Web Quests

Janelle,

Have you looked at some of the great web quests on http://webquest.org/

This is such a terrific site and it looks like it is going to have some new technology added to help people build web quests. Susan Van Bose wrote at length about this in Session 3 of 5309.

She said:
went to the English/Language Arts section and clicked on the 3-5 grade range since I have several students in those grades. There were many intriguing titles, but the one I chose had to do with folktales, titled “A Tale to Tell.” The introduction was a story about some adventurers coming to a crumbling building and going inside. Each member of the group is given a task, by way of a poem, to read a different folktale, then compare the folktales. Then they would write a similar story of their own. There is even an opportunity to read stories other students have written and submit the stories they have written.

I think students would have to learn rather than just memorize because there isn’t a set of facts to memorize. The students learn to compare the tales and are given a rubric to help in recording the story for comparison with the stories read by the rest of the group. There is a graphic organizer---particularly good for my second language learners---to help plan for the story they are assigned to write, and even an evaluations page to help the kids make sure they are on the right track. All these tools will help with transfer.

There are several opportunities to take the time to learn. There are a lot of resources available on the web links provided. My concern for my students would be that they would take too long to choose a story and might need some guidance in that regard. If this project is done as it is intended to be, I’m sure there will be learning taking place. I guess that is the key right there, however. Will the students be willing to take the time to read, analyze, and write the story as is it is set out? My reaction to this in regard to my students is that they wouldn’t. I wonder, though, if I am guilty of not expecting enough or if I haven’t taught them to work through learning opportunities?

I like the way the quest starts out---as a story with a challenge. I think the students will definitely be engaged in that part as well as the poem. I think they will also wonder what happens at the end. But, as I stated above, I’m not sure that they will be willing to compare the stories or write their own without some degree of help from me.

The fact that the story is on the computer would also be an opportunity to motivate students to want to complete the quest. They always want to do things on the computer. The layout of the story is also pleasing and engaging.

I think I will try this particular quest with my students in few weeks and see what happens. I hope I will be pleasantly surprised

It will be interesting to get her feedback.