G'Day All, It's time for a little house cleaning...

After over a decade in the educational consultant biz, I've accumulated a few things. Now it's time to see if they can find a better home.

The main ones are two biggies and then a few smaller items:

BestWebQuests.com

• Launched in 2001, BestWebQuests is the only directory of fully reviewed directory of WebQuests that are really WebQuests.
• Here's an example review. Note the barchart. This is created automatically by adding and reviewing the site through BestWebQuests' powerful Control Panel and comparing it to the BestWebQuests' Rubric
• Included in the site is all the coding (written in Active Server Pages - ASP), a comprehensive administration back-end and a database of over 1100 quality WebQuests.
• Includes the domain bestwebquests.com and bwqu.com (for BestWebQuests University - the potential for an online course)
• BestWebQuests can be installed on any Windows server
• Offers over $10,000 considered - as is: The database suffers from my neglect over the past two years and a fair bit of LinkRot renders 404s for individual WebQuests. If the quality of the database is important to the purchaser, we will go through and update the links for an additional cost.
• Development offers considered - if your organization wants grow BestWebQuests into a mecca of Web 2, Challenge-based learning resources, I would be happy to consult on such an enterprise.

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Web-and-Flow.com

• Launched in 1998, Web-and-Flow was Web 2.0 in a Web 1 era. Teacher and librarians create up to six different Web-based activities from the Interactive software.
• Includes a built-in Link Checker to assist educators to keep their activities fresh each year.
• More than a Web-page maker, Web-and-Flow was lovingly written by me as online mentoring in curriculum design. Included are a host of Help pages and Tutorial modules. The Purchaser would retain copyright to the written content if they want to repurpose it.
• Includes the domain web-and-flow.com
• Successfully licensed to school districts and associations to foster a collection of educator-made learning activities.
• Written in robust Perl, purchasers might want to develop a revision in something like php and AJAX, This= would create a real killer-app for a start-up company or expand the reach of a current portal.
• Offers over $25,000 considered
• If the purchaser wanted to redevelop Web-and-Flow into its full Web 2.0 + potential, I would be pleased to serve as a design consultant as an additional contract.

Keynotes for General Population Audiences* * Parents, Community Stakeholders, Students & Educators

The Brave New WWW - "Whatever, Whenever and Wherever"

As we all start to adjust to the role of the World Wide Web in our daily lives, a culture of personalized, WiFi-delivered, digital content hovers just over the broadband horizon. Games, music, movies, all streamed full-speed, entreat a new generation to tune in, turn on, and drop out. Like kids in a candy shop, our children are surrounded by whatever they want, whenever, wherever. Learn how we can help children navigate between the real & the virtual, the authentic & the amusing, real life amidst a tantalizing media dream.

What to Make of Web 2.0?

Blogs, wikis, podcasts and RSS? Whateverever happened to just "the Internet" and when did "Web 1" pass its use-by date? This session is designed as an engaging and friendly exploration of Web 2.0 technologies from one who began "working the Web for education" almost 15 years ago. Learn how to "connect the dots.com" in a way that highlights key concepts along with how they just might transform your life.

Keynotes Specifically for Educators

WebQuests 2.0: How a Richer Web Improves a Good Idea

The WebQuest was launched in 1995 to scaffold advanced cognition by integrating the "ill-structured" nature of the World Wide Web with a process that guides novices through decisions and experiences that characterize experts' behaviors. Recently, the Web has morphed into Web 2.0 with its social networking sites, blogs, wikis and podcasts. Given this richness, revisiting WebQuests is in order. This session reviews the critical attributes of true WebQuests and offers a framework for integrating the best of Web 2 with even more authentic personal learning.

CEQ-ALL ("seek-all")- Taxonomy for the 21st Century

Society says it needs knowledge workers who can achieve, compete and innovate on a global playing field, but sparking and sustaining change in schools sometimes seems as likely as manufacturing a microchip in a blast furnace. We envision a bright high tech future, but can't see beyond the obscuring lens of our Industrial Age model.

Enter CEQ-ALL: Choice · Effort · Quality → Attitude = Lifelong Learner. Here is an evidence-based and common sense pedagogical framework to support students as they take responsibility for directing their own learning, replacing the assembly line status quo in such a way that it both makes learning new again and also feels like the helping hand from a trusted friend.

Professional Learning Workshops

The following two workshops can be offered as single one-day sessions or combined into an effective two-day experience.

Learning to Look

What we do each day - or at least a few times a week - has the best chance to become a positive habit. Two habits worth developing for students of every age are the sensitivity and inclination to engage in critical and creative thinking. In addition, by supporting learner autonomy and competence within a caring and engaging culture, we set a foundation for intrinsic motivation. These two goals of Thinking and Motivation are supported through Learning 2 Look activities. In brief, Learning 2 Look activities project rich Web resources so that the entire class can explore them together. This allows for prompting critical thinking and modeling the subtle traits of sensitivity and inclination.

ClassPortals

Leveraging a class Web site & Web 2.0 tools to promote deep learning.

Students yearn for learning that is Real, Rich and Relevant. Too often in school life, the limitations of time, space and curricular demands result in pre-digested, segmented experiences where "richness" serves as a distraction or nuisance. A ClassPortal creates a purpose and shared mission that puts students and teachers together in a group endeavor pursuing the joy of learning.

2-3 Day Workshop: Upgrading to WebQuests 2.0

Those used to developing WebQuests will be excited to see how powerful Web 2 tools are in "unfolding" the WebQuest from a teacher-prepared activity to a learner-driven inquiry. See how blogs, social networks, podcasts and other interactive applications can further your goals to help students "transform information into understanding."

Upcoming Conference Appearances
Pearson's Pathway's to an Interactive Future Conference
May 1, 2009, Melbourne Victoria



NECC: Spotlight Session

WebQuests 2.0: A Richer Web Improves a Good Idea

WebQuests were pretty cool a decade ago, but see what happens when
you unfold today's WebQuest with video podcasts, social information
networking, and collaboration tools.

- Day: Tuesday, 6/30/2009

- Time: 3:30pm - 4:30pm

Third National Leading a Digital School Conference
Gold Coast International Hotel
Thursday 3, Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September 2009

In-Person Presentations
http://www.tommarch.com/support/