Starring the voice talents of RB as SuperTeacher

Getting Started: Introduction...................................................................................... 3 Character Bios................................................................................... 4 Setup................................................................................................. 6 Note on Technology Use........................................................... 6

Gameplay: Basics of Gameplay............................................................................ 7 Boss Battles: Assessments........................................................ 9

Version UDL Improvements...................................................................... 10 (Written by the Game Designers and Developers)

Note from the Creator of the Game............................................................ 12

SuperTeacher image from http://www.heromachine.com/heromachine-3-lab/ All other images from Microsoft Clipart

Getting Started Introduction: Hello. My name is SuperTeacher, and I will be taking this journey with you. In this game, you will join other learners for a yearlong quest for the ultimate prize: knowledge. Remember, while you are playing this game, you are a part of our classroom, which is how I will refer to the game environment. So, whenever I say our classroom, I am referring to the setting where this game is taking place. In this guide, I will first introduce you to the characters that you will be interacting with on your journey. There, you will also read an overview of my philosophy of inclusive education. Then, I will lay out how to get the most from your technology while playing this game. Next, I will guide you through the basics of gameplay, including the boss battles (assessments) that you will encounter. After, the people that made this game will explain the updates for the latest version of Head of the Class: Version UDL. Finally, the creator of the Head of the Class series will end our strategy guide with a personal message. One thing that you will notice is that I will not use the term disability very often in this guide. This is because I dont want anyone in our classroom (that is, anyone playing this game) to be thought of by just one part of them: if you have a disability, I dont want people to see just that when they look at you. I want everyone to see the whole you. You are more than just your disability label. Everyone has things that they can and cannot do, and you should not be ashamed for being the person that you were made to be. What I do want is for you to see your whole self, to focus on yourself as a real, valuable and talented person, and not worry about what label others have given you. Therefore, while your disability can and will affect how you learn, you should focus on yourself as a learner with unique strengths and needs while playing this game rather than just what disability label you have. With that said, lets get started. Grab your controller and keep this guide handy; we have a lot to do. Any questions you have, I will be there. All you have to do is press A (or look through this guide).

Characters: Here is a list of characters that you will be interacting with: The main character: You

You are the star of the game! Your avatar (the character you control in the game) is completely customizable to fit you. There is only one you, and only you have your unique set of talents, strengths, work areas, personality traits, likes, dislikes, learning styles, and so on. You are one of a kind, and your avatar reflects that reality. Your guide: SuperTeacher

I am more than just a teacher; I am also a guide, mentor, and much more. I think that the best way for you to understand me is to understand my philosophy: what I believe about teaching. (Some of you may think that this isnt important, but it really is. What I believe influences how I teach, which influences your experience in this game, as I am your guide and teacher in this virtual world that is our classroom.) I believe in inclusive education- that means that everyone is included in our classroom; after all, the classroom does not belong to just me, but all of us. What you need to succeed may be different than what someone else in the class needs, and thats okay. I will do everything in my power to give you and all of your classmates what you need, no matter if everyone in the class shares your need or if your need is unique to just you. If you are in our classroom, you are a full member of our class, no matter what your gender, skin color, ability, or any other factors. You are a full member of our community, and no one can take that away from you. Our classroom is a safe environment for all students, and we will all work together to make sure that it remains that way, even learning how to stand up (advocate) for our needs. Our class is also a place where risk-taking is not only allowed, but I want you to take risks with your learning and to try things that you may never have otherwise. You and your classmates have strengths and areas that you need to work on, and it is my job as your teacher to understand where you and your classmates are coming from and to use every tool in my utility belt of teaching to help each and every one of you succeed in our classroom. No two students are the same: each of you learns in a different way. Each of you also has the right to learn in a way that you understand. Therefore, my lessons are not the same every day. There is a variety of lessons, just like there is a variety of ways that students learn. I change my lesson style so that you have the chance to interact with the material (the subject that you are learning) in the way that works best for you. As there is no one way to learn, there is

