Open-ended, fuzzy problems allow for curriculum creativity and ingenuity- something all gifted students deserve to experience in their classrooms. These problems encourage students to delve deep into their imaginations and develop teamwork skills as they either construct balsa wood towers, build vehicles, rewrite and perform classic plays, or re-imagine works of art. No matter which problem they choose, students will be ‘digging deep’ to solve an in-depth problem over several months.
This presenter has coached Odyssey teams for six years and will offer practical tips to help students navigate successfully through these multi-faceted problems. This session includes an overview of the five types of Odyssey problems, suggestions for coaching students towards developing their solutions, logistics for bringing a team to competition (if competition is desired), and guidance in inspiring students to collaborate with one another. Odyssey of the Mind works well as an in-school curriculum, or as an after-school enrichment.