Robyn Gibson EDC 601 Shanghai 09 ThinkQuest Narrative Competition

What is ThinkQuest? ThinkQuest is an international competition where student teams engage in collaborative, project-based learning to create educational websites.

Why Integrate ThinkQuest into the classroom? Projects provide a flexible framework for engaging students in exploring curricular topics and developing important 21st century skills, such as communication, teamwork, and technology skills. In addition, students are motivated by the fun and creative format and the opportunity to make new friends around the world. For teachers, a school portal enables quick and easy management of student accounts and review of project work.

What is the Narrative Competition? o Teams of students are formed with one coach (teacher). o Teams choose a topic and create rich content using online project tools. Web design tools are not needed. o Clear evaluation criteria guides students. o Prizes include laptop computers, digital cameras, school monetary grants, and the chance to have the site published in the ThinkQuest Library.

Narrative Topics A sample of the current ThinkQuest narrative topics:  What makes a good world citizen?  What can you do to live a healthy life?  What role does art or music play in our lives?  What is life like for people in your local community?  How can we end hunger in our world?

When is the Competition? The narrative competitions open in January, with an entry deadline in early May. Winners are announced in early June.

How are Sites Scored?  Content  Writing and Organization  Originality  Educational Relevance  Global Impact  Collaboration  Team Diversity  Rising to the Challenge

In My Classroom I can see the benefits of incorporating this project in my class for a number of reasons. The global perspective our classes contain will add a unique perspective to our site submission.

Completed Sites For further examples of completed sites, please visit: