Quest+Atlantis+as+a+Summer+Camp+or+Club


 * Summer Camps or Clubs in Quest Atlantis.**

In our April Teacher Connection our guest speaker Liesl Loudemilk shared her experience of designing and running a summer camp in Quest Atlantis. In this space we will share the conversations of that meeting, plans, documentation and syllbus materials to support others who might like to run similar camps or clubs. It was discussed that we might also consider running a virtual camp where ,kids from about the globe can come together to work inside QA.


 * Who is hosting a QA Summer Camp?**
 * **Liesl Loudermilk (QA:Liesl)** - Summer Camp - University Elementary, Bloomington Indiana - July 19-23 - 1:00 - 4:00est
 * **Jeff Agamenoni (QA: Teacherman79)** - Summer Camp - MSU College of Technology, Great Falls, MT- July 19 through July 23 - 9-12 am MST = 11:00 - 2:00est Leisl and Jeff's students will overlap for an hour...
 * **Scott Merrick (QA: MisterMerrick)** - Summer Camp, University School of Nashville, Nashville, has been cancelled due to conflicting schedule. Scott will construct and design a camp for the summer of 2011.
 * **Seminole County School District - Janine McGrath, Debbie Rivera, Jennifer Rothman, Jesus Deleon -** June 14 - 17, 8.30am - 11.30am EST.
 * **Mary Del Bianco (QA -Telos) and LaMonte Odum (QA - MrLeo)**- Summer camp at Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy


 * Summer Camp Designs**
 * **Jeff Agamenoni (QA: Teacherman79** || **Summer Camp - Quest Atlantis - MSU College of Technology, Great Falls, MT- July 19 through July 23 - 9-12 am MST**

The College of Technology where I am teaching is requiring me to provide a brief description of the summer camps I will be teaching. **Summer Camp WIKI**

Quest Atlantis (QA) is an international learning and teaching project that uses a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children, ages 9-16, in educational tasks. QA combines strategies used in the commercial gaming environment with lessons from educational research on learning and motivation. Participation in this game is designed to enhance the lives of children while helping them grow into knowledgeable, responsible, and empathetic adults. Explore the QA site at [] and learn more about this exciting project.

Students will be given the choice of which quests they would like to complete based on their own interests. Choices will include a mission in outer space where they work for NASA, Three National Park missions where they play a variety of roles, and a Monster-Mystery loosely based on Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein. Students will complete daily quest work which won't seem like work at all. Students will learn to build and create their own virtual art and architecture. We will be working in conjunction with simultaneous summer camps running in Nashville, TN and Bloomington IN. Students will make new virtual friends and gain an understanding of what on-line collaboration consists of when they work on projects with students half way across the country.


 * SUMMER CAMP SLIDE SHOW**

media type="custom" key="6654377"

||
 * **FLORIDA** || **Seminole Country Schools** ||
 * J**anine McGrath**
 * (QA McGrath4th)**
 * Jesus DeLeon**
 * Jennifer Rothman**
 * Debbie Rivera** || Students attending the camp will be in two locations throughout the district. Students will begin by researching the BP oil spill and its impact on the Florida coastline. Students will video conference between the two campuses and make decisions about the build. They will make decisions about the focus of the build, how the areas for building will be divided up, and who will be responsible for the various aspects of the build. Once the build has been completed students and teachers will engage in producing a machinima.


 * SUMMER CAMP MACHINIMA**

media type="custom" key="6655669" ||


 * **Maryland** || **Baltimore City Charter School** ||
 * **Mary Del Bianco**
 * Lamonte Odum** || 5 students from Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy were invited to participate in a summer camp activity that would take place during their mandatory summer school program. 3 of the students completed the permission slips. We used all of their camp time working through the orientation program. They LOVE QA! We are going to continue the program as an after school club. Here is the description that we have proposed to BDJ and to Holy Redeemer School in Kensington:

After School Virtual Environments Project

A Collaboration between Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy and Holy Redeemer School

 Two schools, 18 students, unlimited possibilities

 Through transformative play virtual environments can improve student learning. Students are already using virtual environments when they play games like runescape and world of warcraft. They navigate virtual landscapes with ease. They quickly adjust to the rules of the game because they want to win. With a program like Active Worlds students can interact and build content that can be accessed by students around the globe. An example of this is the [|__Quest Atlantis__]  project developed by Sasha Barab at The University of Indiana. In this game the virtual world is enriched with academic and social justice education curriculum.

 Using QA students work on 21st century learning skills like decision making and complex communication. Users of virtual worlds play in an environment where everyone is equal. Leadership develops without prejudice. Skill is the only relevant information in choosing your friends. Players want to establish friends that can help the win. Students learn to build a team that will help them succeed at their quests.

 By using virtual environments, teachers at BDJ and HR can provide an opportunity for students to learn how to navigate in a virtual environment safely and as responsible digital citizens. We will use after school time at both campuses to meet with students twice a week. The first phase of our project is designed to help students learn how to participate in a virtual world. The second phase will involve having students design their own virtual environment. We plan to begin the student design project early in January 2011. ||