I did some very heavy revision to my Webquest, and I (think) that I am happy with the result. Making the task clear was kind of tough, as was finding adequate sources, but I think I did it. My instructions were a bit redundent at times, but if there is anything I have learned from teaching is that you must repeat, and repeat again, the directions because at any given time there is a student (or four) in their own world.
In my final product, the students create a trial. This a a far cry more active than the analysis papers I had them write before. I think that this was a step towards the direction of improvement, because the best lessons are those that have students up and out of their seats. I enjoyed creating all the "essential questions" for students to keep in mind. I think that these questions will be a good way to ensure students' understanding, and I was surprised at how natural creating them was.
The area I think that I am lacking the most is with the descriptions of courtroom procedings. I know that I could have been more clear here, but one thing about teaching juniors is that it is good to force them to make their own inferences- so long as the teacher is there to guide them.
I'm not sure if I will actually use this Webquest when I teach Huck Finn next month. I would like to, but one thing about Webquests is that you cannot always guarentee computer access, and it is not always possible to use computers in class.
I look forward to other's feedback on my final product.
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2 comments:
One trick with computer use is to project the Quest for the class to give them the overview. Assign them computer room time for a day (or reserve the laptop cart), then back in the classroom for a day, etc. The Quest can be done in spurts too, doesn't have to be every day for a week. It can act as an umbrella under which a lot of other activities are experienced (like the court room process, you might show a movie).
Lisa
Thank you lisa for the advise. One day we actually did sign the laptop cart out and view the class website that is part of VT Young Writers Project. The students did ok, but I saw a lot of dilemmas with bringing computers to class. What shocked me though, was how more user friendly our wetpaint site is compared to the YWP.
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