Webquests can serve as a motivator for teachers because, instead of designing their own web page, creating links, and delving into the complexities of the internet, teachers are able to use current technology that is much simpler, less intimidating, and more content focused. The easier technology is to use, the more likely teachers are to adopt it as a tool.
By using Webquests the teacher becomes a facilitator who helps when necessary. This type of learning is the cornerstone of the educational theory of constructivism, which emphasizes the teacher’s role in guiding and facilitating learning. The students must take charge and come to their own conclusions based on the information presented. The students have to take more responsibility because they have to use the information to complete a task where the answer is not explicitly provided. As Bernie Dodge explains, this “supports learner thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.” If the task reinforces high level and critical thinking skills, the Webquest was designed well and is functioning as it should in a modern classroom in sharp contrast to older, more traditional education methods that encourage strict memorization.
I feel that because Webquests have the potential to encourage group work, the social interaction and team work required are as essential to a student’s “life education” as the actual information they are expected to retain and reproduce on a future test. This means that, if used properly, webquests serve a dual educational purpose which will better prepare students for their both their academic and social development. Working in groups, no matter the age, provides students with the social training required to function in society, to feel comfortable and confident in new situations, to defend their own thoughts, to manage discussions, and, finally, come to develop correct and accurate conclusions through consensus.
Webquests support student learning through activities that are designed with attractive colors, animated characters and a variety of links. Sometimes the number of links is too broad, as I have noted when doing some webquests, which leads me to hold two opposing opinions. “Link heavy” Webquests can be positive because they will allow the student to explore the subject in great depth, although, at the same time, all of this information can be extremely difficult to process in a coherent way. Students may suffer from “information overload” which does not support the desired outcomes of the webquest itself.
I feel very proud of myself because I was able to knock down my “wall of fear” that I had erected between myself and the use of technology. After several weeks of constant frustration and tantrums I finally did it! It was not easy because in this method of learning I did not have an easily accessible instructor who would teach me through repetition or with direct instruction. There was, of course, no guided practice or constant checking for understanding because this was a problem situation where I had to investigate and develop a solution on my own. This activity served as my inadvertent (or was it?) introduction to the Information Processing Model. Link for IPM
Despite the difficulties in designing my WebQuest, I also had a lot of fun and feel very pleased with my work. There are two reasons for this success: The first reason was that the topic that I choose was one that I am interested in and I wanted to share with other people. My “WebQuest on the Galapagos Islands,” which are located off the coast of Ecuador and is the country I come from. The islands are not only beautiful but they are also important because they are the birthplace of the theory of evolution, formulated by Charles Darwin. As the saying goes, “We do not know what we have until we lose it,” many species found only in the Galapagos are in danger of extinction. It should be a part of the curriculum to learn about conservation and how to care for our planet instead of allowing ignorance to dominate and allowing the current destruction to continue. Besides the fact that the topic interested me, I feel that I am contributing to my planet if my WebQuest would have an impact on even one student and prompt them to ask more questions and to really have a desire to learn the answers.
The second reason for my joy (and success) was that once I learned the technical parts like inserting pictures and how to decorate the pages, I was unstoppable! I kept finding one more picture that I liked better than another and then, when I found animated images, I lost it! I wanted to replace all my old pictures with the new animated images that I found. Then I started changing fonts and colors because they did not match the new images. It sounds a little obsessive, I know! The fact is that I enjoyed designing my WebQuest and, despite many late night compulsive re-arranging sessions, I really was able to overcome my fear about the use of modern technology and I hope that my efforts serve as a tool that students and teachers can use in their classroom to spark an awareness about our responsibility to our planet.
By using Webquests the teacher becomes a facilitator who helps when necessary. This type of learning is the cornerstone of the educational theory of constructivism, which emphasizes the teacher’s role in guiding and facilitating learning. The students must take charge and come to their own conclusions based on the information presented. The students have to take more responsibility because they have to use the information to complete a task where the answer is not explicitly provided. As Bernie Dodge explains, this “supports learner thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.” If the task reinforces high level and critical thinking skills, the Webquest was designed well and is functioning as it should in a modern classroom in sharp contrast to older, more traditional education methods that encourage strict memorization.
I feel that because Webquests have the potential to encourage group work, the social interaction and team work required are as essential to a student’s “life education” as the actual information they are expected to retain and reproduce on a future test. This means that, if used properly, webquests serve a dual educational purpose which will better prepare students for their both their academic and social development. Working in groups, no matter the age, provides students with the social training required to function in society, to feel comfortable and confident in new situations, to defend their own thoughts, to manage discussions, and, finally, come to develop correct and accurate conclusions through consensus.
Webquests support student learning through activities that are designed with attractive colors, animated characters and a variety of links. Sometimes the number of links is too broad, as I have noted when doing some webquests, which leads me to hold two opposing opinions. “Link heavy” Webquests can be positive because they will allow the student to explore the subject in great depth, although, at the same time, all of this information can be extremely difficult to process in a coherent way. Students may suffer from “information overload” which does not support the desired outcomes of the webquest itself.
I feel very proud of myself because I was able to knock down my “wall of fear” that I had erected between myself and the use of technology. After several weeks of constant frustration and tantrums I finally did it! It was not easy because in this method of learning I did not have an easily accessible instructor who would teach me through repetition or with direct instruction. There was, of course, no guided practice or constant checking for understanding because this was a problem situation where I had to investigate and develop a solution on my own. This activity served as my inadvertent (or was it?) introduction to the Information Processing Model. Link for IPM
Despite the difficulties in designing my WebQuest, I also had a lot of fun and feel very pleased with my work. There are two reasons for this success: The first reason was that the topic that I choose was one that I am interested in and I wanted to share with other people. My “WebQuest on the Galapagos Islands,” which are located off the coast of Ecuador and is the country I come from. The islands are not only beautiful but they are also important because they are the birthplace of the theory of evolution, formulated by Charles Darwin. As the saying goes, “We do not know what we have until we lose it,” many species found only in the Galapagos are in danger of extinction. It should be a part of the curriculum to learn about conservation and how to care for our planet instead of allowing ignorance to dominate and allowing the current destruction to continue. Besides the fact that the topic interested me, I feel that I am contributing to my planet if my WebQuest would have an impact on even one student and prompt them to ask more questions and to really have a desire to learn the answers.
The second reason for my joy (and success) was that once I learned the technical parts like inserting pictures and how to decorate the pages, I was unstoppable! I kept finding one more picture that I liked better than another and then, when I found animated images, I lost it! I wanted to replace all my old pictures with the new animated images that I found. Then I started changing fonts and colors because they did not match the new images. It sounds a little obsessive, I know! The fact is that I enjoyed designing my WebQuest and, despite many late night compulsive re-arranging sessions, I really was able to overcome my fear about the use of modern technology and I hope that my efforts serve as a tool that students and teachers can use in their classroom to spark an awareness about our responsibility to our planet.
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