Comments on: Teacher Connection Update December

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:35:15 +0000

Hi Bron,
Yes, this certainly has been a big year for QA and there is fantastic work being done by some extremely talented and dedicated teachers around the world.
New South Wales is very slowly, but surely gaining new schools who are embracing QA. A primary school which began this term will be enthusiastically continuing next year and a local high school will be working on mathematical questing with students in need of support.
Well done to all QA teachers. I am certainly looking forward to working and meeting with you again next year in person or in teacher connections.

By: dstevens

dstevens — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:54:09 +0000

Graham, currently, we have grant funding from the MacArthur Foundation to support bringing on up to 10-15 teachers at schools, so there is no cost. I’d be happy to provide you with more information about the program. We do have an online training beginning in a few weeks, and we’d be delighted to have you join us! We do ask for at least 2 teachers at a school, so you may want to check to see if there is another educator at your school or a nearby school to attend the training with you.

Feel free to email me at ds9@indiana.edu with any questions about the program or the training.

Donna Stevens
ds9@indiana.edu

By: Graham

Graham — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:46:15 +0000

I’m a teacher in the UK. I am interested in using Quest Atlantis. What are the costs?

By: Janine McGrath

Janine McGrath — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:29:10 +0000

We finished our training a couple of weeks ago and most folk are off and running. It was interesting training adults as my students were often far more tech savvy and were proficient gamers. My students would eagerly jump in with both feet, whereas adults were wary to tread through unknown territory. Kids are happy to use trial and error, whereas our adults want to get it “right”. The teachers posted very reflective comments on a r discussion board during the training, and went away with a set of strategies to use with their students when they begin questing. First hand experiences certainly help us to connect with our students when they perceive us as co-questers.

We have a very enthusiastic group of middle school teachers forging ahead, and one elementary school that has brought two more teachers into the QA fold. The QA word is trickling through our schools, and more teachers are pricking up their ears and asking about it.

By: Terry Smith

Terry Smith — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:03:02 +0000

December notes on QA in my classroom— My setup is a little different in that I don’t use a lab for Quest Atlantis. Four days per week, I have learning centers in my classroom and one of those is computer center (where I have six computers capable of running active worlds software). So kids are on at different times during the week. Since the computers are in the class, some kids get on the moment they finish other work. At lunch time, I have a signup sheet for those wanting to come back to the classroom and do missions instead of recess and I have at least six kids every lunch period. The point in describing this set up is to show that kids are all at different point, some on the same parts of the mission, but most not. I don’t have a group focus on the project but rather an changing individual focus, which can be more difficult as far as knowing where everyone is, but also more fun in the different reactions and conversations that arise. During the week, as kids either triumph or struggle with the missions, I hear different versions of the same path: going to the graveyard, talking to Tim, or trying to understand the difference of opinion from the conversation in the tavern. So my knowledge grows as I talk and listen in on the progress and problems.

Here are a couple of observations:

(1) At first, my kids tended to write short, incomplete responses, often not reading the instructions carefully. Of course I respond with a Revise click, then as the student returns to do a more thorough job, excellent teachable moments happen. Because the student is motivated to move forward and get to the next part of the quest, the student is also motivated to revise and look more closely at the instructions and question specifics. I find myself creating a list of kids to watch and make sure they get back to their revisions.

(2) A cool thing – as my kids work on other subjects in class, I see the influence of the QA habits. When working on a Weekly Reader assignment yesterday (in the Anything Center) they were asked to discuss a science topic and write a paragraph about the material. When kids asked me if they had to do that part, I just said, “well, it’s just like in QA. Write a few really good sentences that get your idea across as though you were responding to a mission.” It works. Kids sort of got into their QA role and did the writing on an outside assignment not related to QA. This is an excellent example of the transfer of skills. — Terry Smith, Hannibal, MO

By: Mary-Ellen Davis ~ Soulstar

Mary-Ellen Davis ~ Soulstar — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:28:21 +0000

Our 4th grade teachers and students are off to a great start for our first year. I am so very grateful to have a safe, nurturing MUVE for students to develop their 21st century skills.

It was so much fun to share Quest Atlantis with fellow Virginians at VSTE this month. I’d love to see our participation as a state grow. I am currently working on developing a mixed model for next year’s PD offerings here in Virginia Beach.

By: Judy Tyler

Judy Tyler — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:31:08 +0000

It has been about three weeks since we finished the Taiga unit, and I have noticed a significant increase in the quality of my student’s thinking and writing. They recently turned in a formal lab report (which all of them turned in, quite amazing in itself), but when they got back their grades, the majority of them wanted to fix and return them to me. The idea of mastery learning has really been ingrained and I believe it is because we spent six weeks working on and revising quests until they were correct…..another amazing unknown benefit of Quest Atlantis.

By: Janette Eade

Janette Eade — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:18:27 +0000