We¡¯re excited to release our newest game,
Ducks Amok (named by a Synthesis student during Game Design Camp). It¡¯s a game that works both types of thinking: you and your team will need to coordinate short-term plans, then switch your brains to discuss long-term strategy between rounds. But first, you need to learn the game. Because life¡¯s problems don¡¯t come with complete instructions. And neither do our games.
Be sure to check out the
Teams Mission Brief for more details.
Communication in Game Sessions
Zheng's % of time speaking average in each game session
Reflection for Zheng: What's the most effective way to share information with your team?
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You contribute 0% of your teams¡¯ actions.
What contribution should each player make to the team?
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You use 0% of your available AP.
How are you using your AP to contribute to the team goals?
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If you notice that some of your teamwork data is missing or showing at 0%, it is because you have not attended a recent session featuring this game.
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You¡¯ve been around Synthesis Teams long enough to know that good
communication means more than just talking to your teammates.
It¡¯s about being thoughtful in the
way we communicate: using
teammates¡¯ names, being clear and specific, and asking clarifying
questions. It¡¯s about speaking up
and responding to others.
This month, we¡¯ll take a closer look at these important aspects of
teamwork as we examine your
productive communication skills.
We¡¯ve missed you in game sessions the past few weeks! We hope to see you again soon.
In the meantime, have you checked out your portfolio progress recently? Click on the ¡®portfolio¡¯ tile of your Teams account to see a list of the achievements you¡¯ve unlocked. And be sure to watch this week¡¯s Mission Brief for a preview of this week¡¯s teamwork focus!
Observations based on your participation in game sessions in 1 of the past 4 weeks
On your journey to make any team you join better, you'll practice how to effectively communicate with everyone. Our Discussion sessions are carefully designed to provide opportunities for you to practice these critical communication skills in various ways.
Last week's theme was
"Black Swan Events." When we talk about risk, it¡¯s generally in terms of likelihood. However, that¡¯s not always the best lens. A black swan event is a rare, unexpected event, but with a huge impact. It seems highly unlikely beforehand but seems obvious in hindsight. Last week, we introduced you to ¡°black swan events¡± in the first half, and in the second half, we asked you to wrestle with a real one: the YR4 asteroid with a fluctuating risk of hitting Earth in 2032.
Communication in Discussions Sessions
Speaking % in Zheng's Discussion session last week.
Reflection for Zheng: How can you contribute to balanced communication with your team in Discussions?
Productive communication and effective teamwork go hand in hand. Because you were unable to attend a Discussion session last week, we can¡¯t provide a current analysis of your strengths and areas for growth in your communication skills. To ensure our feedback is timely and relevant, we focus on your most recent conversations during Discussions.
In Discussion sessions, you¡¯ll learn how to craft an educated opinion and express it civilly to peers from around the globe. We encourage you to attend upcoming sessions so we can help you develop your communication skills further.
This week¡¯s theme is ¡°Fallback Positions.¡± When we make decisions, we hope things will go according to plan. But when they don¡¯t, we need ¡°fallback positions,¡± second- and third-level contingencies. This week, you¡¯ll see scenarios with three options. You won¡¯t just choose ¡°the best¡± ¡ª you¡¯ll also arrange your two fallbacks. Why? Because getting in this habit isn¡¯t just helpful at Synthesis. It¡¯s a healthy habit for the rest of your life.
Join us this week for an interesting conversation with other bright kids from around the world.
Anyone who's on the path toward becoming a Supercollaborator is able to keep improving their skills and making course corrections. We look forward to seeing you at future sessions, and we'll continue giving you feedback on your teamwork and communication skills.
If your parent or guardian has any questions or comments about this email, tell them they can
fill out this 1-minute survey
to help us keep on improving our session feedback.
To the stars (and Mars),
Josh Dahn, cofounder
