I guess you don’t truly understand the importance of something until its put into action. For my entire school career… heck my entire life, I knew that team work was important, but as I reflect today, It wasn’t until these past couple of months where that fact’s meaning began to truly impact my paradigm.
Destination imagination is a PLP project that grades 8-10 go through every year. Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, my grade ten cohort hasn’t participated in this challenge since grade eight, and even that year was ended short after a global lockdown was announced before provincials. When I think of the first year I did DI, I remember the resilience that I learned. Not only was it during a rapidly changing period of time, but I also remember having to make rapid changes to our solution. I also recall some other experience as well. I remember being frustrated at times, feeling accomplished at others, I remember knocking down the tree at the wrong time, and I remember laughing about it with my group later, thanking, Nathan for his amazing recovery.
Looking back on a period of time, you will most likely only remember what stuck out, or what your brain thought was important. I emphasize this fact that your brain determines these memories, because as I reflect on my grade eight DI, some of the moments that come to mind seem so minuscule and not important. They seem to hold such a loose grasp on my life, yet they are the memories that hold true. The moments of stress, excitement, and laughter that I mentioned before are what are truly important. I actually didn’t realize why until today as I reflect on the past and present.
The challenges for this year were split into 4 categories: Fine Arts, Technical, Scientific, and improv. (Click each of the challenge titles to learn more about them). My challenge, Technical, was definitely not my first choice originally, but after two years of adapting and learning to accept change, feeling ok about it was just an instinct. If you read the challenge description, you would understand the basics of the challenge: to overcome three obstacles using three daring devices while incorporating technical methods and a compelling story.
This had all happened in December. Flash forward three months and the planning process had just started. Some would say we were a little late to the game, but I cant complain, because this F.A.I.L taught me the importance of planning ahead. Like many of the things you discover in DI, they are mostly just hard reminders of the different rules of effectiveness. This example of planning ahead was not understood until another month had gone by and we realized that there was still a lot that needed to be done. But much happened before that moment, so lets rewind a bit.
It was a lie to say that I had done no planning before February, because I did, I actually spent a whole night plotting out ideas with the little information that I had. Putting my search for meaning that I formed at the start of this year at the forefront, I tried to construct a story line that represented a real life problem, such as a hurricane or a flood, and try to create a solution to that problem, representing the barriers we face for climate change. The thing was though, that’s just not DI.
Destination imagination is not the place for discovering solutions to world problems. But what I dint get then and I only understand as I write this, is that in its own way, DI can be the answer to world problems. Like a tool box, the tools you learn in DI wont fix world problems, but will strengthen the traits of a learner that will make them able to find these solutions later on. DI isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but the sharpener.
One of the tools DI will sharpen is your critical thinking. Although there is much creativity that goes into the challenge, there is a solid set of rules and requirements for the challenge that your team has to follow, ones which our original ideas did not. We knew we had to revise and revise quick. The next class we brainstormed ideas with the challenge description at hand. The result was a game show referencing the Netflix phenom, Squid Game. I thought it was too silly, but with a group of seven, I knew I just had to go with the consensus. The idea would work, in fact it would actually work great, but it just lacked meaning, something that I still couldn’t sacrifice. At the time, I couldn’t settle for underachievement. What finally made me accept it though wasn’t me lowering my determination or drive to succeed, but the realization that we had three other projects going on at the same time, two of them in the same class. I knew that I would have to lower my expectations as well as the level of extra effort I would have put in, but I also knew that I would still give it my all during the time I had.
An international student, Eliot joined our group at the start of the project. With little known english, his ability to jump right in and contribute his ideas was quite impressive. He knew nothing about PLP, let alone DI, but he still was eager to learn, as well as make friends. After inviting him into our group, I didn’t think that he would influence my work in this project, yet as I reflect now, I realize that he was the main in corporate of the lessons of teamwork and collaboration that I learned through DI.
The building process was one of laughing and constant ideas. Even after we claimed our two devices: trebuchet and Ballista, and our three hazards: barrier, uneven terrain, and tunnel, modifications and changes were still being made to the very end. Additions to the story as well were b happening constantly as well. Those, changes, additions, and oh-yes-moments are what made this year special. Through collaboration, agreement, and a group wide mission statement to just have fun this year, every decision was made with meaning and purpose. Meaning that made up for my original sacrifice. These constant revisions also pushed my critical and creative thinking skills, skills which I can use for my entire life.
