A WebQuest may be defined as an inquiry-based activity in which most or all of the information is accessed by the learners over the Internet (Milson & Downey, 2001). The teacher must identify appropriate content tailored towards the learning tasks and make a web page that is used by learners to work their way through five stages: Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation and Conclusion.
WebQuests are designed as a form of inquiry-based learning. WebQuests provide students with a problem in which they are required to solve. Students then need to work their way through the WebQuest while deciding on what information would be most useful in solving their problem. There are many resources embedded throughout the WebQuest, however students can use the teacher as a resource and have the ability to gather data individually or in small groups (Marsh, 2008).
This form of instructional design assists students in developing higher-order thinking and can engage students in collaborative learning (Marsh, 2008). When engaged in this type of activity students can be highly motivated to examine novel problems and formulate possible solutions (Killen, 2006).
In a previous course of study I designed a WebQuest for a grade 3/4 class. The topic was on recycling, with a opened ended focus question. It was a very time consuming process, although I was very pleased with the end result and now how it on file for future use. The students found it very easy to follow and loved all the interactive activities. They formed small groups to work on the WebQuest and I developed a roster for computer use. This solved our problem of having limited computers in the classroom. The end product was amazing and the students were engaged and enthusiastic about whole learning process.
WebQuest are a great learning tool and even though it can be a very time consuming process when you see the end result it all seems Worth the effort!
Killen, R. (2006) Effective Teaching Strategies. Thomson, Melbourne.
Marsh, C. (5th Ed.) (2008). Studies of Society and Environment, Exploring the Teaching Possibilities. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education
Milson, A. & Downey, P. (2001). Webquest: using Internet resources for cooperative inquiry. Social Education. 65, 3, 144-46.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Google Earth
"Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others" (Google Earth, 2009).
Whilst exploring Google Earth I was able to use it's many functions including pin pointing exact locations, zooming in and out, flagging places of interest and viewing roads and terrain. These would be useful tools in the class room when exploring units that encompass "Where do I come From", "What's in My Backyard" as well as investigating the differences between countries and their climates and environments. Australia having very dry areas where as Ireland appears very green on Google Earth, this would open discussion about the importance of rain, or Slip Slop Slap when we are in the sun. The possibilities of this learning tool are seemingly endless and open to the creativity of the teacher and students.
According to Bednarz, Acheson and Bednarz (2006) Maps, globes and models are essential resources for teachers when implementing SOSE experiences. As maps portray a fair amount of information students can enjoy the benefits of exploring Google Earth by navigating there way around the site using the many tools available.
Bednarz, S., Acheson, G. & Bednarz, R. (2006) Maps and map learning in social studies. Social Education, 70,7,398-404.
Google Earth (2009). What is Google Earth. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from: http://earth.google.com/
Whilst exploring Google Earth I was able to use it's many functions including pin pointing exact locations, zooming in and out, flagging places of interest and viewing roads and terrain. These would be useful tools in the class room when exploring units that encompass "Where do I come From", "What's in My Backyard" as well as investigating the differences between countries and their climates and environments. Australia having very dry areas where as Ireland appears very green on Google Earth, this would open discussion about the importance of rain, or Slip Slop Slap when we are in the sun. The possibilities of this learning tool are seemingly endless and open to the creativity of the teacher and students.
According to Bednarz, Acheson and Bednarz (2006) Maps, globes and models are essential resources for teachers when implementing SOSE experiences. As maps portray a fair amount of information students can enjoy the benefits of exploring Google Earth by navigating there way around the site using the many tools available.
Bednarz, S., Acheson, G. & Bednarz, R. (2006) Maps and map learning in social studies. Social Education, 70,7,398-404.
Google Earth (2009). What is Google Earth. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from: http://earth.google.com/
Podcasts
Podcasts are basically an audible blog, you can subscribe to topics which interest you, and those podcasts which you have subscribed to can be automatically uploaded onto your computer, which, in turn, can then be loaded onto an mp3 player to be listened to later (techFAC, 2009)
Podcasts could be used by educators to provide an overview of what is to be taught prior to a lesson or as a revision tool throughout a unit of work or at the end of a lesson for students to revise what has been taught.
As an early childhood educator I feel this is more targeted towards upper primary or secondary students. They would be more inclined to engage with this type of media and I would see this as a benefit to students that are high auditory learners.
At this stage in my E-Learning Adventures I am stumped for ideas as to how I could use Podcasts with my prep class. Has anyone trialed this with a prep class and found it successful?
TechFAQ. (2009). What are podcasts? Retrieved August 19, 2009, from
http://www.tech-faq.com/podcasts.shtml
Podcasts could be used by educators to provide an overview of what is to be taught prior to a lesson or as a revision tool throughout a unit of work or at the end of a lesson for students to revise what has been taught.
As an early childhood educator I feel this is more targeted towards upper primary or secondary students. They would be more inclined to engage with this type of media and I would see this as a benefit to students that are high auditory learners.
At this stage in my E-Learning Adventures I am stumped for ideas as to how I could use Podcasts with my prep class. Has anyone trialed this with a prep class and found it successful?
TechFAQ. (2009). What are podcasts? Retrieved August 19, 2009, from
http://www.tech-faq.com/podcasts.shtml
Youtube
YouTube is a site where the public can upload video clips and music clips to share with the public. It amazes me how many clips are out there and what people are will to share with the public eye! In my experience with YouTube it has been a very useful tool to engage students in a given topic and use throughout and extended lesson or unit.
