QA Student Congress: A Celebration of Participatory Design
Come share your ideas on a Student Congress.
An idea had been mulling for some months now about creating a world in Quest Atlantis where students can take up ownership, leadership and have opportunities to share their lifeworld experiences in the QA social commitments.
The first formal meeting of our steering group happened this week to focus on writing a design proposal for a new world where the particpants will be the designers. What will it look like? What will the students roles be? What will motivate students to come here? What passport will be required to get there? What resourcing issues will we have? What infrastructure will support the goals? Six teachers and our first very brave student member met to begin to answer some of these questions.
The Student Congress will evolve in a disused world once intended for teacher professional development.As such it has a shell of buildings and landscape that the currently forming team of students and teachers can leverage, adapt and reshape to suit this new purpose.
The basic idea of the congress is that students, who have luminated to a certain level, would be able to access this world where they can take up leadership roles and further share their knowledge and commitment with Questers about the globe. There they will be the designers of activities, be able to teach each other new skills like machinima and take their online communication to a new and more reflective level.
If you are a QA teacher and want to explore the world in question you can find the teleporter by walking past Brianna in Teacherville, toward the grass huts to a sign that directs you to Student Congress.
You can join us or follow how this proposal and world are shaping up at the Student Congress Wiki. The audio of the team discussion is also linked inworld at the Teachers Lounge of Islandview Elementary, Teacherville.
[...] @BronSt: Participatory design in Quest Atlantis – teachers and students creating a student congress http://questatlantisblog.org/?p=561 [...]
After attending this and subsequent meetings about this exciting new proposal, I am in awe of the commitment our future leaders have to it. Not only commitment but a strong persistence. For days afterwards several of the student leaders have been adding to and annotating the wiki with some sterling suggestions. If the aim of education is for the students to surpass the teachers, then the future is in good hands.
I’m really excited about being included in the congress, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve. At my first conference call I was really nervous, but now I know that there’s nothing be be nervous about. I just need to say what I think and always stay positive. I can’t wait for the next one in 2 weeks! I really hope we can achieve the best of the best!
I know I can speak for the teachers in this team when I say how excited we were to have Xina (comment above) and the other students join us in the last meeting. Each teacher is bringing one or two students to join as equal partners in this project team and we were so proud to see how quickly they were able to jump in and satart taking leadership roles. If these kids are our future then it really is in safe hands.
I am excited about being student team leader for the Diversity Affirmation team! I hope everything goes well.
Dear Fellow Questers,
For those who do not know me, my name is Juliana and I am the Diversity Affirmation student team leader.
I would like to request an area within Teach World where my team can meet and plan. The area in Teach World that we would like to use and share with the Healthy Communities team ranges from the Hot Air Balloon area to the Water Ride to the Outdoor Amphitheatre, and also includes the virtual school building (each team would have one classroom in order to put on presentations).
Thank you for this consideration.
Yours in Questing,
Juliana.
Hello fellow questers,
I am hees15karthik, leader of the Environmental Awareness Commitment Student Team Leader.
I feel that being a student leader is a big privelege. It feels good that you have been chosen to represent your county. As a leader, I have to try and build different things in the Student Congress world. Right now we are building Commitment areas for the different commitments. Building is the only hard part. You have to go to the Junkyard or Playland and you have to find all of the different commands. Then we have to copy and paste the codes. I have learned how to be a real leader because I was chosen for Student Congress. Even though being a leader is hard work, I know it is worth it because later in life, I know this will definetly benifit me.
I like being a leader because I feel good after I help them. We help one of the other classes doing the program. My goal is to make other peoplel achieve what I have so they can enjoy QA more than they are. I like the feeling when other people are happy because I helped them. It is fun to be amazed by everyone by doing one thing. This is why I like being a leader in QA.
To be a leader makes you feel proud to be helping people accomplish a quest or mission on Quest Atlantis. A leader is someone who leads you to what you want to do or where you want to go. Leaders need to be creative and should feel free to explore. We learn when we explore new things and try them out. Leaders also need to know what they’re doing. If they don’t know what they’re doing, they won’t be able to teach the other person how to do the quest or mission they’re trying to get done. A leader should feel like Quest Atlantis is something that is fun and has taught them a lot. That is what a leader is to me.
I am hees7jason helper of the leader of the Environmental Awareness Commitment Student Team Group.
It feels good to be a leader because you get to have many opportunities. I remember once when I was teaching middle schoolers. I had to teach 4 periods of middle schoolers. I taught them how to build. It was hard because they did not listen. But we accomplished it in a good amount of time.
I also remember the time I taught Mr. Smit’s class. It was hard because they were so new to QA. They were clueless. They didn’t even know what their Avatar was! Now, after we taught them, they all have at least 40 lumins. Now, they are teaching people and they are experts.
All in all, I think being a leader is a great responsibility.
To be a leader makes you feel proud to be helping people accomplish a quest or mission on Quest Atlantis. A leader is someone who leads you to what you want to do or where you want to go. Leaders need to be creative and should feel free to explore. We learn when we explore new things and try them out. Leaders also need to know what they’re doing. If they don’t know what they’re doing, they won’t be able to teach the other person how to do the quest or mission they’re trying to get done. A leader should feel like Quest Atlantis is something that is fun and has taught them a lot. That is what a leader is to me.