Odyssey of the Mind COACHES TRAINING 2014 OKLAHOMA

Why should you trust me?  8 years as an OotM team member  2ish first place finishes at World Finals  2 years as a coach  On State and Stillwater Board

What is Odyssey of the Mind?  Team-driven creative problem solving competition  Team-driven  Creative  Problem solving  Competition

That definition lacks some words  Fun  Hard Work  Stimulating  Educational  Confidence Boosting  Cathartic

What is Odyssey specifically?  Four divisions in Odyssey  Primary: K,1 st,2 nd grade  Division I: 1 st -5 th grade  Div. II: 6 th -8 th grade  Div. III: 9 th -12 th grade  Div. IV: collegiate  Three major parts to Odyssey  Long Term200 points  Style50 points  Spontaneous100 points

Long Term Problem  8 minute skit that obeys specific criteria  Worked on entire year  5 different problems  Problem 1- Vehicle  Problem 2- Technical  Problem 3- Classics  Problem 4- Balsa wood  Problem 5- Performance

Vehicle Problem  Alternates between large and small vehicles  Vehicles have to complete certain tasks

Runaway Train  Up to 3 vehicles  Travel on tracks to stations  Overcome obstacles from a list  Humorous conductor character  Victory lap with banner

Technical Problem  Build devices to perform specific tasks

Experiencing Technical Difficulties  Create at least 3 devices operated by rubber bands  Each’s function different  Complete 7 required tasks  Ring bell  Raise a flag  Open book, etc  “Technical Failure” which must be fixed  Mysterious Engineer Character  EVERYTHING MUST FIT IN TWO SUITCASES

Classics Problem  Performance based around classic works  Art, literature, architecture, history, etc.

Pandora’s Box  Video game retelling of Pandora’s Box  Prologue with “Representation of the box”  A Gamer Character  Multi-level video game  3 avatars that represent a different evil  Power meter  Hope

Balsa Wood Problem  Teams build balsa wood structures to hold as much weight as possible  Scoring for Balsa wood is crazy* *My opinion

Lose Your Marbles  Structure holds as much weight as possible  Starts with 5 marbles in structure  Device removes part of structure, releases marble  Integrate weight placement and “losing your marbles” into performance

Performance Problem  Large emphasis on performance elements (humor, stage presence, etc)  Generally some kind of quest with 3 tasks

Silent Movie  Show a silent movie being made in present time  Explain why  Director  Movie Critic  Humorous Villain Character  3 silly acts of villainy  Subtitles  Musical score  Short trailer

Style  Complements Long Term problem  Found in back of Long Term  5 scoring categories, 10 points each  2 dictated to you: Visual appearance, creative use of a material  2 “Free Choice”  1 “Overall Effect of the four Style elements in the performance”  Things that make you go “WOW!”  Doesn’t have to be tangible

Spontaneous  Completely independent of Long Term  No coach present, go into a room and do a problem  3 types of problems  Verbal  Verbal-hands on  Hands on  Total secrecy about the problem  Only 5 team members can participate

Spont Problems then break

Duties of a Coach  Scheduler  Facilitator  determine goals  helps them read and understand the problem  helps team keep track of tasks and deadlines  takes notes (remind them of their previous ideas)  leads brainstorming sessions (without injecting ideas)  explains scoring  brings in “experts” to discuss & teach skills  Teacher  Asks QUESTIONS  Assists team in developing a timeline for projects  Spontaneous practice (practice often, variety, strategies)  Forms (helps Primary and Division I teams fill out forms)  Go-fer (takes team members to store for supplies)  Snack Organizer (fuel for busy minds)  Mentor  Stresses out on team’s account

Outside Assistance  As a coach, you are in control of the team, not the solution.  Nobody is allowed to help with the problem in any way.  No giving them ideas, no telling them their ideas are good/bad, etc.  “The solution is the TEAM’S design, their work, their performance, and their score. The TEAM is responsible for what they do, NOT the coach.”  Show team how to safely use equipment NOT on their stuff

Clarifications  When you don’t understand part of the problem  General Clarifications  Team-Specific Clarifications  Due before Feb. 15 th  Submit on OdysseyoftheMind.comOdysseyoftheMind.com

Dissecting a problem INTRODUCTION THE PROBLEM LIMITATIONS SITE, SETUP COMPETITION SCORING PENALTIES STYLE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR WILL PROVIDE TEAM WILL PROVIDE

Problem 3- 2 years ago  Read through problem  Talk about problem  Look at forms  View solution View solution  Talk about judging long term/style

Forms: Style  3 copies  Can’t be anything already scored in Long Term  BE SPECIFIC  1 and 2 are dictated by problem  3 and 4 are free choices  5 is a bit of writing to make the judges score them well

