Clicking in the Classroom with Bill the Magic Kat integrates interactive multimedia, Internet, cutting-edge technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and innovative instructional techniques that use social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum to boost the skills of the target audience, elementary school students, ages 7-12. Our intention is to utilize data collected from our previous classroom research and apply it to our existing prototype while creating a carefully designed computer-based, teacher-directed classroom technology program. This technology works in tandem with standard school curriculum and supports reading, writing and literacy as well as technology skills in a safe and "Intelligent" online environment. Using constructivist and systematic methodologies, in Phase I, we create a full-scale curriculum model from which we then create the next series of Katland Komics Living Curriculum SEL content. In Phase II, we build the technology and beta test its effectiveness on targeted school populations, collaborating with the network of schools associated with national program leaders in the field. With Phase III, we market and distribute the software to schools. The program reaches its pinnacle when children "read" stories they "write" in the Katland Komics and Real-Life Books on the Internet and on bookshelves of libraries and bookstores.Summary of Anticipated Results and Implications:Collaboration with Social and Emotional Learning(SEL) skills experts will allow us to write acurriculum model of performance-based,age-appropriate, behavioral learning objectives forchildren from 7-12. We will conduct analysis research to plan anddetermine how best to design an intelligent system todeliver the curriculum for Clicking that integratesSEL and literacy curriculum with advancedtechnology. The engine to deliver the technology's learningsystem (including AI) will be designed in Phase I,built in Phase II, Year 1, and tested in Phase II, Year2. After beta testing and modifications the engine canbe commercialized and used by governmentagencies/schools/ businesses to develop onlinecomputer-based-training programs. We will produce a product called Clicking in theClassroom with Bill the Magic Kat, which consistsof activities where students read, write and usetechnology to acquire SEL skills by sharingsuccesses and writing stories which are used tocreate content for further Katland Komics. Gamesalso help students develop SEL skills. We will further demonstrate that the content andinstructional properties of the Clicking prototypeare user-friendly and appropriate for students, ages7-12, in classroom settings. This will take place aswe carry out our Phase II, Year 2 research plan. The Katland introductory script will be used to createthe opening scenes and story behind Katland and toproduce the musical and audio scripts for bothJunior and Senior versions of the program.We will develop teacher training activities and aguide for: 1.classroom activity training,2.an administrative virtual training program (students/teachers), and3.an online user guide for the Katland learning system, focusing on the story writing, reading, and technology activities which support the content.We will launch (in Phase III) a fully-expandedClicking in the Classroom program (to be releasedthrough existing educational and SEL markets), acommercial playground at Cyberspace@Katland, wewill publish Katland Real-Life picture books,Katland Komic Books, Katland Koloring Books forchildren from 3-6, and a wide arena of other spin-offproducts.