Through researching the topic it is clear YouTube can be used in education for a variety of purposes. It is a great way to search and find a topic related to lessons being taught, it can help students refine their search techniques and gives new meaning to they way in which students research. With so much content on YouTube it is important that educators are very careful in choosing content especially when searching in class. "YouTube's content is interesting and unpredictable. It isn't always safe for work or appropriate for children" (Karch, 2009).
The clip I have chosen to share is one that I will be using at the start of a lesson with my prep class. We cook every week and have been discussing the importance of food handling, kitchen safety and healthy eating. This cooking lesson we will be making pizzas! After showing the clip the class will discuss what foods we are using to make our pizza, where they fit on the healthy food pyramid and they steps we need to take when cooking in the kitchen (safety). McKenna Gehrke makes a personal pizza for her family on the Kitcheneers!
Karch, M. (2009). YouTube Explained - Overview of the Google Video Sharing Tool. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from: http://google.about.com/od/moreaboutgoogleaps/p/youtubeprofile.htm
Through researching the topic it is clear YouTube can be used in education for a variety of purposes. It is a great way to search and find a topic related to lessons being taught, it can help students refine their search techniques and gives new meaning to they way in which students research. With so much content on YouTube it is important that educators are very careful in choosing content especially when searching in class. "YouTube's content is interesting and unpredictable. It isn't always safe for work or appropriate for children" (Karch, 2009).
The clip I have chosen to share is one that I will be using at the start of a lesson with my prep class. We cook every week and have been discussing the importance of food handling, kitchen safety and healthy eating. This cooking lesson we will be making pizzas! After showing the clip the class will discuss what foods we are using to make our pizza, where they fit on the healthy food pyramid and they steps we need to take when cooking in the kitchen (safety). McKenna Gehrke makes a personal pizza for her family on the Kitcheneers!
Karch, M. (2009). YouTube Explained - Overview of the Google Video Sharing Tool. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from: http://google.about.com/od/moreaboutgoogleaps/p/youtubeprofile.htm
Quizzes
As today's students have grown up in a world surrounded by technology they have become very competent users of computers, mobile phones, video games and digital music players (Prensky, 2001), just to name a few. For this reason it does not surprise me that they may wish t0 partake in online quizzes.
Online tests can provide students with a fast and engaging way to check their learning. Prensky (2001) states Digital Natives "thrive on instant gratification". Online tests can cater for this need. Educators can develop tests that are targeted towards a specific topic and students are able to take the test and be notified immediately their results. Depending on the settings students can check where they went wrong and try again.
The following link will take you to a quiz I developed for a prep class. Please note the cohort of students have just completed a lesson on pet animals and discussed the home environments each pet would live. These students are only beginning to read and identify words with out picture cues. The have also had very little exposure with working on computers. Let me know what you think, I value your feedback.
http://www.classmarker.com/quiz/?test_id=59001
Prensky, M., (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from:
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Online tests can provide students with a fast and engaging way to check their learning. Prensky (2001) states Digital Natives "thrive on instant gratification". Online tests can cater for this need. Educators can develop tests that are targeted towards a specific topic and students are able to take the test and be notified immediately their results. Depending on the settings students can check where they went wrong and try again.
The following link will take you to a quiz I developed for a prep class. Please note the cohort of students have just completed a lesson on pet animals and discussed the home environments each pet would live. These students are only beginning to read and identify words with out picture cues. The have also had very little exposure with working on computers. Let me know what you think, I value your feedback.
http://www.classmarker.com/quiz/?test_id=59001
Prensky, M., (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from:
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Animation and Simulations
Animations and Simulations are a great way to engage students in learning of more complex concepts. Computer simulations can recreate all kinds of processes both physical and social (Marsh, 2008). Simulations allow students to get fully involved in learning and allows concepts to be more easily understood and gives students the feeling of being 'right there'. It can also be a great tool for teachers to explain a procedure or concept and give the students the opportunity to revisit the experiment/experience at a latter date.
I would however argue that students seem to, more and more, live in a simulated environment and in some cases miss out on the hands on experiences. What happened to the days when students got right in on the action and got their hands dirty? In my experience students love the gory details of dissecting a frog! Don't get me wrong, I do think animations and simulations have their advantages, when used appropriately!
Marsh, C. (5th Ed.). (2008). Studies of Society and Environment, Exploring The Teaching Possibilities. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.
I would however argue that students seem to, more and more, live in a simulated environment and in some cases miss out on the hands on experiences. What happened to the days when students got right in on the action and got their hands dirty? In my experience students love the gory details of dissecting a frog! Don't get me wrong, I do think animations and simulations have their advantages, when used appropriately!
Marsh, C. (5th Ed.). (2008). Studies of Society and Environment, Exploring The Teaching Possibilities. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Picnik
Picnik is a photo editing tool the learning opportunities are endless! What a wonderful site.I found this to be a very user friendly site. Although it was a little difficult at first to navigate my way around I quickly became wrapped up in all the possibilities.
Photographs are a great visual source for most learners and Levstik and Smith (1996) suggest students find it more rewarding when engaging in visual interpretations. Educators could use Picnik across many Key Learning Areas to provoke emotions, experiment with colour, shapes and design creative slides and collages. The learning experiences are are only limited to the teachers own creativity. I look forward to using Picnik as a learning tool in my classroom.
Levstik, L.S. & Smith, D.B. (1996). "I've never done this before". Building a community of historical inquiry, in a third-grade classroom, Advances in Research on Teaching, 6, 85-114.
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