Module 4 – WebQuests

Beginning: Understanding WebQuests

• Brainstorming “Web-based Group Projects” (TypeWith.Me)
• Compare with the WebQuest Worksheet Headings (doc)
• “Is You or Is You Ain’t a WebQuest?”  WebQuests.org / Zunal.com with a rubric (doc)

WebQuest exemplars:

• Primary – Big Wide World
• Middle – Crool Zone, Look Who’s Footing the Bill!, Little Rock 9 – Integration 0?
• Secondary – Freedom Fighter or Terrorist, Ewe2, Searching for China

Check for Understanding

Prompt: What is a WebQuest and how would you use one?  Make sure to include a description of what students do to transform information into new meaning / build knowledge / achieve synthesis.  Send this in an email to tom@ozline.com .

If extra background is needed, try reading What WebQuests Are (Really).

Experience Teaching with the Web

Either point to your online space and its activities or take the Self-assessment: Digital Learning Skills List Checklist (doc)

If reviewing your online space, check for:Review the online space in terms of:

1. Scaffolding / support
2. Student contribution / interaction
3. Rich resources
4. Inquiry / Intrinsic motivation

Check for Understanding

Re-assess: Look to Learn? ClassPortal? or create a BestWebQuest or WebQuest 2.0 process (pdf)?

Drafting a WebQuest

Brainstorming Ideas

• The WebQuest Worksheet (doc)
• Use the Idea Machine (or download all 50 ideas)
• Stixy for WebQuests
• Use the Unfolding Checklist

Gather Links

• What’s Web 2.0? (Get a Toolbar?)
• Diigo Bookmarking (create a group?)
• TEDTalks (consider Tubechop.com?)
• iTunes
  • Audio: ABC’s Background Briefing, BBC Documentaries, NYTimes Front Page,
  • Video: National Geographic’s Dangerous Encounters, Washington Post Video News, The Onion
• PageFlakes & Netvibes
• Dipity & Timelines.com
• TagGalaxy, Cooliris

Check for Understanding: Consider “Roles” from the WebQuest Design Process, then use the WebQuest Pre-Write to see how you’re going.

Your Webspace or WordPress

• Get a WordPress blog
• Add a Post to a Blog
• WebQuest Template – copy and paste into a WordPress post/page and start from there
• Surf WebQuest.org or BestWebQuests for a model (contact authors)

WebQuests 2.0

• Review the 3 Main Strategies: Look to Learn / ClassPortal / WebQuest 2.0
• Tom’s Current WebQuest 2.0 Process (pdf)
• Use  the article above and the Designing a WebQuest 2.0 (doc) and the links below as a guide.

Resources

• WebQuest Design Process
• The WebQuest Portal
• Questgarden
• Web-and-Flow
• BestWebQuests Assessment Rubric

WebQuests .9 & 1.0

• Bernie’s Original WebQuest Structure
• The World’s first public “WebQuest” (not)
• Tom’s Filamentality / Web-and-Flow Modifications (template)
• Other Web-based Learning Scaffolds: Definitions and Examples
• Tom’s Educational Leadership rant about Real WebQuests
• Bernie weighing in on  “Real WebQuests”