WebQuests

I was unfamiliar with WebQuests before we began the lesson and so far I think they are my favorite tool. They are ways for a teacher to create and organize a group project for the class and allows access to the students. Included are the Introduction, which talks about the overview of the assignment. The Task lets the students know what they will be doing, what materials will be involved, and what the groups entail. The Process lists the steps the students need to take to reach the desired outcome. An Evaluation lets the students know how they will be graded and on what. The evaluation is pretty much a rubric. It shows how many points each aspect of the assignment is worth. The Conclusion explains what the final product is and in my opinion, is a "happy" page because the project is finished! The Credits are for the teacher to show what people contributed and other websites he/she used. The Teacher page is all about the teacher.

Using these steps, the WebQuest can be organized and easy to read. However, in class we looked at some WebQuests that were not up to par (like this one). As a teacher, I need to make sure there are no dead links on my WebQuest. I also need to include pictures and make it easy to read for my students or they may miss something important. Group work is one of the most essential aspects of a WebQuest, and if the assignment would be better done individually, then a WebQuest isn't necessary. The project needs to be time-efficient; if it is a waste of time then students will not be interested and I will be frustrated with time lost. It also needs to promote critical thinking. Students should have to spend some time thinking and coming up with ideas. This WebQuest includes all of these elements.

Most of all, the WebQuest needs to be engaging. Students should want to participate in it and be involved. It teaches them how to follow directions, how to work collaboratively, and how to look at a rubric and know what is expected.

I will definitely be using WebQuests in my classroom one day.