Wednesday, June 28, 2006

WebQuest: Day 2

PART ONE: CREATING YOUR WEBQUEST

We will be using an online editing tool called Quest Garden to create your WebQuests.

  1. Go to the Quest Garden website and create a login name and password (I recommend using your MyID -- I will have no way to access your login information should you forget it).
  2. Create a new WebQuest.
  3. Follow the steps provided to complete your WebQuest. It is strongly recommended that you work on long sections (Introduction, Process) in Word and then copy/paste the text into questgarden.
  4. Don't forget to click the "Submit" button each time you want to save your work or go to a different page within your Webquest.
We need to do a quick walk-through of the Quest Garden template so you'll know how to edit text, add images, and publish your pages. Make sure to always click the "Submit" button when you want to save your work.

Here are some questions to consider as you work on your WebQuest (you do not need to turn in responses to these questions):
*Is your WebQuest topic authentic in order to engage your students?
*Is your WebQuest task challenging and doable?
*Do your learners need to think independently and critically during the WebQuest activity?
*Is collaboration between your students important for the successful completion of the WebQuest?
*What scaffolds (visual organizers, software tools, prompting questions and suggestions) are provided in your WebQuest?

How do you ensure that students will be engaged in your WebQuest activity? View the WebQuest Taxonomy of Tasks to determine in what category your original WebQuest will fall. Share with the class your idea for a "hook" or introduction and your WebQuest category.

Now that you have an idea for your WebQuest, how will you design the entire process section for your learners? What are the major components of a WebQuest and what is the role of each in the learning activity? The Building Blocks of a WebQuest page will help you to better understand the purpose of each.

FOR THURSDAY:
1. Continue working on your WebQuest. It is due Monday, July 3 at the beginning of class.
2. Bring an ingredient that you would normally find in Trail Mix: peanuts, chocolate chips, M&Ms, pretzels, etc. I promise it is relevant to our topic - I'm not just hungry!