I was wondering where to post this one, here or on my other blog called America explained (I admit, I am not lacking ambition), but decided to post it here. Check out the other blog, though, if you are interested.
My son is a geek, he likes sciences and is good at math. He is similar to his mom, who likes sciences – and isn’t all that great at math. This year we signed him up for a program called Destination Imagination (in short DI) which is a nationwide contest in which teams complete a challenge – often engineering-related but for variety there are also plays and more social type challenges.
The not so creative creativity contest. pic: hongkiat.com
We liked the idea of elementary school kids using their imagination and creativity to solve problems. That is the theory. The practice is – the opposite. The team of youngsters has to pick one of five challenges, if it was me the challenge would be something like: “build three small cars propelled by different mechanisms which can go a predetermined distance.” I might add something like “Don’t use nuclear power to propel them.”
In real life the challenges reads something like: “build three small cars propelled by different mechanisms which can go a predetermined distance.” and then follow about 10 pages (literally) in 8 point print detailing every last aspect of the challenge. The size of the care down to the quarter inch, how much it can cost, what materials can be used and not used, how much the vehicle can wobble and still be considered running smoothly – a condition. Also the cars don’t just have to go a predetermined distance, they have to follow some excruciatingly detailed path inside a 20′ x 20′ feet square in which certain areas are marked off. The ways to propel the cars are spelled out (so much about thinking creatively) and everything that is fun is explicitly forbidden. Geek mom that I am my first thought was “firecracker tied to car”. I thought it was brilliant – but, of course, the Safety Rules prohibit that.
Not only spell the rules every aspect of the challenge out , they are also subject to repeated revisions and so the parents will enjoy immensely the opportunity to compare different versions at various times and adjust the project. Wait, the parents are not supposed to participate at all other than in a facilitator’s role (basically keeping the kid’s from smashing each others’ heads in) – so the 8 year olds seem to be expected to read the rules, understand them and act accordingly. No idea in what universe the people who came up with this live. One thing is sure, thought, they do not have kids and where born middle-aged.
Somehow this whole mess is in some ways indicative of – and here I can’t speak for all of the US but certainly for the engineering driven culture of Silicon Valley – where creativity seem to be to follow very detailed rules and dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. The challenges couldn’t be more contrary to their alleged purpose if they tried. To us it is painful to read the rules and see the kids struggle with trying solve the challenge, have some fun and stay within the narrow confines of the rules of this alleged contest in creativity and imagination.
If it was just my son I would encourage him to use a firecracker and a few more things that sparkle, bang and stink – even if it means he gets disqualified, at least he would have some fun and go out with a bang. But as a member of a team of little geeks we’ll play by the rules. Just this year, next year I am thinking of a challenge myself.
Expats Returning - Or Not? 