Forms: Material Values (Cost)  One copy  List everything used during your presentation  Go through script and think of all props, etc used during a scene  Combine small items (Cardboard, duct tape, paint)  Exemptions (Program Guide p.46-48)  Doesn’t include items not used in presentation  Expensive items $5

Forms: Outside Assistance  One copy  Coaches can assist Div. I teams in filling out forms, but must use team’s words.  If there was OA, list on form, may receive penalty

Forms: Team Required List  3 copies  * Tells the judges what to score *  ^^^IMPORTANT  Vary from problem to problem  NOT ON OotM WEBSITE, IN PROBLEM

Problem 3- 2 years ago  Read through problem  Talk about problem  Look at forms  View solution View solution  Talk about judging long term/style

How to register for competition  Odysseyofthemind.com Odysseyofthemind.com  Member area  Register for competition  Make sure you spell team members’ names properly  Dec 15, 2014: $140 per team and 2 coaches  Jan 15, 2015: $175 per team and 2 coaches

Competitions  3 Competitions  Super Regionals-  Feb. 28, Sequoyah Middles School, Edmond  State-  March 28, Oklahoma State Student Union  World Finals-  May 20-23, Michigan State University, East Lansing  Div I teams perform in the morning, higher divisions later  Spont all day  Go to holding room ~15 minutes before hand  Somebody will take the team to judges, they’ll come out ~15 min later

In the spont room (how to solve a spont problem)  Verbal, verbal/hands on- 5 desks set up with response cards  Hands on- everything pushed to side with materials in middle  Procedure:  You have 1 min to select members of your team who participate  Judges read problem through twice  Time starts now  Ask questions about problem  Strategize for solution  Perform solution  Judges congratulate you, leave

Competitions (cont)  You’ll probably need to fix stuff before Long Term performance  Find area in hall near problem, set up, work, don’t block traffic  Meet with Staging Area Judge at least 15 min before you perform  Give them forms, etc  Perform for an audience of adoring fans  Move your stuff away  Enjoy rest of day! (WATCH OTHER TEAMS- ESP. DIV III)

Placement  Top 6 teams per problem per division advance from Super Regionals to State  2 teams per problem per division advance to World Competition  Scores are a combination of all three scoring categories put together  Special Awards  OMER Award  Ranatra fusca Award  Ranatra fusca award winners advance automatically to World

End of survival information!

What teams should be doing now  Selecting Problems  Showing them previous solutions to let them know what OotM is.  Thoroughly reading through problem  Brainstorming ideas for the solution  When they have a good idea, go through problem looking for scoring criteria  Start writing script  Start working on costumes, props, backgrounds, etc.  Clarifications

Closer to competition  Finish script  Read through script, make changes  Look through problem, does script earn points?  Look at style: Are we working on the 2 required items?  Work on solution  1 week out  Scramble to finish everything  PERFORM RUNTHROUGHS, speak loudly, block  Memorize script  Do forms!

Practicing Spontaneous  Tons of resources in handout  At first, have everybody participate, narrow down closer to competition  Great to do verbal as teams come in/snack time  Don’t forget about Spont when you get closer to competition!  You can do sponts formally and informally  Try formally a couple of times close to competition

The art of questioning  No outside assistance  Bad: That’s a great idea!  Good: Okay! Team, what did you think of __’s idea?  Bad: I would use hot glue for that  Good: Are you sure duct tape is the best tool for the job? Lets look at other ways to attach things!  Note: If teams are doing something dangerous, intervene!

How to brainstorm  Allow for an open idea environment- don’t shoot down ideas  Coach can write team’s ideas and remind them later  Should be fun, off the wall  Make sure everybody gets to speak  Your idea of a good solution may be worlds away from theirs  OotM doesn’t have a correct answer  Let them piggy back off other ideas  Sort and sift, evaluate ideas  Disagree respectfully!

Team management  Unruly team members

Dealing with other commitments  Need to get week before competition free NOW  Often don’t need full team at all times, only spont/run through days

Calendar Days  Sit down with giant calendar, show team how much time is left until competition

Learning to use new tools  Variety of tools used in solution  Teach using a different item  Guide them to correct tool  Reverence for dangerous tools  Youtube is a good way for students to learn (how to spray paint plastic, etc)  Don’t be afraid to teach them how to use a tool without context  They come in, today we’re going to learn how to use google drive!  Hopefully they’ll think of it later

Great tools you might not know about  Google Drive  Pinterest  YouTube  Spont Websites Spont Websites  Zip Ties  Other Coaches   Spont/skills Workshop  Thrift Shops

Lastly, make friends!  Easy to just hang out with your team  Sit by somebody else during awards  Make a buddy team, practice spont together  other coaches in your problem, meet up for food at state