1) How to get trained to use Zam's Quest and
2) How to use this web site to enrich your in-class experience.
WAYS TO GET TRAINED
Once you have placed your order for Zam’s Quest and chosen which Unit 3 topic works best for you and your area, you can contact us for additional training in how to most effectively uses Zam's Quest. Training can be accomplished in one of three ways.
1. Live, Conference Call Training - Zam's Quest holds live phone trainings via a conference line. Participating teachers from all over the country log on at a pre-arranged time to learn about the program and discuss ideas with a live trainer. Training is 1 hour long (may be more with more teachers). Long distance charges will be incurred by the participant. You do not have to be physically located at your school to participate in the training.
2. Live Training with a Conservation Mentor - Some Conservation Mentors host Zam’s Quest training for participating teachers. This is a great way to be trained. You will establish a relationship with your conservation mentor and learn directly from them about extra programming or opportunities they are offering to Zam’s Quest teachers.
3. Live Teacher Training for School Districts - For an additional fee ConserverNation provides full and half day training for larger groups of teachers.
TRAININGS:
Contact Zam's Quest at 1800-670-0245 to schedule your training and become a new member of the growing community of teachers who are bringing Zam's Quest to their students.
We encourage you to coordinate other teachers in your district to join you for the training since one of the benefits is creating a collaborative community of teachers!
ZamsQuest.com is a great tool to use while teaching Zam’s Quest in the classroom. You can use it in a variety of ways. It is designed to add resources, provide opportunities for students to interact and to support you, the teacher. Here are a few ways that you can use ZamsQuest.com. You might think of many more. If so, let us know by posting your idea on the teacher bulletin board found on the “Seeking and Sharing Help” page. We’ll add your idea to this list!
- It’s a Resource: Use it to provide additional information and view points about the issue you’re studying in class. At the Kids' Place, you will find videos and pictures as well as expert blogs that give additional points of view about the issues. There are research links and related issues in the Unit 3 pages to give more context to the issues that you are studying. Spoiler Alert: We suggest that you limit student access to Unit 1 & 2 Kids pages until your class has role played the unit. The outcomes of the issues in the units is clearly stated.
- A Fun Homework Assignment: There are several places in the Kids' Place that allow for personal student work. After you have finished role-playing Units 1 & 2, you can ask your students to complete a comic book for that unit. They can then print or email their comic books to you for review. You will be able to assess the students' understanding of the issue and their ability to communicate its essence. You can have the students with the best comics post them on-line in the comic book gallery. There are other places for students to submit links they have found and to post their local issue reports to share with others.
- A Brainstorming Forum: We hope you will use ZamsQuest.com as a place to look for new ideas. The teacher bulletin board is a great place to pick the brains of those who know the curriculum best, seasoned Zam’s Quest teachers. They will be able to give teaching tips, ideas and encouragement while you teach Zam’s Quest.
