questing

Lately, I've taken to calling a "quiz" or "test" in my class a QUEST. The students first used the term because they were completely unwilling to accept a quiz that was more than two pages. They adopted the nickname Quest as a compromise and I picked it up. Now, I assign "QUESTS" all the time... sometimes they are take-home, sometimes projects, sometimes long quizzes.

Anyway, recently I found this Quest - a new program for Compassion. If any of you have kids, and if those kids are helplessly drawn to the computer, then this is a great place for them to hang out.

QUEST FOR COMPASSION

Go ahead and explore... it's the kind of education that I would love for my kids to dive into. It's not about feeding a virtual dog (it's true - kids do it and love it!). It's not about obsessing over celebrities and Hollywood (what's the website - Perez Hilton or something like that?). It's not about gossiping with friends over the latest who did what on facebook (Mark Zuckerberg probably had no idea what monster would come from his creation).

It's about using technology in a way that connects kids to the world ... and the hurt that is there. The opportunities are endless.

And, as long as I'm recommending things, I strongly recommend taking a quest to El Salvador. I am currently sweating buckets, typing this up in a brightly colored cafe with a very sincere cup of salvadorean coffee at my side.

I'll catch up on some of the musings I've had on this excursion soon.