 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 Register Today! Learn more! Local Contacts 2008 Problem Synopses Practice Problems Classroom Activities Creative People Clarifications COU Sponsors Member Area Director's Corner Home |
|
" Anyone who uses or has used Odyssey-like strategies in the classroom holds the key to making this project a success. " Teachers now have a chance to widen their positive impact from their classrooms to the educational system as a whole -- and it will take less than five minutes. By simply filling out a survey at the Odyssey of the Mind website, teachers can help in the first phase of the "Integrating Odyssey of the Mind Strategies into the Classroom Project." This project, thanks to a generous grant from Microsoft, will make classrooms more fun and efficient by incorporating OotM ideals such as teamwork, an emphasis on creative problem solving, and technology into the classroom. However, this cannot be done without help from the educators themselves. The first step of the project includes identifying the strategies that are most successful with students. Anyone who uses or has used Odyssey-like strategies in the classroom holds the key to making this project a success. This survey asks basic questions concerning teaching methods such as: brainstorming, team-building, competition, and others. It also asks about the use of technology in the classroom. What works best? What didn't work? All feedback will be useful in developing the tools and strategies that will shape the rest of the project. We will evaluate the results of the survey and use the information to create a program that will be tested in "pilot schools." These schools will help Odyssey of the Mind revise and perfect the program. It will then be presented to schools across the U.S. in hopes of bringing creative teaching methods to as many classrooms as possible. Help students reach their full potential by sharing your knowledge, and by asking other teachers to take the survey. It is located on the Odyssey of the Mind homepage -- "Take the educator survey." This survey is an important part of the Odyssey of the Mind project, which ultimately, is part of Microsoft's vision to help students develop 21st century skills. |