Woogi World

Children's Way is a non-profit organization that teaches internet safety to children through an online program called Woogi World. The Children's Way Foundation launched Woogi World, which is a virtual world and curriculum that will engage and teach youth like never before. With young children now flocking to the Internet, there is a need for safe educational sites offering strong values.

Scott Dow is the founder and president of Children's Way. Some notable members of the advisory board for Children's Way include 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Wrestler Rulon Gardner, entertainer and philanthropist Alan Osmond, and former U.S. Senator Jake Garn.

Woogi World

Woogi World is a yearlong program in which elementary school students, from grades K-6, can become members of the Woogi World community. Woogi World teaches children appropriate ways to socialize online while providing incentives for children to be active in the real world. Woogi World utilizes the latest gaming and social networking technologies to teach children. It is a scalable online virtual educational platform that fosters peer-based, social interactive learning for today's students. With more than one million subscribers, Woogi World motivates its young students to learn in ways that will prepare them for a 21st century global workplace - all at a lower cost than traditional education. Its Woogi Cyber Hero program is universally rated the best cyber safety resource in the United States.

The program is free for schools that would like to participate and is funded by philanthropists. The official national launch of Woogi World took place sometime in 2008. It has engaged over 50,000 elementary schools around the nation to date.

In Woogi World (WW), Children can sign up and customize their virtual character with watts, the currency of WW. Kids may also buy furniture for their wigwam, which is a woogi's house. Also, for a fee of $70.00 (with 10% off) a year kids can get extra features for their character. They can also join clubs like music club, science club, and reading club.

A full list of subjects taught includes:

• Cyber Safety
• Woogi English
• Music
• Mathemmatics
• Science
• Reading

There is also a summer camp program for students who want to continue the Woogi education during off months.

The Woogi Academy Mission

Woogi World focuses on making sure that the game platform can engage its students and give them necessary practice with the curriculum. It allows the teachers to focus on supporting students at their own pace instead of making every student learn in a standardized fashion. All these practices hope to propel students to "permanent learning".

Woogi World's learning platform is broken down into three fundamental components:

• Philosophy
• Methodology
• Technology

Philosophy

There are four main goals of Woogi learning.

1. Depth: Woogi World attempts to take students to deeper understandings and away from superficial awareness.
2. Breadth: Supplying each student with what they need to succeed in which subjects they excel at.
3. Permanent Memory: Ensure students retain the knowledge they earn.
4. Real Life Application: Applying lessons to the outside world and making a positive difference.

Methodology

Woogi World employ tactics it labels "The 4C's" to teach children.

1. Curriculum: Every lesson in Woogi World starts with a review and a student submitted study log. Then the core instruction takes lac which is folloed by an exercise to help the student practice. Later an assessment is completed to gauge how the student is progressing and to help guide their learning in following lessons. A 100% "confidence quotient" in a subject should be analogous to at least a 70% on any assessment in that same subject according to Woogi World.
2. Clubs: Every subject has a corresponding club for students who show increased aptitude or interesrt in that particular subject. These clubs are headed by "gurus" who are available for one-on-one tutoring and any questions that are on hand. Students participate in activities that get progressively harder, gaining influence in the club and accruing rewards as they climb higher.
3. Coaching: Instruction with other students and actual teachers in real time using video chat and other media devices to bring the classroom experience to the virtual world.
4. Community: Using the Woogi Worlds social media platform to encourage learning through collaboration with other youths and not just through formal instruction with the website or a teacher.

Technology

To accomplish its goals and to carry out its methodology, Woogi World employs some built in tools to facilitate teachers impact on student learning.

1. Learning Management System: Called LMS this management program allows teachers to analyze the progress of a student down to a very specific and accurate level. This allows teachers to better customize the Woogi learning environment to fit the student.
2. Parent Portal: Allows parents to receive updates on their students performance during class. Emails and alerts can be set up to allow a parent to know when a student is falling behind and when they are excelling.
3. Virtual World: The dynamic social media and interactive website that students will be using to enhance their skills and that teachers will be using to better instruct their students.

"Every Kid Votes"

In 2008 Children's Way launched the "Every Kid Votes" campaign to encourage children to become aware of the rights and responsibilities of voting in the American political system. Children learn about the civic landscape and role of the government in society. Studies Weekly, academic classroom supplement, participated in the campaign along with eGuardian an online protection service.

In total, over 6 million children visited Woogi World before the November 2008 election to cast their mock vote.

External links

• Children's Way
• Woogi World
• Parent Information for Woogi World
• Educator Information for Woogi World
• Woogi World: About
• Woogi Academy