I ♥ WebQuests!

I think WebQuests are awesome. I am very excited about the possibilities they hold in the classroom. From the first time they were explained to me, I thought it sounded like a very interesting and engaging idea to implement in the classroom. I think what got me really excited about them was the first activity we did, looking at 5 examples and comparing them. The one about the Underground Railroad (here is a link: http://questgarden.com/88/01/4/091112091643/index.htm)  stood out to me. I think that it was a great way to get students immersed in what they were learning, and it allowed them to look at it in many different ways. Although I think that the role playing activity may be taking it too far considering the sensitivity of the subject. All in all, I think WebQuests offer students a chance to do something different, to do something that varies enough that it appeals to all types of learners, and something that offers a deeper level of immersion and engagement.

I found another WebQuest that I thought was really neat (link: http://www.questgarden.com/113/36/8/101108153227/) This webquest is called astronaut for a day. It is a webquest on space and the solar system. I would love to implement this webquest into my classroom during a unit about space. The webquest requires students to do rather in-depth research on their groups planet. They compile their research and then create a paper mache model of their planet. At the beginning of the webquest however, they are told to color a picture of a space ship. I think that I would probably take this out. It seems like it would take a lot of time for nothing that is really beneficial. Instead, I would have my students spend more time on the research part of the process and do a write up or poster to put with their planet. We would discuss which planet is most like Earth and then we would do a display by hanging up the planets with the posters. I would also demonstrate the vastness of the solar system by laying out the planets to scale. 

I think I will definitely use WebQuests in my future classroom one day! 

Reflection: Website Evaluation

I think that this exercise in evaluating the legitimacy of websites was very beneficial. In today's society, the internet is such a huge part of everyday life. Everybody utilizes it, and now everybody can add to it. With everyone having the ability to contribute to what people see in the internet, it is necessary to have a way to judge whether or not what you are reading is accurate. This exercise allowed me to learn what I need to look at on a website in order to make this judgment. This is especially important when incorporating websites into educating young students. Younger students are apt to believe things the read on the internet, especially if it is their teacher showing them.


Not only is is it important to judge the accuracy and legitimacy of the information, but the way that the information is presented is important as well. The information should be presented in a way that makes it easily accessible to students. Graphics must support the information presented. The information must be presented in a clear and clean manner. Colors and texts should not be overwhelming, but aid in engaging the student with the information. All of these things are important to look at when considering including a website in your teaching instruction.