A Principal’s Take on DI and Current Educational Paradigms

John Falino, Principal and International Baccalaureate (IB) World Head of School at Dobbs Ferry High School, has featured Destination Imagination on his blog, focusing on how DI fits into today’s educational paradigm, which is so dominated by concerns of student assessment, teaching of 21st Century Skills, and concerns of whether students are getting the well rounded education which they deserve.

My interest is on the types of 21st century “survival” skills (T. Wagner) that students develop as a result of participating in DI. These skills include problem solving, collaboration, communication, curiosity/imagination, and self-direction/initiative. There’s so much talk these days about the how we measure and assess these “soft” skills and the types of authentic experiences that schools provide for students to develop them. It’s not only in-line with what I think is trying to be accomplished with the CCSS, but is also in-line with what I know we value as an IB World School. In fact, DI is a perfect complement to IB.

Read More: Authentic Intellectual Experiences: Destination Imagination