no one way to show what you know. You should be able to show your knowledge in different ways, with authentic assessments. (Authentic assessments means having other ways to show what you know beyond multiple choice tests- see the section Boss Battles: Assessments for more information.) Projects and other hands-on activities are a part of my lessons, and not just for final projects. Hands-on projects and concrete (hands-on) examples can help you learn ideas better, and you are also more likely to remember these more meaningful experiences than anything presented in a lecture. Therefore, these types of activities are a huge part of our classroom experience. The classroom should also be a fun place to learn, as learning through fun is very important to both me and the students I have worked with. When learning is done in a fun manner, you are engaged, on task, and are more likely to remember the material better. Additionally, if you are like many of the students I have worked with before, you probably love to laugh, and by bringing that into our classroom we can make our classroom a place where you and your classmates feel free to be yourselves. You should never have to give up who you are when you walk into a classroom, and that will never happen in our class. You should also get the chance to learn from one other. Believe it or not, teachers do not know everything. I am not the ultimate source of knowledge. With the right support from me, you can help each other learn not only what were talking about in class, but also other life skills (such as being able to talk to people, working with others, etc.). Technology, when used correctly, can be a big help in our classroom. It can allow for differentiation (which means that you are working with material at your level, not some random level a teacher assigns to everyone) and allow you to work at your own pace, for example. Besides, I know that many students like you enjoy any chance to work with computers or other technology, and that it can motivate (that means encourage) you to learn better. You are here to learn; I am here to help you learn. That is our goal as a class and your goal as you play through this game: to learn and to grow. Your companions: Your classmates

This is a MMRPG- a massive multiplayer role playing game. In other words, you are not alone. Your classmates are the people that will be taking this journey alongside you, learning with you. They will be as unique as you are. They will each have their own strengths and areas to work on. No one will be just like you, and no two of your classmates will be the same. In fact, some of your classmates will be very different from you in one way or another. Thats a good thing. Who would want to live in a world where everybody is the same? Just remember: treat others with respect, and they will respect you.

Setup Now, before you can play a game, you need to set up your system. In this game, cross platform connectivity is a must. What is that? Well, that means that you can use this game on many different types of technology: computers, projectors, Smartboards, tablets, and so on. No matter where you use the game, your progress will be saved to your character. However, this game is not limited to items with a power source and on/off switch. In fact, you may even use pencils, paper, colored pencils, markers, scissors, glue, and similar items. After all, there is no one way to learn or to show what you learned, which means that sometimes you or some of your classmates may use real world (non-virtual) materials when playing the game. Remember, once you have finished your real world creation, you need to take a picture of it and upload it to the game, where a digital image of it will be added to our classroom and you will be able to continue with the quest. Note on Technology Use Technology is an important part of our classroom and this game. After all, what is a video game without the technology part? Using this game, you will become very familiar with all different types of technology. But why should you care about this? In fact, why use technology at all? Technology is very important in our world today, and it is important for you to learn how to work with it. In addition, many of you just like to use computers and other technology. Theyre fun, and you like to play with all different types of technology. (In fact, I bet that many of you, after reading the two questions in the last paragraph, said something like this.) In fact, many if not most of you grew up surrounded by technology, and use it on a regular basis at home. In fact, some of you may use a type of technology called assistive technology to help you do things that you may not be able to do otherwise (due to a disability or other reason). For many of you, technology is a natural part of your life, so it makes sense to make it a natural part of your learning. There are a lot of benefits to using technology. It can make what you are learning specific to your needs. There are so many ways to learn on the internet: written words, videos, graphs, charts, pictures, activities. No matter how you learn, you can find something online that will teach you in the way that you learn best. There are also materials at all different levels, so you or any of your classmates can find something at your level. What you are doing can be adjusted to your needs. You can use technology to go as fast or as slow as you want to since you are the only one interacting with your

