Dive Into WebQuests: Reading, Writing, and Web 2.0Dive Into WebQuests: Reading, Writing, and Web 2.0Engage learners in motivating, standards-based activities that promote deep thinking and creative communications. When you combine quality Internet resources and effective technology tools with the power of Web 2.0 applications, learning comes alive for students. WebQuests are an inquiry-based approach to addressing standards that place emphasis on motivating assignments, authentic assessments, and developing independent readers and writers. In this workshop, you'll learn to locate, evaluate, adapt, use, create, and co-produce your own WebQuests.
Many of the WebQuests that have been developed recently lack the foundational elements that make the WebQuest an inquiry-based environment. It's time to revisit the origins of the WebQuest and enhance our projects with the best of Web 2.0 technology.
Read about Web 2.0 at the ABCs of Web 2.0.
The Meet The Candidates WebQuest includes a number of Web 2.0 applications. Can you find them?
Explore WebQuest.org to see the "home" of WebQuests. Go to the Find WebQuests page and search the database or use the Curriculum x Grade Level Matrix.
Do a Google search for your topic and add the word WebQuest.
Explore online tools for organizing creating and collaborating. Try My Webspiration.
Look for shared experiences that will bring young people together.
Identify an interesting and doable mission.
Provide young people will a pathfinder that will guide them through resources and help them become independent explorers.
Why reinvent the wheel? Adapt WebQuests:
Add Web 2.0 technology to existing WebQuests such as Radio Days.
When designing WebQuests, focus on timely topics and issues that will bring standards and learning alive for children and young adults.
Share the books that you're reading. Connect them to resources that might be of interest to young people.
American Revolution
Activity 1: Complete the "Making the Most of Technology" worksheet. What are other English and Language Arts teachers doing with technology? Explore the following pages. Pick three things you think are cool ideas.
Activity 2: Complete the "Explore Thematic Resources" worksheet. Explore examples of materials gathered for an Utopian Society unit. Use the following websites to locate quality, online resources.
Go to ReadWriteThink Interactives. Use an interactive. Use ALT-PRINT SCREEN to take a screen shot. Paste it into a Moodle posting, word processing, or presenation document. Add bubbles.
Activity 3: Complete the "Ladders of Your Own" worksheet. Wikipedia can often lead you to quality external links. Check out the List of writers.
Activity 4: Explore WebQuest.org to see the "home" of WebQuests. Go to the Find WebQuests page and search the database or use the Curriculum x Grade Level Matrix.
Activity 5: Complete the WebQuest about WebQuests.
Activity 6: Complete the "Explore WebQuests" worksheet. Evaluate literature-based and communication skills WebQuests.
Activity 7: Complete the "Adapt WebQuests" worksheet. Use the "Adapt Activities" handout for ideas to transform the assignments to a higher level. Choose one of the following topics. Explore multiple WebQuests on the same topic. Which elements do you think are most effective?
Learn more at Internet Expeditions: WebQuest Adaptation.
Activity 8: Examine the "WebQuest Template" and "Literature-based WebQuest" worksheet at the back of your handout packet. Complete the "WebQuest Starters" worksheet. Create an engaging introduction for your WebQuest.
Use the BOOK option in Moodle to create a Moodle-based WebQuest. Add the following topics: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion.
Create a Wiki for your WebQuest and ask students to create wiki pages as part of their final project. Check out a couple works-in-progress: English Biz and Banned Books.
Activity 9: Complete the "WebQuest Topic" worksheet. Look at your topic with "new eyes."
Activity 10: Complete the "WebQuest Tasks" worksheet. Identify an interesting, doable task.
Activity 11: Complete the "WebQuest Resources" worksheet.
Activity 12: Complete the "WebQuest Processes" worksheet.
Activity 13: Complete the "Co-produce WebQuests " worksheet. Brainstorm opportunities for collaboration.
Activity 14: Examine the "Facets of Understanding" handouts. Examine your product. How can you increase understandings?
Learn more at Internet Expeditions: WebQuest Creation and WebQuest Co-Production
If you want to go through the workshop materials systematically, use the following links:
Developed by Annette Lamb, 10/07. Updated 2/09.
