Application: Planning a WebQuest
Planning
A
WebQuest
Rochelle Henely
November 26, 2006
# 6663 T1002
I plan on modeling my WebQuest after one found by Laura Rochon during Week Four of Integrating Technology in the Curriculum. This site, titled “In Search of a Hero” (Cooper, n.d.), could be easily adapted to researching mathematicians. I would start off with possibly a magazine article announcing a contest for an article on a famous mathematician. As to which of the methods, background or foreshadowing, I will use to engage the student ,I may play on both. My interest catcher may be “Rumor has it that a mathematician is expected to get the esteemed “Henely Good Egg Award”.
The students will be expected to research individual mathematicians from a teacher created list. Similar to the WebQuest that I am modeling my WebQuest after, I will ask the students to use online sources as well as one hard copy. The goal of this project is to lead the students to an appreciation of the mathematicians of our past and present. A key element of a WebQuest is whether the task is doable and engaging (Canter, L., & Winberry, 2003). Through the introduction, the students should be ready to accomplish the given task.
Whether the students are asked to create a Power Point presentation, a single Power Point page, or a Want ad, I am sure that they will be interested in the task The students will compile a list of facts. They will also be expected to answer specific questions from the teacher as well as add a few extra points of their own. The students will be given specific criteria for the presentation of this information.. They always enjoy finding information to incorporate into a visual form. Typically students enjoy creating these visual, interesting, hands-on presentations. To elicit thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension, the students will also be expected to write a persuasive essay to convince their classmates to pick their mathematician for the Henely Good Egg Award. This persuasive argument will bring the students beyond just rote memorization.
The students will need numerous resources to complete this web quest. The students will be able to link to other web sites or a hot list created by the teacher. We will also plan to spend time in the Media Center to browse hard copies of informational books. Although the internet is a valuable tool, I do not want the students to miss the wonderful opportunity to browse through resources available in hard copy.
This WebQuest would be considered a journalistic/persuasive task. One of the most important goals is to have the students try to make their completed project more persuasive than others. Hopefully, bells and whistles will not be a distraction to the content. Due to the task of persuading the class to choose the best mathematician, the students will have to look beyond just the accomplishments of the person. A good lead or finish to this project is to watch “A Beautiful Mind’, the life story of mathematician John Nash.
The students will be informed prior to the completion of the WebQuest as to what the criteria for grading is expected. With the use of the process description and in reviewing the rubrics, the students will have a clear understanding of the goals of this project. The are many worthwhile rubrics on the web that can be adapted for my use. The rubrics found in the WebQuest, Searching for the Canadian Hero (Barth, nd), are a good guideline as to what I expect to use. Similar rubrics can be found on the web quest In Search of a Hero by Linda Cooper (n.d.).
Both students and teachers will be able to understand the elements of the process and final product through which the students are expected to demonstrate their learning. The steps of the WebQuest will clearly lead the learner and teacher through the process to completion of the expected outcomes. A good WebQuest gives specific roles and directions to each member of the process ( Notre Dame, 2006). Beginning with the description, the learner will venture through the steps of the WebQuest to the completion of the task.
A WebQuest should conclude with
reflection on the original question formulated in the introduction. A teacher
should ensure that time is set aside for this important sharing between the
students. This will encourage them to elaborate on their findings and question
as to whether their mathematician fulfilled the role of hero. This may lead to
further discussion of what a mathematician in the 21st Century might
accomplish to reach the hero status.
The number of WebQuests found on the internet is growing daily. A
WebQuest is not just about “searching the web to find stuff” (AT&T, 2006).
Having the skill and time create a usable product to add to this collection
will be a privilege. The benefit of a WebQuest, is that once it is created and
posted, it is available to learners and teachers worldwide. The use of work
created by a teacher for the WWW is a true compliment to the teacher.
References
AT&T Knowledge Ventures. (2006) WebQuests. Retrieved November 20, 2006 from, http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/webquests.html
Canter, L., & Winberry, K. (Directors). (2003). Program four: WebQuest [Motion picture]. In C. Arnold (Producer), Integrating technology in the curriculum, part one. Los Angeles: Laureate Education, Inc.
Cooper, Linda. (n.d.) In Search of a Hero. Retrieved November 21, 2006,from http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/lcooper/wpheroesmenu.htm
Notre Dame. (2006) Web quest template. Retrieved November 25, 2006, from http://www.mhcbe.ab.ca/NotreDame/
Barth, Shonna , (n.d.) Searching for the Canadian Hero. Retrieved November 25,2006,from http://www.mhcbe.ab.ca/NotreDame/hero/canadian_hero.htm