particular screen at the time. You have control over what you are doing, and it can be adjusted to your needs. Other benefits include the fact that you are the one interacting with what you are learning- which means that you are the one gaining knowledge (which is what this quest is all about) and you are actively involved instead of just listening to someone else. Technology can give you immediate feedback (telling you what you are getting right and what you need to work on), so you can know right away if you are on the right track or not. You can even see the whole world from your room. At times, you may even interact with other students outside of your particular classroom through email, chat and video calls. Technology can connect you to people that you might never get to meet otherwise. Finally, some types of technology can help with certain skills that some of you may have problems with. For example, if you have a hard time hearing, then there are different machines that can take spoken words and make them into written words. Technology can do so much good when it is used correctly. However, if you use technology just because you can and no other reason, then it is not helping your learning. Technology can actual work against you if it isnt being used right. There are a lot of types of technology out there, but using the wrong one can cause problems. There are a lot of good things on the web, too, but there is also bad or wrong information that can hurt your learning. That is why it is important for all of us to know how technology works and how to tell if something on the Internet is good or bad, so that we use it correctly and dont get hurt by it instead. As SuperTeacher, it is also my job to know when a certain type of technology will make your learning better, and when it will actually hurt your learning. I have the same job when it comes to the Internet, too. Using technology correctly at the right time can make your learning better, which is what we all want, and we can make that (virtual) reality. Gameplay Basics of Gameplay: When you start the game for the first time, you will be prompted to create your character, or avatar. Your character should be a reflection of you just as you are. Just follow the directions on screen. (Directions can be read aloud with by clicking the button with a picture of a speaker, saying the voice command read directions aloud, or with the method specific to any connected assistive technology device.) Once you have created you character, you will then be transported to SuperTeachers classroom for your first day of class. You will have 180 days to complete your goal: but dont worry, you will get every tool you need to succeed.

Here is what the classroom will look like:

Here is a handy list of buttons and what they mean: This button shows you a list of all of the mental tools you have gotten. This includes any facts you have learned, skills that you have mastered, and anything else in your mental utility belt. This button shows you a list of all of the physical tools you have gotten. This includes any materials that you have available to you, your planner and to-do list, and anything else use may have in your physical utility belt. This button is for any questions that you have. If you have any questions, click on this button. There are too many events to list a complete gameplay guide. There will be a very complete introduction on your first day to help you get used to the game. Just follow any directions given to you in the game for what you need to do. Remember, if you dont understand something, click on the blue question mark (?) or ask.

Boss Battles: Assessments (SuperTeach Inc. does not approve of fighting in the classroom.) At certain points in your quest, you will need to accomplish a major task before you can move on to the next part of your quest. This is called an assessment, and this is like a boss battle where you put all of the skills that you have gained to the test to show what you have learned. In an assessment, you will be given a task (or a choice of tasks, in some assessments) that you will need to complete. These tasks have been designed to see if you understand the most important information that you have learned in a unit. Now, many people think that assessment means a test. While there may be tests, these are not the only form of assessment that you will do. Projects, essays, posters, presentations, songs, videos, projects on the internet- the possibilities are endless. The reason that there are so many types of assessment is because, just as not all of you learn in the same way, not all of you can show what they learned in the same way. Some of you are really good at writing, others of you are good at making projects, and others still are good test takers. Some of you might like working with real life materials, and others like doing computer-based projects. Now, you will get a choice for some assessments, while for others I will choose one or two ways that best work with the information and skills you have been learning. However, you will get a chance to show what you know in many ways beyond just quizzes and tests. And dont worry- I will use multiple assessments to see your learning progress, not just one or two. For many assessments, they will be in an authentic setting. What does that mean? Imagine you were going to take a swimming test. What would you say if I told you that you were going to take your test in the middle of the desert? You would say you cant do that, right? Thats because the pool is the authentic test. Well, the same is true of assessments in our classroom. If you were doing a unit on article writing, for example, a non-authentic assessment would be to take a test on the parts of an article. An authentic test would be writing an article. This shows me that you know what an article is- otherwise, you wouldnt be able to write one! These types of assessments can show what you know just as a test, but in a real setting. Now, there may be times where you have to battle the boss known as State Tests. These tests are ones all students in the same grade take. You may think it isnt fair that everyone has to take the same test, even though they are all at different ability levels, and thats true. Its not fair, and with what you will have learned in my class, you know that everyone shows what they know differently and a one-size fits all test to show all learning for an entire year is not right. I hope you can take what you know and change the system so that it is fair for all learners, just like our classroom. When you do that, I will be right behind you, supporting you. For right now, though, just breathe deeply, and know that all I expect from you is your best. Thats all you need focus on until we can change the system.

