Blog Post 12

Watch this video, WebQuest 101 Part 1. Think about how you can use Webquest in your classroom. In two or more paragraphs summarize why it may be important to use WebQuest in the classroom. Tell us how you think WebQuest can be beneficial to the students. Then visit WebQuest.org to gather ideas on how to make a Webquest. Create a WebQuest that you can use in your future classroom.

WebQuest have been around for quite sometime. WebQuests are a lesson format developed by Dr. Bernie Dodge from San Diego State University. One of the main characteristics of a WebQuest is that it is an inquiry-based curriculum unit. The information that the students interact with can be transformed to create new information that has meaning to them. The focus is on using information rather than looking for it. In the 21st Century classroom we want student to be able to use technology but also do it in a safe way. Some teachers worry about letting students have access to the open web. WebQuests avoid these roadblocks because the Internet resources are identified and evaluated ahead of time. This eliminates the need for wasteful searching by the students. WebQuests provide teachers with a structured environment where they can integrate technology into the curriculum and make it beneficial to the students.

With WebQuest, students get to work at their own pace while the teacher has already put a plan together to allow students to work on their own but have a guide in doing so. WebQuests increase student motivation. When students are motivated, they are likely to put in more effort, and their minds are more alert and ready to make connections. It also prompts higher-level thinking. WebQuest can also be arranged to allow cooperative learning. When done correctly, I think that kids will love doing webquests, and teachers will have fun using them in class. It is definitely a step out of the box for teachers set in their regular teaching methods. This can also help bring creativity and curiosity into the classroom.

Check out my WebQuest: The Butterfly Life Cycle