Week Eight

I read through the WebQuest materials this week and I learned a bit more about WQs. I learned that a WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity where students interact with internet sources in order to gather information that is then used to solve a problem of some sort. The WQ has six components, which include an introduction to set the stage, a task that the student is to complete, informational resources which are largely available on the world wide web, though other computer based activities such as video conferencing and e-mail can be used as well. The fourth component is the process, which is broken into attainable steps for students to follow in order to complete the task and the fifth component is a tool that will provide guidance, such as a graphic organizer or a series of questions crafted to guide the development of the activity. The sixth is the conclusion, an opportunity for students to recap what has been learned and consider further exploration of the subject matter. WQs are often collaborative and may be designed to address a single content focus or they can be designed across multiple content areas.


I'm still wanting to address 5th grade social studies content. I said last week that I am leaning toward the American Revolution. I was looking to this content area for two reasons, first because the fifth grade teachers at my school had expressed an interest in using the WQ, and second, because I don't have a lot of personal knowledge in this area. The lack of personal knowledge is giving me some cause to pause. I don't want to get in over my head trying to learn as I design, but I'm hanging with my original decision for now. 


After some thought provoking questions from my professor, I am looking to develop a WQ that integrates multiple subject areas. I haven't had time to really look at very many existing WQs yet, but my original thought was that I would have students create a period newspaper with the information they collect through the WebQuest. I was somewhat put off of this idea when I saw that there was an existing WebQuest that used this format. I'll try to look more closely at the existing WQ this week to see how much it has in common with my vision. I have no desire to recreate the wheel, but if I can add something or present a different focus, I may go ahead with this idea for the project. I like the idea of integrating both writing and possibly art. I want to avoid students cutting and pasting pictures from the www, though I would be agreeable to drawing pictures or trying to create photos that appear to fit with the events and time period of the project. It's still in the very early stages, but I'm excited to complete my WQ Evaluation and really get going on the creation of my very first WebQuest. More thoughts and ponderings to come.  ~Sheri