- A Bridge for Cultural Exchange
- Bitten by the Web Design Bug
- Student's Persistence Leads to Victory
- Forming Friendships Across Time Zones
- A Quest that Ends in Reward
- Teamwork Hatches Award-Winning Site
- Reflections from a First-Time Coach
- Raising Awareness of an Environmental Emergency
- Making a World of Difference in AIDS Education
- Don't Know Much About Biotechnology?
Reflections of a First-Time Coach
By Donna Papanikolau
Primary Coach, Avian Flu: Under the Microscope
After everything was said and done, I sat back and reflected upon my experience as a coach. I came up with all kinds of academic language in which to describe this adventure. Some of it even sounded quite fancy. Here is the truth of it though: ThinkQuest was, for me, personally torturous, and professionally affirming and inspiring.
Why was it was torturous for me on personal level? Any one of you who has ever competed in ThinkQuest knows it takes a great deal of time, energy, and commitment, especially when tackling a huge, globally important topic like the Avian Flu. But, what was most difficult for me as a coach was allowing the students the space to flounder so they could regain their perspective. There were times when each of the team members doubted the validity of their contributions. Tran actually wanted to quit! He was afraid that he had nothing to offer the team and had to learn on his own the value of the project. Of course, his contributions turned out to be spectacular. Annie disappeared from the net for what seemed like an eternity, but came back with brilliant input and mountains of research. And, our team artist, Chelsea, was unsure if her drawings fit the overall look of the website, but as any visitor to our site can see, they illustrate the concepts perfectly. In addition to the uncertainty that plagued the students' minds, a definite state of panic would ensue over the deadlines! I had to let them be as helpless as I felt. The only thing I could offer was encouragement, guidance, and my belief that they could do it! This is why it was torture—I had to let go of a certain amount of control and trust their integrity.
This brings me to my next line of thought. ThinkQuest was an affirming experience as an educator. It validated my belief and teaching maxim: the student knows best. It is my belief that students inherently know what they need either in methodology or instruction in order to learn and succeed. These young minds had a vision. They knew their strengths and what needed to be done, dividing the tasks by interest and expertise. Andrew has a great sense of organization, so he drafted an initial outline for the website. It was a first step, but a giant one because it enabled the team to make collective decisions on the content of the website. Beyond being diligent and committed team members, the students were also supportive as to the needs of one another. When someone became discouraged, stuck, or just overwhelmed, one of them always posted an encouraging or funny message on the team forum, especially William. He was the glue that kept everything together! This is why ThinkQuest was an affirming experience. It became in every sense of the word a student-directed activity.
And that is why it was also an inspiring process to witness. I saw the team come together and I could tell they were exited, engaged, and deeply invested in the project, even involving their families and friends. Andrew and William interviewed their relatives in Thailand and the Philippines, Tran interviewed his cousins in Vietnam, and Annie kept us abreast of the happenings in Australia. My son, Adonios, talked to his grandparents, aunts, and uncles in Greece, to his friends who had relatives in Poland, and lastly to my class who at that time represented almost every continent in the world. I know that all of the students' families acted as springboards for ideas and helped clarify the thoughts of these young minds. As a coach and mother, there were times when this project was the only topic of conversation at the dinner table! The team also took steps to interview and write to people whom they did not even know. All of this takes a leap of faith so to speak and a certain presence of mind. To do this from so many miles away and from so many different backgrounds is definitely awesome. It cut across lines of race, religion, culture, politics and distance for a common goal, a common good. This is why it was inspirational for me.
Former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once said, "Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes." This team was made up of heroes with great thoughts and imagination. I salute all of the team members for their effort, but mostly for what they taught me about the potential for greatness in education. This is what ThinkQuest is, teaching students to reach for the stars by challenging their intellect, and providing a project where all skills and learning styles are valued. This is why I feel honored to have been a part of this project and a part of this team. This was my ThinkQuest experience.
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