The Monsters are coming!
October 25, 2006
Monster Match 2006 looms on the horizon. We had 22 classes participate last year with about 400 students and this year the project has grown to 62 classes with over 1000 students! This is so exciting and I am learning some keys to managing larger projects.
It seems so easy at first glance…partner two classes together and send the instructions to create a monster out of “common classroom” materials and then email the description to the other class and they will try to replicate the monster.
Here is what I have learned so far this year.
- Think through the registration process and get as much information as you can get up front. Since this is for Pre-K-3rd grade, I need to know when teachers go to lunch, PE, music, etc. Try to get three possible times for each participant.
- Have a “Feet on the Street” contact. My videoconference site managers in each district have been invaluable in assisting with double-checking with teachers.
- If you have an entire grade level participating, find out who is the grade level chair or the project advocate. Use them as a main point of contact if any issues arise.
- Be specific in definitions. Next year, I will clearly define “common classroom materials”.
- Next year, I will also have a mandatory videoconference to review project parameters and expectations. That will create clear expectations and eliminate frustrations and confusions so that the project can be effective and enjoyable for our participants.
I know that I will learn more next Monday and Tuesday when we have the videoconferences. This is teachers’ favorite beginner conference and I know that I will be able to improve the implementation next year…I was caught off guard a bit by how many wanted to participate. I know that Janine is the master of partnering hundreds…probably over a thousand…classes for Read Across The Planet, but I am not quite that experienced. I am learning quickly, though!
Posted in Monster Match
content rss
Roxanne,
I love your suggestion about the mandatory vc for the registrants. This would save so many back and forth emails for questions that are clearly outlined in the project materials posted on the website.
We just implemented this project (just in-district) at the last minute this year and are doing all our connections (9!) on Halloween. We are totally excited to have 18 classes involved.
We are going to facilitate the connections and at the end are going to have a special guest - a monster! One of us will join in as a Monster avatar from our desktop IVC system. He’s going to ask a couple of questions to the classes, “Can you guess my favorite movie? - Monsters, Inc.” etc. and then tell a few monster jokes just before signing off. I’ll have to let you know how that one goes, but we’ve done a couple of things with the avatars and the students go crazy!
Good luck on yours. Last time I facilitated a mutlipoint project (Texas History Mystery) I had nightmares about connections for days!
Angela
Hi, Angela, one of my schools was going to join the Texas History Mystery…East Ward from Killeen. Don’t know if they did or not.
Tell me more about the avatars…are you using the Logitech software with the webcam and PVX software?
Also, do you have a blog I can link to?
Roxanne
East Ward did not join in this time around. We are going to do it again for Texas History week in March. Totally worth it. I’m going to present at TxDLA and TCEA about it.
The avatars are awesome. Very easy to use. I can hook up with you and demo if you like. The software came with the Logitech Fusion webcam. There are some great accessories you can add to yourself as well. It comes with a couple of avatars and then you can download more from their website. Super easy. My only restriction is my voice. Now I need a voice modulator to go with the characters. I’ve had teachers ask if we would just hook up with them as an avatar to do spelling tests or similar things, How great is that idea? You could really turn around a bad attitude about something the students have to do and dread doing. I’m leaving it up to the teachers and students to have more great ideas for this technology add-on.
My blogs are just postings of vc opportunities that my people can subscribe to. I just post all the things that come through the listservs there so they have a one-stop shop. I’m thinking of starting a pod-cast or a blog soon, but I hate to commit unless I can be consistent in posting.
Good luck on your monster match tomorrow and Tuesday. We’ll be able to sleep after that, right?
I kept dreaming the other night that people were dialing in to me while I was trying to sleep. (Don’t know why I had the Polycom set up in my bedroom!!)
Angela
Angela, is your Texas History Mystery modeled on the MysteryQuest projects that Janine Lim facilitates?
Roxanne
Yes it is. Her materials were wonderful. Really easy to adapt for our event. The only we didn’t do was specify the clues. I’d like to do that next time. Some schools made it really clear that they were giving a clue and the others we had to go back and ask.
You can check it out in more detail at http://www.humbleisd.net/mystery
Angela