This was my last year doing DI, and as I reflect on the project, a few main concepts come to mind.
- DI is a metaphor for life. Although I feel like this has been said before, it is true. Every obstacle you run into, starting from the imagine phase of the process all the way to final adjustments to the solution, represent the problems and life obstacles that life will through at you. Much like cross training for a sport, this experience gives you the strength you need for living, without facing the real problems of life. DI is also a prime example of the statement: “you get our of life what you put in”.
- DI teaches you about yourself. This year was a great example of that, where my values of leadership came through to lead the group to a result we could all remember as a great experience. Its a great way to see how my identity has changed from someone who would work silently and independently to someone who provides everyone with the safety of sharing their ideas, and can work interdependently with all my group members, creating the most meaningful outcome.
As I reflect on the process, I understand now the importance of letting go and being ready for the moment and the things that follow. Its hard to let go, but what’s even harder is to trust that things will be ok when you do so. You have to be ok with time moving forward, trusting that you will influence the outcome to your liking using skills such as hard work, interdependency, and a desire for meaningful, growth evoking results and solutions.
Once performance time came, we all knew the challenge inside and out. We had all contributed so much to the challenge that a once failing idea became a performance of accomplishment and excitement. These moments of satisfaction are often times forgotten and suppressed by pressures and stresses, but these are the moments that should be remembered. Remembered as the bases to our friendships within our class, shared times that we will remembered throughout high-school and beyond. You have to dig a little deeper than the surface, but once you do, you realize that these are symbols for times of bonding, times that we forget amidst a pandemic, and times that you only remember as lingering feelings from a familiar event, disconnected from meaning and growth. A time remembered as the beginning of the end. This end that we are emerging from, this two years of un-certainty, should be non existent, time that only divides our perception of identity from before times to now.
Those moments I mentioned from grade eight, those are the moments that I relearned this year…or maybe remembered, because those brief memories are the same I feel toady, except today, those feelings are backed with knowledge of myself, of the world, and of how I learn and go through life.
The creative process relates to this idea of going through life, but more so, going through life effectively. When I reflect on the challenge, I realize the connection between each phase and each phase of the public victory in the seven habits for effective living. These connections are unique to me and my experience this year, taking into account, all the work, thinking, and collaborating I did in this project.
- Thinking win win – imagine phase (deciding on a common ground)
- Seeking first to understand then be understood– initiate and collaborate (making sure everyones voices were herd before we made a decision)
- Synergizing – asses (using all of our talents to create and collaborate)
- sharpening the saw – evaluate and celebrate (congratulating and celebrating our performance with support and complementation)
With this, I realize that pushing yourself to change and grow during school, will help you face the problems you have out of school, at work, or in other parts of your life.
Thank you for spending the time to learn about my grade ten DI adventure, and make sure to comment any thoughts or question you may have on this post.
Hey there Ryder,
Your Destination Imagination ‘adventure’ sounds like a constructive project for practicing teamwork and supportive communication. It’s very cool that you commented about how your value of leadership has translated to providing a safe space for the sharing of ideas and working collaboratively with the group. This is excellent.
In your grade eight DI, the chorus of ukuleles really sounded all right… and, of course, very Hawaiian! It’s a fun skit… looks like a good time was to be had… and, still, I wonder if you ever consider maybe joining some cast someday on a theatrical production…
I like what you wrote about memories…reflecting back on 8th grade and making a genuine connection between then and now. I think that I am understanding you to be saying how these moments of experience, even if not seeming spectacular at the time, are actually full of meaning and, as you wrote, “truly important.”
I really appreciate your penchant for introspection while writing about your projects. I think this is a wonderful characteristic to have… it’s like, you know, what that first inscription in stone said, according to legend, at the entrance to the famous, ancient Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi…
Well, the Lobster Game Show looked fun and engaging, and, as you say, positively memorable… I like how you clapped with the dancers after they won! Sounds like the challenge, as you indicated, was a good teacher for seeing the importance of letting go… this is really insightful and, as well, what you say about trusting “that things will be ok when you do so.”
I also really like this line about being “ok with time moving forward, trusting that you will influence the outcome to your liking…” So, thanks for this wise advice!