Joining my kids for an odyssey of the mind
March 4, 2007 at 11:16 We spent the weekend in Germany where our kids participated in a problem-solving competition with teams from all over Europe and as faraway as Bahrain!
The Odyssey of the Mind program is an extracurricular activity that challenges kids of all ages to display their creativity. Each team is coached by an adult, but the kids do ALL the work. Adults are not allowed to make suggestions, provide input, or share ideas. They also can’t participate in building or crafting props or solutions. They can lead the kids through a thinking process, ask questions of the team, and help them organize their efforts but the beauty of Odyssey of the Mind is that the kids do it themselves.
Each team has a long-term problem to solve and present in competition and then they also are judged on spontaneous problem solving—given a challenge that they must develop a response to on the spot.
My 11-year-old, Mr. A, was on a team that had to design and build a self-propelled vehicle that can move in a straight line for 17 feet and is capable of picking up “tags” in a specific area. The tags must somehow attach to the vehicle and are designed by the team. The demonstration of the vehicle in competition must include some kind of creative performance.
Mr. A, who avoids extra curricular activities, was eager to join the team as soon as he heard about it. It required a serious commitment of time and effort over a period of months, and his enthusiasm for the project never flagged. His mind was working on solutions ALL the time.
He built several prototypes on his own, and then worked on a final one with his teammates. Their vehicle looked like a UFO, it was made from foam, painted silver, had a plastic dome on top, plastic windows and real working lights. It ran using a propeller and picked up tags using magnets. The boys created a skit around the UFO theme, three of them dressed in alien costumes (they actually decided to wear GIRLS tights, which they’d dyed with green Kool-Aid, headbands with googly eyes, masks they made themselves, green swim caps, and green turtleneck shirts.)
My son is very shy, and the idea of getting up in front of an audience to perform freaks him out, but he overcame his reservations and did it. What impressed me the most was that the boys almost immediately ran into problems with their vehicle at the beginning of their 8-minute presentation, and instead of getting frustrated and upset and giving up, they trouble shot a solution under pressure and kept their cool.
And they won first place. First place in their first competition! They accepted their awards in a ballroom that was PACKED with hundreds and hundreds of people. I was seriously proud that my son, the less-than-impressive student, was being recognized for the skills he has that don’t get exercised in the classroom.
Meanwhile, my 9-year-old E-Grrrl, was on a team that had to create a humorous performance that included a self-centered character and a surprise. The main character had to take advantage of others three times and use the phrase “I’m only thinking of you” at least twice. The third time the main character tries to deceive others, he fails and his true nature is revealed.
E-Grrrls team consisted of second, third, and fourth graders, and they wrote an original script that involved a chef buying food at a market and bringing it home. At night, the food comes to life and tries to escape so it won’t be eaten. They wrote a very creative and funny play, and designed and made the costumes, props, and set themselves.
When they went to perform their play, in the pivotal scene at the end, the light that was supposed to illuminate their screen for a shadow puppet finale didn’t work because of a faulty outlet in the room where they were performing. Without missing a beat, the kids improvised and finished their performance to waves of applause. When the play was over and the kids informed the judges about the problem they had encountered and showed how it was supposed to end, the judges were very impressed. They never suspected the ending they saw hadn't been rehearsed that way.
Not only did E-Grrrl’s team win FIRST place, they also received a special award for their quick thinking and grace under pressure.
Both teams have now qualified for the Odyssey of the Mind World Competition in Michigan. Woo hoo!
March 4, 2007
© 2007 Veronica McCabe Deschambault and V-Grrrl in the Middle. All rights reserved.
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Reader Comments (22)
You know, I have been looking into education options for my kids. And with what I have learned about different ways of educating, i wonder if your son wouldn't do very well in a Montessori school. It is full of this kind of learning, and lets children learn in the way they learn, without making them sit all day... I am really looking serriously into trying to get my kids into the charter we have in our area.
Just a thought. Because obviously your son is very smart. It's a shame when a learning type just isn't worked with in typical school enviroments.
:)