WebQuest Part 1

What? In class we learned about making WebQuest's. We watched videos and looked at examples. We divided into groups and began working on our WebQuest's.

So What? I think WebQuest's are a good thing to learn how to make and use. They are a good way to get students learning in a different way that is more fun than just reading a text book. My classmates and I could use
WebQuest's when we do our field work in March to help teach Social Studies in a way that would interest 4-6th graders.

Knowing how to find WebQuest's could also be very helpful. If I didn't want to make my own or wanted to get some good ideas for making one I could find a variety of WebQuest's online at all different grade levels to help me get ideas. I like that the WebQuest's are interactive and gets thinking and using more thought and not just reading the information. I could use my classmates to get ideas of activities and questions I could ask on the Webquest's so that my students are not just regurgitating information that they'll forget in 2 weeks. WebQuest's can help them remember the information longer because they learn it in a different way.

Now What? Using WebQuest's will give my students something fun and different to do so they will want to learn the information. I could design a WebQuest about any topic my students are learning about-history, current events, reading, etc. I could also create WebQuest's that they could work on with a partner or in groups. This way, they would learn to work together as a team to find out information.

Webquest's would also help limit where the students went on the internet to find their information and limit the chances of them coming across a website that might not be appropriate for them to see. With the Webquest I would have to check and make sure every website was appropriate. This way, the students would feel like they were finding things out from the internet on their own, but using guidelines to keep them safe while online.

I'm excited to get better at making WebQuest's because I feel that my students will really enjoy them if I make them fun and not too lengthy and difficult. I think they will feel like they are actually involved in the learning process and not just being told "read this", "remember that", "learn this and that". They will feel like they are actually finding some of the information on their own and have more control over their education.

Video: I think it's so interesting all of the things are they are coming up with in technology. There are so many new technologies coming out, it's hard to keep up. There would be so many possibilities as a teacher to have one of the interactive touch computers they had on the wall in the video. You could teach lessons, zooming in on maps, showing videos and pictures, etc. right from the screen, as if it were the white board. Or if students had one built into their desks they could easily have a more interactive classroom and learn from more than just the teacher.