. . . is just a worksheet. No, really. It is.
So, for my Learning through Technology class I will be creating a WebQuest. What is a WebQuest you ask? