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- Contributed By: Curriki Team
ALL ABOUT WEBQUESTS
WebQuests are one of the oldest activity formats for engaging students with online content. Over the past decade, educators have worked extensively to define and support the use of WebQuests as an effective model for integrating technology into classroom instruction.
For those just discovering WebQuests, this model is extremely well-documented online. One of the very best resources for learning about WebQuests is:
http://www.webquest.org
WebQuest.org describes itself as "the most complete and current source of information about the WebQuest" -- go check it out!
WEBQUEST BUILDERS ON CURRIKI
Now that Curriki offers a WebQuest template, members can easily create, edit, and share open source wiki WebQuests.
In addition, Curriki visitors can access the WebQuest Builders group hosted by West Chester University here:
http://webquest.groups.curriki.org
And Curriki members can join this group to collaborate on resources with others.
CREATING A "TEACHER PAGE" FOR YOUR WEBQUEST
When you successfully complete and submit the WebQuest form on Curriki, you've hopefully created (or started creating) a great student-facing activity.
To enable the best use of your WebQuest in a classroom setting or within a specific curriculum, you may want to provide additional information for yourself or other teachers.
This "Teacher Page" would be developed separately from the WebQuest that students will interact with, as a distinct resource for educators. To create your teacher page, follow these steps:
1) Click "Add a Resource" or "Build Up" to begin creating a new resource (your Teacher Page) in the Curriki repository. (You will use "Build Up" if you want to add your new resource into a particular folder or collection.)
2) In the window that pops up, select the option "A resource I'll create from 'scratch'", and click the orange Next button.
3) In the next window that appears, leave the Wiki Resource option selected, and click the orange Next button.
4) The four-step form for creating a Simple Wiki Resource will load in the page. Complete the resource information in Step 1. You might want to use a Title like this: "[WebQuest Title]: Teacher Page."
5) In Step 2, enter your Teacher Page content into the editing window. Use the Teacher Page Template below to guide you. (You can copy and paste from this Background page into the editing window in the Simple Wiki Resource form, then customize the text for your content.)
6) After you complete your Teacher Page content in Step 2, check all the resource settings in Step 3, review as per Step 4, and click the orange Submit button.
TEACHER PAGE TEMPLATE
Remember, the audience for this page is other teachers, not students.
Introduction
Provide a link to the student WebQuest, and describe the origin of the WebQuest. For example: This WebQuest, (linked title of your student-facing WebQuest), was developed as part of the San Diego Unified School District's Triton Project, a federally funded Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. In the second paragraph of the introduction, describe briefly
Learner
Describe the grade level and course that the lesson is designed to cover. For example: "This lesson is anchored in seventh grade language arts and involves social studies and math to a lesser extent." If the lesson can easily be extended to additional grades and subjects, mention that briefly here as well.
Describe what the learners will need to know prior to beginning this lesson. Limit this description to the most critical skills that could not be picked up on the fly as the lesson is given.
Standards
The WebQuest form includes a section for you to enter the standards addressed by the activity. Since the WebQuest is a student-facing resource, you may wish to describe the standards in student-friendly language there, and then use this section of your Teacher Page to list or map to specific benchmarks, etc.
Resources
Describe what's needed to implement this lesson. Some possibilities include:
Describe also the human resources needed. How many teachers are needed to implement the lesson. Is one enough? Is there a role for aides or parents in the room? Do you need to coordinate with a teacher at another school? With a partner in industry or a museum or other entity? Is a field trip designed in as part of the lesson?
Evaluation
How will you know that this lesson was successful? Describe what student products or performances you'll be looking at and how they'll be evaluated. This should, of course, be tightly related to the objectives you cite in the Introduction above, and the Evaluation and Standards information in the WebQuest.
If students are working in groups or responsible for specific aspects of a topic, how will you ensure that each member of the group has contributed equally and that each individual has a satisfactory understanding of the content and is competent in the skills learned?
You can also refer to the student evaluation section of the WebQuest and add any clarifying comments needed to answer the questions above.
WebQuests are one of the oldest activity formats for engaging students with online content. Over the past decade, educators have worked extensively to define and support the use of WebQuests as an effective model for integrating technology into classroom instruction.
For those just discovering WebQuests, this model is extremely well-documented online. One of the very best resources for learning about WebQuests is:
http://www.webquest.org
WebQuest.org describes itself as "the most complete and current source of information about the WebQuest" -- go check it out!
WEBQUEST BUILDERS ON CURRIKI
Now that Curriki offers a WebQuest template, members can easily create, edit, and share open source wiki WebQuests.
In addition, Curriki visitors can access the WebQuest Builders group hosted by West Chester University here:
http://webquest.groups.curriki.org
And Curriki members can join this group to collaborate on resources with others.
CREATING A "TEACHER PAGE" FOR YOUR WEBQUEST
When you successfully complete and submit the WebQuest form on Curriki, you've hopefully created (or started creating) a great student-facing activity.
To enable the best use of your WebQuest in a classroom setting or within a specific curriculum, you may want to provide additional information for yourself or other teachers.
This "Teacher Page" would be developed separately from the WebQuest that students will interact with, as a distinct resource for educators. To create your teacher page, follow these steps:
1) Click "Add a Resource" or "Build Up" to begin creating a new resource (your Teacher Page) in the Curriki repository. (You will use "Build Up" if you want to add your new resource into a particular folder or collection.)
2) In the window that pops up, select the option "A resource I'll create from 'scratch'", and click the orange Next button.
3) In the next window that appears, leave the Wiki Resource option selected, and click the orange Next button.
4) The four-step form for creating a Simple Wiki Resource will load in the page. Complete the resource information in Step 1. You might want to use a Title like this: "[WebQuest Title]: Teacher Page."
5) In Step 2, enter your Teacher Page content into the editing window. Use the Teacher Page Template below to guide you. (You can copy and paste from this Background page into the editing window in the Simple Wiki Resource form, then customize the text for your content.)
6) After you complete your Teacher Page content in Step 2, check all the resource settings in Step 3, review as per Step 4, and click the orange Submit button.
TEACHER PAGE TEMPLATE
Remember, the audience for this page is other teachers, not students.
Introduction
Provide a link to the student WebQuest, and describe the origin of the WebQuest. For example: This WebQuest, (linked title of your student-facing WebQuest), was developed as part of the San Diego Unified School District's Triton Project, a federally funded Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. In the second paragraph of the introduction, describe briefly
- what the lesson is about
- what are the tasks that are to be completed by the students
- which multiple intelligences will be addressed and how
- what cognitive levels are addressed and how they are met
Learner
Describe the grade level and course that the lesson is designed to cover. For example: "This lesson is anchored in seventh grade language arts and involves social studies and math to a lesser extent." If the lesson can easily be extended to additional grades and subjects, mention that briefly here as well.
Describe what the learners will need to know prior to beginning this lesson. Limit this description to the most critical skills that could not be picked up on the fly as the lesson is given.
Standards
The WebQuest form includes a section for you to enter the standards addressed by the activity. Since the WebQuest is a student-facing resource, you may wish to describe the standards in student-friendly language there, and then use this section of your Teacher Page to list or map to specific benchmarks, etc.
Resources
Describe what's needed to implement this lesson. Some possibilities include:
- Printed materials: class set of textbooks or storybooks, lab manuals, etc.
- Specific reference material in the classroom or school library
- Supplies (things that have to be ordered or gathered)
- Audio/video material (any audiotapes, CDs, books-on-tape, TV programs or films)
- Teacher created material (any presentations, posters, handouts, and other support materials that need to be created for this lesson)
- E-mail accounts for all students
- Internet Resources (online resources for teachers and web addresses or URLs needed for implementation of lesson-list address and describe each site)
- Specific software needed (name-how many copies?)
- Specific hardware needed
Describe also the human resources needed. How many teachers are needed to implement the lesson. Is one enough? Is there a role for aides or parents in the room? Do you need to coordinate with a teacher at another school? With a partner in industry or a museum or other entity? Is a field trip designed in as part of the lesson?
Evaluation
How will you know that this lesson was successful? Describe what student products or performances you'll be looking at and how they'll be evaluated. This should, of course, be tightly related to the objectives you cite in the Introduction above, and the Evaluation and Standards information in the WebQuest.
If students are working in groups or responsible for specific aspects of a topic, how will you ensure that each member of the group has contributed equally and that each individual has a satisfactory understanding of the content and is competent in the skills learned?
You can also refer to the student evaluation section of the WebQuest and add any clarifying comments needed to answer the questions above.
