WebQuests
are an exciting way to bring the resources of the Internet into classroom
teaching and they are ideal for reader response activities and cultural
studies projects. There are many sites on the Internet that support
WebQuests, and many "WebQuests" that are actually something
less, mere "hot lists," or "treasure hunts," or
"scrapbooks." The Filamentality
"Activity Formats" page defines these terms pretty well.
Perhaps
the best resource for WebQuests is the page created by Bernie Dodge
at San Diego State University. Study the WebQuest
Page. Begin by reading carefully through at least four or five
examples at the WebQuest Portal.
There are many for middle school and high school language arts. Look
at quests for different grade levels.
You will notice
that some WebQuests are clearly better than others. Better WebQuests
involve collaboration (F.Scott
Fitzgerald and the 1920s), have a clearly defined and creative
final project, (Odyssey
Theme Park) and involve a close and careful understanding of the
text (Heart
of Darkness WebQuest).
As you
prepare to build your own WebQuest, examine Bernie Dodge's training
materials. Within this the "building
blocks" link is essential, but look also at the more sophisticated
information.
Check out
these sample WebQuests made by WMU secondary English education students:
Brave
New World by Shane Gruno
Diary of Anne Frank WebQuest by Kendra Matko
Heart
of Darkness WebQuest by Robert Rozema
A
Joy Luck Club WebQuest by Jeremy Rosenau
Meeting New Cultures: A Multicultural Anthology by Jennifer
Conrad
Remember,
the technology is a means to an end, not the end in itself; think
carefully about what you want students to learn. In doing so, be sure
to check out the WebQuest
Rubric. A WebQuest doesn't have to rely solely on the web, so
use libraries and other resources. Learning how to research is one
of the most important educational skills.