Version UDL Updates: A Note from the Game Designers and Developers In the latest version of The Quest for Knowledge, the idea of universal design for learning (UDL) was put directly into the games design. What is UDL, you may ask? It is the idea that teachers should, on purpose, plan a variety of lessons and activities that meet the needs of every student. They should look at their students, see what needs they have, and then create their lessons so that every student can learn, rather than making a lesson then trying to change parts of it for different students. This version was not an update. While there was a The Quest for Knowledge game already, this version is not just a few features added on after. Rather, the original game was broken down, piece by piece, into the most important parts that needed to be in the game, and then rebuild using the ideas of UDL into something that everyone, no matter what their ability level, could play. Its like a teacher taking everything that they teach in a year, breaking it down into the most important concepts and ideas that the students need to learn, and then creating lessons and units based on that information that reach every student in that class using the ideas of UDL. Here is a list of the biggest changes to the game: The leveled system has been adjusted. There are three difficulty levels: easy (for students that need extra help), medium (for students that are doing well with the material, but are not ready for the extra challenge), and hard (for students looking for a real challenge). Students of all three levels will be in the same classroom. Additionally, the difficulty level can be adjusted throughout the game as the student needs it to be changed. The variety of the lessons has been increased. The lessons now cover a variety of learning styles (the way that students learn). This means that there will be different types of activities each day so that everyone can learn the way that they do best. The variety of the materials used has been increased. This means that you may use a different book or some other material than a classmate. Thats okay. The materials have been chosen based on your difficulty and unique needs. Sometimes everyone will work together on a text and other times you may use different ones. The same is true of worksheets and other materials you may use during the game. The variety of the assessments used has been increased. (See Boss Battles: Assessments for more information.) The grouping system has been adjusted. You are no longer with the same group all year, or even all day. Your strengths and needs as a learner are taken into account by SuperTeacher, and she creates groups that will help you learn and grow, but also will have you feeling safe and secure.

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Players now have choices that they can make for their learning. You have more control over your learning now more than ever. While there are still times where there is only one option for you, this is not the default case anymore. Whether choosing a text, a project, or even if you want to use colored pencils to take notes or not, you can make this game uniquely yours.

So, why do the updates anyway? Well, if you were building a three story shopping mall, which would be easier: To build the mall first with only stairs, and then trying to find a way to change it so that, for example, someone in a wheelchair can get to the third floor, or to design the mall from the beginning so that someone in a wheelchair can get to the third floor, and then build the mall? The second one is the best choice. Thats what this game is: it was designed and created with all students in mind from the beginning. Making sure that everyone could play and learn was the goal from the start, not something that was added at the end. In addition, the changes that were added could be used by everyone, not just someone with a certain disability, for example. After all, if there is an elevator in a mall, all different kinds of people could benefit, not just wheelchair users. Parents with strollers or young children, people who have a difficult time with stairs, tired people, people with a lot of shopping bags and packages- there are so many different types of people that could benefit from an elevator in a mall. The same thing is true in this game. Something that may have been created with another student in mind could be something that would help you learn. Thats why all of the updates are available to everyone: that way you (with help and guidance from SuperTeacher) can pick and choose what different things we placed in the game you need to be successful in your quest for knowledge. This version did take us a lot more time than the last version, and it was difficult at first for them to figure out how to have all of these different parts working together at the same time in the same classroom, as the school version can have up to 30 of you working together from the same base game. We talked to and worked with a lot of teachers, both general and special education, did a lot of research on the different way to teach and their pros and cons, tried many different ideas, changed things that were working, improved on things that were, and so much more. It was a challenge, and the most time consuming game we have created to date. When asked, however, every single one of us that was a part of creating this game said it was worth the extra time and effort. Seeing students like you succeed is why we at SuperTeach Incorporated are here, and if that mean that we as a company need to work harder and longer for you to get the best game possible, no matter what your ability level, then we will do it. After all, our goal is to make learning fun and available for everyone, and UDL is a major part of reaching that goal.

