Webquests

Inquiry approach to differentiation in the classroom

What is a Webquest?

A WebQuest is "an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet." A WebQuest is designed to:

use learners' time well,

focus on using information rather than looking for it, and

support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

Dede & Sprague, 1999 Dodge, 2001

How can Webquests help your students? Webquests allow teachers to provide different

levels of support within a lesson to the students in their classrooms (differentiation).

Supports include: Guided notes Cooperative grouping Multiple representation of content material Use of authentic documents, and Using ability to alter the websites color and text

size

Implementation of Webquests

Can be used in any subject Can be used with any age group Can be used with any ability level

Can be used independently Can be used with partners Can be used in cooperative groups,

based on ability and design of the webquest

Six Parts of the Webquest

Introduction- raise the students’ interest for what is coming

Task-Expectation of end product-can be different for different individuals or groups

Process-teacher makes suggestions as to steps for discovery, stategies, dividing roles. May include form for guided note-taking.

Resources-Pre-selected websites and directions of focus on each website. Can also be books or video clips.

Evaluation-Teacher evaluates student progress and also the effectiveness of the webquest. A rubric is usually used for this and should be included in the webquest. Make sure students are aware of how they will be evaluated.

Conclusion- provides an opportunity to:-summarize -extend and generalize-reflect -open path to new lesson

When planning a webquest

Guide your webquest by your curriculum benchmarks

Webquests can be used as an introduction to a unit or as an assessment

Webquest can be posted on websites for students who are absent for extended days or on vacation.

Templates to use (if needed)

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/index.php Free registration

http://www.zunal.com/ Free registration

http://questgarden.com/ $20 for a 2 year subscription

http://teacherweb.com/wq_home.html $27 per year

Research Supports Webquests

Dodge, B. (2001). FOCUS: Five rules for writing great WebQuests. Learning & Leading withTechnology, 28 (8). http://www.iste.org/LL/28/8/index.cfm

Dede C., & Sprague, D. (1999). If I teach this way, am I doing my job? Constructivism in the Classroom. Learning and Leading withTechnology, 27(1).

Kelley, R. (2000). Working with WebQuests: Making the web accessible to students with disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 32(6),4-13.

Webquests Sites

www.webquest.org Resource for WebQuest materials and information. Included on the site are training materials, templates, and a matrix of WebQuests created for all subject areas and grade levels.

www.bestwebquests.com These webquests have been rated by an evaluation matrix. (March)

Database of Inquiry Oriented Internet Projectshttp://www.lth3.k12.il.us/rhampton/database.htmlListed by subject and grade level.

WebQuest Collection from Ecole Whitehorse Elementary http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/wes/webquest_collection.htmlCollections by theme

Wow, Wonderful WebQuestshttp://www.geocities.com/smilecdg/webquests.html

Collection of WebQuests for K4 Science WebQuests from Williston VThttp://www.williston.k12.vt.us/Services/Science/ScienceWebQuests/sciencewebquests.html

Math WebQuestshttp://www.wfu.edu/~mccoy/NCTM00/examples.htmlOrganized by grade level with titles and topics listed.

There are MANY more sites- GOOGLE “webquests”