Future Quest Island

Future Quest Island

Future Quest Island is an engaging, accessible, web-based adventure (www.futurequestisland.org) that promotes college and career readiness, self-determination and social-emotional skills for middle school students with and without disability in high-needs districts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Students create an account and, once logged in, choose an avatar and set sail to one of the island locations (About Me Mountain, College and Career Cove, & Social Sanctuary) to complete activities, build their portfolios, and earn coins to build their huts. Each island location represents a curricular unit and activities aligned with national and state CCR (college and career readiness) standards. The island uses the principles of universal design for learning, gamification and motivation strategies to engage all users in developing a portfolio for individualized learning plans and transition plans for IEPs. Teachers use an online accompanying digital Teacher Toolkit (dTT) to embed FQI activities into their existing curriculum to support students in being college and career ready, highlighting specific transition objectives and outcomes. All teaching activities aligned with ELA standards, ISTE technology standards, Massachusetts Career Development Standards, and college and career readiness standards. 

Digitial Teaching Toolkit (dTT) Students’ experiences are not limited to what happens when they are on the island. Teachers use the embedded digital Teaching Toolkit (dTT) that includes standards-based lesson plans, discussion forums, technology resources, implementation tracking, rubrics, social networking integration, a facilitator guide, and a robust student learning management system. FQI dTT incorporates a variety of individualized and group activities that align with the general curriculum and are implemented outside of the island. Essential to the success of both FQI and the dTT is the concept of debriefing, helping students connect what they learned through FQI activities and applying those skills in other real life contexts. Teachers use the concepts on FQI to facilitate the transfer of skills by leading pre- and post-island access discussions that connect FQI with other things students are learning in class.

 

Project Description

Future Quest is designed around national and state college and career readiness standards to assist all middle school students to prepare for high school and postsecondary education and employment after high school. Future Quest provides online activities that promote student self-discovery, self-advocacy, self-exploration, organization, and technology literacy skills. Project personnel from the Institute for Community Inclusion are working closely with middle school teachers, students, administrators and families in Massachussetts to embed these college and career readiness skills into the middle school curriculum.

 

Website

https://futurequestisland.weebly.com/

 

Timeline

The grant-funding period is December 1, 2012 through September 30, 2018.

 

Funded by

Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities Stepping Up grant, US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs

 

Partners

Fablevision Studios

 

Principal Investigators

Debra Hart, Principal Investigator
Meg Grigal, Co-Principal Investigator

 

Team

Lori Cooney, Project Coordinator
 

 

Contact

Lori Cooney, Project Coordinator

 

Publications/Media

FutureQuest Island: Implementation Plan

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/fqisland/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/fqisland
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/futurequestisland