Internet in the Classroom

Assignment #4
Based on the experiences from Assignment #3, does it make sense to have students spend valuable classroom time finding, validating, and then finally using the resources? Bernie Dodge from San Diego State University says no. For the most part, he says that we should be teaching students how to USE the information from the Internet and not waste time finding it. I read a report once that indicate that students find what they're looking for within the first 20 responses from a search engine. That was awakening to me. It means that either students are better at search engines than I am or they compromise on the quality of their research. Prof. Dodge has developed a technique for integrating the Internet into the curriculum. This technique is called Webquests. You can read about Webquests by clicking the link or access it at: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/

I have been a fan of webquests as a technique since I first heard about the concept. At the San Diego State University site, you'll find a number of links to webquests. We have a good selection created over the fast few years by Greater Essex teachers. They are online at Greater Essex County Webquests or type the following URL into the address field of your browser: http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/wq/gecwebquests.htm

Never one to do things in moderation, I've gone whole hog on the concept and maintain a database of webquests that I've personally evaluated and made the reference to the Ontario Curriculum. You can access this directory at The Webquest Locator - http://www.gecdsb.on.ca/d&g/DP

Your Task:
Find one webquest suitable for use in your classroom. Please feel free to look in more than one subject area. In your school's First Class Conference, post a message about the webquest including the Internet address, subject area, and how it addresses curriculum expectations. Hopefully, you'll have an opportunity to use one or more webquests with your students.

A NOTE ABOUT WEBQUESTS:
As most of you have identfied already, the frustrating thing about using the Internet is that sites come and go. When you visit the GECDSB Curriculum links pages, you'll notice that I periodically check to make sure that links I've identified are still active. I do the same thing with the webquests. However, the webquest itself will make reference to other websites which are beyond the control of the author. It's important to check out all of the enclosed links before incorporating the webquest into a classroom activity for your students.

Congratulations on completing the online course, Internet in the Classroom. Hopefully, during its duration, you've explored a number of new ways to use Internet resources and that they will turn into great opportunities for you and your students.

There are times when your students will need to search for information so it is important to teach them how to search effectively.

Teaching Students How to Search the Internet

There are also a number of videos available from the Media Centre.

Some titles include:
Weaving the Web Into Curriculum;
Navigate the Web with Ease;
Teaching and Learning with the Internet; and
Understanding the Internet.