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A quick pedagogy for teachers who'd like to create one period webquests to facilitate info lit skills, tech literacy skills and mutliple content-area skills all at once.
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One Period Webquests
Quick & Easy
What is a Webquest?
• A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The model was developed in early 1995 at San Diego State University by Bernie Dodge and Tom March.
http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/peggy/quests.html
Beware!
• Webquests can be daunting
• Many preconfigured or downloadable Webquests can take as long as three to four weeks
• This can lead to teacher perception of failure
The Good News...• Webquests can be easy
• Webquests can be fast
• Webquests foster constructivist teaching
• Webquests can be formative
• Webquests can be assessments
That’s Why I Like..
One period Webquests
Achieve tech goals, literacy skills
and subject goals all at once!
Here’s the Idea...• If your kids don’t know what URL is, develop
a URL activity ~ the vocab will come to life
• If you want kids to surf more effectively, have them search using several terms and compare the number of “hits”
• If kids don’t read the “sidebars” - steer them through an all sidebar activity
“912” “histroy channel” “history chanel”
Start the year with a fun one
• How many calories in a Double-Double?{www.in-n-out.com}
• What happened on your birthday in history? {www.history.com}
• Who do the Meaty Cheesy Boys work for? {www.google.com}
• Make a virtual postcard for me....{http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/postcard/}
One Period Webquest Parameters:
• Know where you are going to send them (the key to coaching this is knowing about the website)
• Make ‘em look for the info (things at the bottom of the page, drill two or three links in) - they’ll panic and raise their hand, but you know the answer, make ‘em READ
• Keep it a FUN way to lead them using many modalities and their innate “techiness”
One Period Webquest Parameters:• Have preplanned “white elephants” - did you
really win an iPod?
• Make them sort to find the better answer (research and report on the Moon hoax)
• Be ready for breakdowns - missing plugins, blocked pages - don’t connect tasks too closely
• Six to ten problems, depending on complexity
• Yes, it’s for a grade
The One Period Webquest Payoff
We’re all in this for results right?
The One Period Webquest Payoff
Internet adroitnessEngagement
Real world skills
Student self confidence
The One Period Webquest Payoff
Merging of reading
and tech skills in content areas
like science and history
Webquesting develops cross curricular skills
Try a One Period Webquest this week
instead of Yahoo games or Miniclip
Using games to teach is a different presentation!
“Ditch the typing tutor-If they Google, it will come”
- B Curwick
