WebQuest Activity

WebQuests are a great way to engage students in independent or small group work. The feature that I really like about this form of technology is the way that it allows students to work at their own pace. Therefore, for those who read slowly or work at a slower pace can work through the activity and learn about the given topic without feeling rushed. The activity not only forces students to think about their prior knowledge on the subject but challenges students to build on this knowledge and reach a new level of understanding.

The area of difficulty I had with this activity was that of timing for each of the days and the main objectives for the overall lesson. While I planned out my lesson as far as my objectives went, my objectives were not strong and clear enough to allow my final results to yield a high level of understanding. If I had to do it over again, I would really focus on my objectives by thinking about the overall goal for the lesson. While I want my students to know about the explorers, these students should also be able to analyze the accomplishments of these explorers and the impact they had on the world as we know it today. However, my lesson and activities did not drive kids to think about the European explorers in this way.

I also think I could have done a better job of using more multimedia within this activity. This is such a wealth of information out there in cyberspace. It is just a matter of reaching out into it that you can find great resources that provoke thought. By using a video of some sort at the beginning of this lesson, students may have been more motivated and driven to start and work to complete the activity.

The more lessons I complete, the more I think about all of the aspects of teaching that I have learned through taking education courses. While I have a wealth of information and knowledge inside of my being, I often do not allow my thoughts to fully soak into the paper and into my lesson. Instead I have these aha moments after the fact that tell me that if I had just thought about it for a little more time, the end result may have produced a better outcome. I hope that it is only a matter of time before this changes.