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Note from the Creator of the Game Learning is great, isnt it? Im talking about more than just putting knowledge into your head. Im talking about the process of learning- the exploration, the discovery, the fun. Thats why I created SuperTeach Incorporated: to pass on all of the great aspects the make learning so awesome to the next generation. Of course, as the president and CEO of SuperTeach Inc.. I get asked a lot of questions. How did you get into gaming? Why did you get into educational games? How did you come up with the idea for SuperTeacher? Why do you think technology is so great, anyway? One of the questions that I get asked the most, however, is: Who are you? Its that last question that I would like to answer here. Who am I? I am a fun person. I love to have fun, laugh, and enjoy life. I want my classroom to reflect the love of fun that I have, and to make it an environment where my students feel free to have fun and actually enjoy learning. I want my classroom to be a place where laughter is common, and that fun educational experiences are the norm, not the exception. Who am I? I am a nerd. I love technology, and use it to the fullest extent that is beneficial in my classroom. I combine what I know is best practice for my students with the latest in educational technology to deliver the best lesson in the most relevant, engaging, and motivating and ways. I also bring in other interests, like videogames and comic books, which have not been traditionally used in the classroom in order to engage and motivate my students to learn. Who am I? I am a learner. In fact, I am a lifelong learner. I am constantly looking for ways to further my own knowledge, be it content or pedagogy. I show my students every day my love for learning, and I try to get them hooked on learning too. In addition, if a student asks me a question that I do not know the answer to, I will not stop until I find an answer- and I challenge my students to do the same. Who am I? I am a welcomer. I welcome every student into my class, no matter what their abilities, no matter what label has been given to them. I never turn a child away from my room. If you walk into my class, no matter what your background, your ability level, or any other factor, you are welcomed. Who am I? I am an advocate. I advocate for my students in order to ensure that they are getting everything they need to be successful. I advocate against a system that does not meet their needs and only looks to label them and for a system that recognizes, embraces, and genuinely cares for the differing needs of all students. Who am I? I am a provider. I provide my students a safe place where they can feel free to be themselves. I provide my students with high expectations, and I provide them

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with the scaffoldings and structures needed to help them reach those goals. I provide a classroom where taking risks for learning is not only safe, but encouraged. Who am I? I am a creator. I create lessons that reach all of my students in fun and engaging ways. I create groupings in which students can continue to learn and grow in every way possible. I create activities that will engage, motivate and stimulate the students to learn. I create an atmosphere in which students are excited about learning, and a classroom where students are free to create meaning for themselves. Who am I? I am a differentiator. I differentiate my lessons so that all students are reached. I vary my inputs (lesson types and activities) and outputs (assessments) so that all of my students have a chance to learn and a chance to show what theyve learned. I differentiate my materials so that all my students can work at their level. Who am I? I am a guide. I guide students in asking questions, finding answers, solving problems, and learning in general. My actions guide those of my students; in me they have a model for how to interact with the material and with each other. Who am I? I am a competent scholar, a reflective teacher and a caring servant. I am capable of researching and creating sound lessons, of reflecting on the needs of my students and the effectiveness of my lessons, and of truly serving my students with a loving heart. SuperTeachers philosophy is my philosophy. Take everything above and add it together. Then you will get to the core of the question: Who am I? I am an inclusive educator. And I am here to help students, all students, reach their potential. ~RB

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