As I will be getting a degree in Secondary Education, I navigated to the Secondary Corner of the Integration Corner on the textbook website. The link to WebQuests caught my eye. I had done a few WebQuests in middle school, and I couldn’t recall all of the details. Basically, a WebQuest is a form of finding information about a certain topic on the internet. Many of them have pre-selected websites for the students to use while following the directions given by the instructor. Some of them are very involved, such as a WebQuest that involved students rewriting, acting out, filming, and editing a scene from a Shakespeare play using the iMovie software. Others involved creating hypothetical businesses, or making a virtual pilgrimage.
These WebQuests are great, because they give you a framework to build your own. WebQuests are so versatile. You can use them for any subject; you can even create some that are cross-curricular. WebQuests can really immerse your students in the technology that surrounds them, and show them how to use it in ways other than connecting with friends. Some students may never have used movie editing software, or may have never used online business tools. These activities give them some experience with technology in a completely different context than they are used to. This is yet another way that technology is opening new doors in the classroom.
I didn't go to the sites for middle school students so I was unaware of all the WebQuests sites for them. They really seemed to have very involved sites for them to visit and work in. Our children today are much more tech savvy than we will ever be and the next generation will be even more than them. It is good to know that there are sites that are preparing them for their future.
ReplyDeleteI did not check out that website but it's seems to be very useful and can help the students out with different activities. Thanks for sharing! I like how the website will give the students more experience with technology.
ReplyDeleteThis just goes to show you how much technology has evolved in the past ten years. I would have never thought you could have a step process to film, edit and publish a ‘movie’ for all to see! Amazing! I think the idea of making hypothetical businesses is genius. With today’s tools and technology, you can go all out in that area. This sounds like an informative website.
ReplyDeleteI definitly agree, Technology is preparing ways for teachers and students to go to greater hieghts that they have never been able to reach before.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great when the children are learnig without realizing it because then they are more likely to want to retain the information.
ReplyDeleteImmersion is a great teaching technique. They use it to teach little kids new languages all of the time, so why not use it to teach the core subjects in school too?
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