Webquest

__WEBQUEST: OCEAN ANIMALS__ __ Product Description: __ **Structured External Assignment: Webquest** Designing and creating a WebQuest is the Structured External Assignment. You were introduced to WebQuests in Technology Integration Module. Before we try to develop a WebQuest, we need to become more familiar with this excellent instructional concept. Read the articles related to WebQuests and review the summary of Bloom'sTaxonomy (found in Readings folder). In preparing for the Structured External Assignment, we will be looking at the Webquest site ( [] ) and reviewing the Useful Resources section and Find WebQuests section in our preparation for creating our own WebQuest. Familiarize yourself with the concept of WebQuests as WebQuests will be the topic of discussion for the entire course.  __What is a WebQuest? Audio:__  media type="file" key="melanie day podcast practice.mp3" width="205" height="47"
 * What is a WebQuest?** A WebQuest in an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learner's time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learner's thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Refer to Bloom'sTaxonomy for an explanation of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

__Topic Determination: __  I chose Ocean Animals as my topic because it relates to the final Language Arts unit in Kindergarten. Our students are always very engaged and interested in learning about different animals that live in the ocean and we also take a trip to Cape Henlopen State Park and the nature center there. At this point in the year, many students are reading and able to navigate the internet with minimal assistance from an adult. A webquest would be a great way to allow students to learn beyond what is in the books we are reading in class and share that information with the other students. The animals I chose for my webquest are interesting and varied and live in all oceans around the world. They are not necessarily the same animals they will learn about from the nature center but it will allow students to expand their knowledge in this area.

__ Task Determination :__ Since I do teach in an Early Childhood Center, my webquest was designed to be completed by Kindergarten students with assistance from an adult. Their task is to find specific information about their selected ocean animal and create a page for a class book. The expectations are that they will work in pairs and each will find at least one picture that showcases their animal, each will answer two questions in complete sentences and each will work on book page and present their information to the class. These expectations are directly related to the writing expectations for Kindergarten at the end of the year and should be possible for most students independently. While I struggled with the inquiry aspect of my webquest, I realized that I had to meet the students where they were. Expecting too much, or posing a task that was to difficult would have turned them of immediately. By breaking the task into small manageable pieces that are later assembled into a final project, each student can work at their level and still create a meaningful product.

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Webquest URL: __ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">[]

__<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Reflection: __ ​<span style="color: #006633; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Creating the WebQuest was a challenge for me mostly because of the age of my students and their lack of background in technology. Although my students use computers almost daily, it is very structured and guided and they are usually not navigating the internet, reading for meaning and processing the information they find in the way a webquest asks them to. Probably the hardest part was creating the initial purpose and focus for the quest. After that, finding the information and images and creating the various parts of the WebQuest were very similar to actually writing a good lesson plan. One of the characterists of a WebQuest that lends itself to making good use of student's time and keeping them on task is the fact that the links and resources have already been found for them. I know from personal experience that it is easy to get sidetracked while surfing the net for information! I think one deterrent to making more of these would be the time they take. Maybe after I have designed a few more and create almost a recipe or template for them it will take less time. I would like to see if other teachers in my building would be interested in creating some simple WebQuests for our students and then we could share them. They would be great to do with the Smartboard as that would allow interaction but still involve the whole class and the acquisition of information. I would like to create more of these in the future as I think that students would find them to be an exciting <span style="color: #006633; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">and engaging way to learn.