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Curriculum
Integration |
How
Are WebQuests Integrated into Curriculum?
WebQuests
provide a vehicle for teachers to design inquiry units of study
that incorporate several content areas, focus on local standards,
and differentiate instruction. Teachers select Web (and other
resources) to provide quality assurance and focus student time
on using and evaluating information instead of searching for
it.
Think about your own curriculum. What content would be strengthened
by the activities and resources that you could provide with a WebQuest?
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| Activity: Compare
and Contrast WebQuests |
| Introduction |
Compare
four or five WebQuests. Look for specific curriculum integration
strategies and content. |
| Task |
Report
back to the whole group with a summary of the WebQuests that you
examine noting strengths and weaknesses and possible application
in your own or a colleague’s teaching situation. In what
ways is this a good example of curriculum integration? |
| Process |
- Work
in cooperative learning teams of four teachers grouped by grade
level.
- Go
to the WebQuest
Training Materials page.
- Under A
WebQuest about WebQuests, choose your grade level.
- Use A
WebQuest About WebQuests (90 MIN) (with printable worksheet)
, including the process and roles.
- Summarize
your findings in a report for the whole group. Think about
the critical elements. Is this a good WebQuest? Could you use
this WebQuest with your students, or would this serve as a
good model as you develop your own WebQuest? Does it address
curriculum standards, differentiated instruction, quality resources
that would not be available except on the Web, and higher order
thinking skills?
Note that many examples are not current, have bad or broken links,
or have design issues that you would wish to change in your own adaptation.
The examples, might, nevertheless, have great ideas that you would
want to borrow as a starting point for your own WebQuest. When designing
your own WebQuest, be very selective in identifying resources. Always
include the publishing date and last updated date on your Web pages.
Understand and abide by the copyright for any source that you use.
Read one example
of a copyright statement.
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| Evaluation |
Think
about the critical parts. Are these good WebQuests? Could you use
them with your students, or would one or more serve as a good model(s)
as you develop your own WebQuest? Prepare and present a recommendation
for your peers about use (or not) of this WebQuest based on your
observations about critical elements and curriculum issues. Explain
what you would do differently in your own WebQuest. |
| Conclusion |
Compare
and contrast the WebQuest that you viewed in this activity with
the WebQuest that you plan to create. |
| Activity: Contribute
to the body of knowledge about WebQuests |
| Introduction |
Since
1995, a many teachers have become part of the WebQuest community.
Teachers create their own WebQuests and share them by submitting
them to the WebQuest site. You can now search for, rate, and comment
on WebQuests developed by other teachers. |
| Task |
Now
that you are familiar with a variety of WebQuests, have your own
expectations for critical elements, and have refined your evaluation
skills, you will contribute to the WebQuest community by evaluating
a new WebQuest. |
| Process |
- Go
to the WebQuest Portal
- In
the side bar on the left, select “New.” You will
see a matrix of newly submitted WebQuests that have not yet
been evaluated.
- Select
a WebQuest (more than one, if time permits) and evaluate it.
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| Evaluation |
Use
the rating scale provided with each WebQuest on the Portal to rate
the WebQuest you selected. Select “Rate It” beside
the WebQuest that you want to look at. You will have two windows
on your desktop. You will view the WebQuest in one window and rate
it in the other window. |
Conclusion
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When
you complete your evaluation, click the “Submit Rating” button
at the bottom of the Rating Form. Your rating will be submitted
to the database and contribute your evaluation to the WebQuest
community.
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Activity: Use
a concept map or outline for the first draft of a WebQuest
of your own. |
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