Mercutio: Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done; for thou hast more of the wild goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five. (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, scene 4) Who doesn't love a scavenger hunt!
I have been a fan since I was a little girl. Making lists of random things and seeing who could be the first to find all of the items. When I grew up, I bought a handheld GPS receiver, took up geocaching and began many a quest for camouflaged containers on and off of the beaten path...heck, I even kayaked to an island to find one! More recently I have participated in a hybrid scavenger hunt with printed lists and Instagram submissions and hashtags. And now, there is Goose Chase. Recently, I became part of the NC Digital Leaders Coaching Network. Passionate educators from across the state applied and were selected to be a part of this dynamic group. We spent two days together in mid-October learning about our roles as coaches and leaders in our home districts and schools. We bonded over common goals, problems, and successes. We actively learned about some cool and inspiring tools. And we participated in a Goose Chase. Let me just say that Goose Chase rocks - and I'm not just saying that because I was on the winning team, but this one tool (we learned about MANY) has great potential. Basically, you design a scavenger hunt with parameters that outline the tasks. Participants have to use critical reading/thinking skills and come up with out of the box solutions to problems. Photos are submitted and the leader board shows all the stats. Because the submissions can be bounced back and teams submit as they complete the challenges, the leader board always changes. The moderator can continue to add challenges with varying point values during the chase...really keeping participants on their toes! Our team had some very competitive souls on it and while all of us worked together to complete the tasks, there were naturally a few who secured our lead. As with any group task, leaders emerge. That's what made me think of the quote from Romeo and Juliet . The quick wit and kind nature of the group leaders that emerged made this challenge a ton of fun! When using this tool with others, make sure to establish some parameters so that all contribute. Believe it or not, there are folks that don't like group work of any kind and think scavenger hunts are for children. Perhaps they just need a wild goose chase with the right team. We can change their perspectives...one step at a time.
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AuthorJeannie Timken Archives
March 2023
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