Epro8 Challenge Practice

All of our teams have been practicing with the Epro8 Challenge Kit this week.  They have explored the challenge format, thought about sequencing their builds and worked on their communication.  Building a firetruck with a crank operated, 1.4m ladder is a little different from building with Lego at home.  The teams are all getting better at collaborating, debugging and anticipating their next steps.  Not mention, increasing their dexterity, working with fiddly wing nuts!

The 2020 TOM Season begins!

Super excited today to see our three teams experience the buzz of receiving this years Tournament of Mind Super Challenge.

Overheard throughout the session

"Oh. My. Goodness! I'm so excited - I have sooooo many ideas"
"I saw something on TV the other night thats fits this and sparks are flying"
(In response to someone's confusion.) "you need to have a little faith in yourself"
"I thought it might not be great this year but it's so cool, I have so many ideas."
*GASP* "Oooh, what about...."
"They are always telling us to bring real world problems into this so what about..."
"I feel very responsible having to look after this."  (The team's paperwork)
"Ok, calm down and listen to ..."

Goal Setting

Yesterday I was very proud of our teams as they set their collaborative work goals. We use the GROWTH model of goal setting in Whakaaro.  This works through the following points:

Goal:  What do we need to achieve?
Reality: What is happening now?
Options:  What could you do to achieve your goal?
What: What are you going to do to help achieve your goal?

All three teams have identified goals around improving their focus, motivation and time management.  They had some very mature perspectives on their strengths and weaknesses - and I really appreciated the trust and honesty shown as they acknowledged their own personal challenges.  Each student has made a commitment to a be part of their teams goal.  By committing, they have allowed their teammates to keep them accountable for that particular work characteristic.

These commitments included:
Prya:  I will try and motivate our team to step out of our comfort zones.
Eric:  I am going to calm down.  I will listen to other people's opinions.
Charlotte:  I need to speak up more.
Lejla:  I need to let other people speak and then speak after them.
Louis: I can make sure that everyone stays calm and we don't get too crazy.
Jordan: I am going to be more confident when I say my ideas.

Ben: I am going to try and make jokes only when the time is right.
Lucy:  I am going to assign a role or job to people who don't have anything to do so we use our time
            really well.
Beau:  I want to help us join our ideas together and commit to coming up with new ideas if we are
            struggling.
Jensen:  I reckon I'll be doing props so I can get ideas to make those really great.
Meela:  I can make sure everyone is included but also making sure their job is on task so it won't be
            pointless.
Elise:  I'll try and make sure everyone is on task and support Lucy in leadership.
Josiah:  I will make sure I complete the things I am given to do.

Olivia M:  I am going to support and help people, encouraging them to be confident.
Olivia P:  I am going to work on listening to other people's ideas so I can know what their approach 
                is...usually I don't listen as well as I talk.
Ella:  I am going to help people, troubleshoot when jobs aren't working out well and try to shift 
          roles so people are happy.
Maia:  I am going to be less judgemental about people's ideas.
Adiel:  I am not going to instruct about things like a teacher, I'll talk about them more casually.
Ari: If someone is not paying attention I will gently remind them to listen.
Emma:  I am not going to judge people's ideas, you never know, they might actually work.

While the specifics of the teams' challenge solutions can't be disclosed, feel free to talk with the students about their group dynamics, discuss how you manage similar issues in your work places and touch base with them about how they are doing with refining their practice.

Community Heroes Take Flight

Our Community Heroes work is now complete.  Didn't the students do a great job of designing their costume pieces and stitching them up! 

Students offered feedback to each others groups, and completed a PMI (positive/minus/interesting) for themselves as they reflected on their learning.  There was a general consensus that using the sewing machines was both interesting and fun.  Many students appreciated the freedom to choose their own issue and there was a lot of respect for the choices other groups made.  While cyber bullying was a common topic, each group handled it uniquely. 

All the students who took part in "Community Heroes" will receive written feedback from me over the next week.  Please look out for this as the students will be bringing it home to share with you.

Student Voice

Positive:

Ollie:  I liked collaborating and thinking of ideas to make the world a better place.

Prya: I enjoyed making the costume, drawing the character, working with Lejla and using the sewing machine for the first time.

Wairangi: I liked the colours and way our logo represents how people need to be seen inside of their homes if they are feeling low or pressured.

Ella: I enjoyed that we got to think about all the problems in the world and reflect on what ways we could stop it.

Minus:

Declan: Using the hot glue gun was hard because our pieces kept falling off.

Marcel: Trying to make the logo, the scissors kept sawing through the wrong parts.   

Lejla: It was a bit difficult creating the logo and figuring out what colours to use and what would match our concept.

Maia: Sewing was hard because I felt under pressure but it was still fun.

Interesting:

Amy: Many people made heroes who solved the same problem but their power and costume were different.  We need to think about elements when we design something.

Isaac: How to use the sewing machine and how to make a t-shirt.

Jimmy:  How the sewing machine works.

Ryken: Having new workmates.

Physicality! Physicality!

Our TOM teams met last Thursday to work on their training challenges, looking at all the different elements of the criteria and how best to divide the tasks up to meet their timeline.  It's so common for teams to be distracted by props and costumes , when storyline is actually the most vital element to develop.  To help with this, we focussed on physicality in our drama game.  This is when the students explore using their bodies to communicate key elements of their character.  The inspiration today was the photograph below and the title "Galactic Rising:  a story of the Wasteland.  Their genre was fantasy.  Here are some images of the different ways they used their bodies to share their stories.

The delicate princess

The arrival of the god to assist the temporarily defeated hero

The not-so-delicate princess using magic to battle the hero

Victorious and Fabulous

Power play - a king about to be overthrown

High-5's of friendship between alien nations

super powers in battle

The automaton being wound up 

As mentioned above, in between working on these drama elements, the teams are developing their solutions to their training challenges.  All the teams are showing a willingness to learn and be shaped, to take responsibility for their own roles and strive to produce a great story.  I have to give special credit here though, to our youngest team.  The year 5/6 team, made up of Lucy, Jensen, Ben, Josiah, Meela, Beau and Elise are showing outstanding kindness and patience as they learn to work together.  I have been really impressed by the way they have taken guidance on board and the positive way they are working with each other. Terrific effort Team!

Tournament of Minds Begins!

What a racket!!  The enthusiasm and energy was amazing this morning as our 2020 Tournament of Minds teams worked together for the first time.

This was their inspiration image.

Each group created a story filled with fun characters and a great deal of tragedy!!!  They demonstrated amazing physicality and confidence and portrayed unique, humorous storylines.

They also set to work breaking down their first training challenge - a social science context that will see them create a culture preserving dance.

We are going to have a fun season!

Community Heroes - under construction

The Navigator Centre students had their turn in the STEM shed late last week.  Here is the fruit of their labours.   I was so impressed to see some new students taking the lead and offering instruction to those with less experience.  Ronald, Lejla and Olivia P showed very calm mentorship which was great to see.

                         

                         

This week, groups finished their sewing and constructed their logos.  Each logo represents the "battle" their super hero faces.  You can see the way different elements of design have been used in each logo.