WebQuests can be an engaging, meaningful resource which enable students to understand real-world concepts through Web-based learning. However, with so much information available through the Internet, educators must make careful and informed decisions about what they want their students to learn and how they want them to learn it. When considering a WebQuest as a learning tool, some ideas you might consider are:
◆Is the information clear, understandable, and organized?
◆Is there differentiated learning within the presented information, or is all the learning presented in the same fashion?
◆Is the learning motivational, challenging, and authentic?
◆Is the teaching technique producing open-ended questions through a learner-centered approach?
If you were able to answer "yes" to the majority of the above listed questions, then you have likely found a great WebQuest for your students! The following link offers some great choices of WebQuests for primary students, especially in the content areas of science. In my classroom, we do a month long unit on penguins in February, and the WebQuests on this site offer a couple of choices with learning about these adorable and fun-loving creatures! Check it out!
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It must have been difficult to find WebQuests for first graders. I would imagine the reading abilities of the students would interfere with you being able to use this with students independently. I am excited to use WebQuests with my students to see them work through a process and problems and watch them have to work them out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lisa. I was in a first grade classroom last year and there was a large range when it came to reading skills, especially with informational text. I suppose you would have to form group which included strong readers and low readers so that they could help each other out.
ReplyDeleteWebquests on penguins for first graders! So fun! I am very excited to implement webquests into my classroom with my 5th graders.
ReplyDeleteTricia ~ Working with the younger set has it's unique set of challenges. One way to get around the reading issue would be to work through a WebQuest as a whole group. Teacher reading and explaining and the students using the resources to complete the activities. You can use the computer lab with projector for this or a teacher workstation with a projector in the classroom. Web sites can be used in a similar way. ~ Sue
ReplyDeleteHi Trish,
ReplyDeleteI did a WebQuest with my year 4 (grade 3) students last term... much to their excitement :) I got working groups going on our class wiki and then had an evening for parents to show the work they had done. Mine are a bit older and they needed quite a bit of support. It was well worth it!