The Oracle Education Foundation (OEF) has opened ThinkQuest International 2008, inviting students and teachers from around the globe to take part in the project learning competition.
ThinkQuest is open to students between the ages of nine and 19, and their teacher-coaches worldwide. The company says students are encouraged to team with peers in other regions to develop Web sites on educational topics.
As they create their sites, the participants develop important 21st century skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, self-direction, problem solving and technology skills, says Oracle. Additionally, the students become published Web authors in the ThinkQuest Library, sharing their work with 30 million Web learners each year.
"Participating in ThinkQuest has enabled me to work together and compete with students from around the world. I had an opportunity to work with other kids my age on global issues that we found interesting," says Dylan Mahalingam, the 2007 first-place winning student from the "Living on the Brink" team, whose site addresses endangered animal issues.
"While working on our Web site, we found it inspiring to interact and exchange ideas with more than 800 children from 31 countries. ThinkQuest taught us to effectively use technology to succeed in this digital age, and offered a platform for us to share our work and knowledge with other children globally. We did not just create a Web site - we actually involved 800 kids from around the world to contribute to our project."
"ThinkQuest is an educational programme that brings students and technology together in ways that positively impact kids' lives and the communities in which they live," says Clare Dolan, VP of Oracle Education Initiatives. "More than 280 000 students benefit each year from the Oracle Education Foundation's technology programmes, which help kids develop vital skills for life and work in the 21st century."
Professional educators will judge all submitted Web sites for ThinkQuest International 2008. Entries are due on 2 April, allowing teams up to eight months to build their Web sites. Qualifying entries will be published in the ThinkQuest Library.
Winners will receive prizes from the OEF, including laptops and $1 000 school grants for the top five teams in each age division; travel to the annual ThinkQuest Live event for the top three teams in each division; and digital cameras for the team that receives the Global Perspectives Award.
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