Thinking about the Quest?

ThinkQuest just announced their 2008 "Internet Challenge," a free citywide competition for teams of NYC students, grades 3-12, developing innovative websites. Winning teams, their coaches and schools are awarded some quest-worthy treasures like laptop computers, digital cameras and $1000 gift certificates.

Teams who make it through the adventurous project (you don't have to worry about poisonous snakes) and win the goods will also receive citywide recognition. Plus, winning websites are published in the TWNYC library, which has a bunch of cool NYC student-created websites.

And don't forget those good ol' intrinsic rewards, which are why you do it all in the first place.

Named by Technology & Learning magazine as one of the "Top 10 Innovative Projects" in the country, ThinkQuest NYC's "Internet Challenge" offers a great opportunity for NYC teachers to help students cross the digital divide by integrating learning with technology. Students hone skills necessary to succeed in the 21st Century: web authoring, teamwork and collaboration, project management, creativity and research.

More than 4,000 NYC students representing all five boroughs participated in their 2007 Internet Challenge where participants are said to have unanimously described the process as "life altering".

ThinkQuest provides free training to educators to become team coaches for the Challenge. Register for their most popular training program, their Saturday ThinkQuest Bootcamps - one-day (six hour) sessions covering how to implement the TNQYC program, hands on computer instruction, web-based research strategies and mechanics of constructing a website.