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Bag of Tricks by Karl Rohnke "Bag of Tricks - Personalized Brainstorming" by Karl Rohnke Check out the use of acronyms and initialisms in FUNN STUFF 1, then try the following activity as a means of personalized brainstorming. Ask a group to make up initialisms or acronyms (An initialism is a series of letters that make up the first letter of a word and which together cannot be pronounced as a word. Examples are BMX, DDT, HMO, etc. Acronyms are pronounceable words made up of the first letters of a series of words. Examples are SCUBA, ERIC, QUANTAS, RADAR, etc.) utilizing their three letter initials. My initials are KER, which obviously stands for Karl Eats Regularly, or alternatively, Karl Entertains Rabbits. Don't take the word association too seriously and have some fun with your group making up initialisms for everyone. Try to produce more than one-per-person so that an individual gets to choose the one that appeals most. The idea is not to describe the individual but rather identify, humorously or otherwise, with the choice of letter perfect words, and to do this in a melee of brainstorming BFO's (Blinding Flash of the Obvious). When you think about it, all you have to do is choose words for the last two letters of your initials because the first initial is always associated with your first name. Unless, of course, you want to establish an abstract relationship twixt your initials and the universe; then you're on your own. "Foosketball": I need to tell you right-off that this game plan was passed along by Karin Taylor of Solomon-Lewenburg School in Mattapan, MA. She encouraged me to add the original idea for the game from Jim McCool, a fellow teacher at Madison Park School in Boston. And, of course, I messed around with the rules some - surprise! Foosketball is basically played with a football. If that concept appeals, here's a few rules that slather uniqueness and fun all over two very traditional sports. * Play takes place on a basketball court. If you don't have a regulation basketball court, nail a bottomless peach basket about ten feet off the floor at each end of the playing area. Hmmmm.... * To score a point, one of the two teams must shoot the football through one of the hoops (either one). * The game begins in the center of the playing area (If you're in a gym there's probably a circle painted on the floor there) as the ref kicks the ball as close to straight up as possible. First contact with the ball must be fleeting, (i.e. the ball cannot be caught, only directed). This refers only to first ball contact after the kick. * Second contact can be an actual catch. The catching player cannot run with the ball but must pass it. The pass must be either underhanded or delivered as a jump shot; no spirals allowed - unless a pass is attempted from paint to paint. If this full court spiral pass is incomplete, the attempting team loses a point. (You can't develop a minus score, so go for it.) The catching player is allowed one pivot step. * The ball cannot be knocked out of a player's hand, but can be knocked down or intercepted. If the ball is knocked down, the person (only that person) knocking the ball down gets immediate possession. If the ball is intercepted or legally caught, three slow-down steps are allowed. * Only one defender from the other team can cover the person with the ball, at least an arm's length away. In-your-face defense in out. * To score, the ball must be shot through either basket. One point is scored for this shot. A jump shot from beyond the regulation 3 point line scores 3 points. A hook shot from this area scores 5 points. * After a score, any member of the other team takes possession of the ball and runs unhampered to center court. From that position the player makes a pivot step throw (underhand or jump shot) to restart the action. Or, refer to the ref kick, as above. * After any shot where no score is made, whoever rebounds it gets it. "Corporate Jigsaw Puzzle": This unique and puzzling arrangement of commonly found fleshy parts (arms, legs, torsos, heads, etc.) is initiated by having one participant pronate themselves (supernate is okay too) on a gym floor or non-itchy cut grass surface. Other willing puzzlers then fit themselves around this person to create an artistic entwinement of human parts. Seen from above, the finished object d'art looks pretty much like what you would expect; a bunch of people lying on the floor in a surreal pastiche of body parts--a people puzzle. When everyone is satisfied with their positioning, ask the participants to memorize their place in the corporal mosaic, get up (individually or as a group), then try to reestablish the puzzle exactly as it was by resuming their original positions. As true with all genuine works of art, replications, no matter how faithfully done, are mere shadows of the original. ("This is either a genuine fake or a damned clever original.") Considerations and editorial musings: * Creation of this puzzle is a subtle (sometimes not so subtle) trust exercise. Considering that some sense of sequence should be kept in mind, do not use this activity on the first day of a multi-day program or with a group that is struggling to "find themselves." * Allow the "pieces" to establish their own place within the puzzle. * Talk about how trust played a part toward establishing the final product. * If possible, take an overhead wide-angle photo of the finished puzzle
arrangement for later display and humorous sharing of juxtaposed fantasies.
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