First, it helping me learn time management and scheduling, how to do things at the right times, and coordinating with others. Secondly, it made me learn that the show must go on, when you mess up in your performance you keep going and forget it. This may sound specific but it applies in a much broader sense too. When you are doing something in learning or in life, when you screw up you keep going, you make it better, and you be proud of it.
After our presentation, we didn’t actually get a ton of time to immediately reflect. We were all happy it was over and we were all happy we did it while surviving as a team. While we waited at the airport for an hour we did do some group reflection and overall we collectively though we did well. Especially in provincials we gave our best effort, tried hard, and showed off our learning. And we thought that these are the things that really matter.
As a whole experience bundled up into a couple of words I would say that D.I. is a love hate relationship. You love it does for you and your learning career but, a times you hate doing it. Wether it was the after school ours, or when your team couldn’t agree, or when an element of your project went completely off the rails in every way. Destination imagination definitely is a team building experience and it definitely shows what a few kids can do when they come together and try hard.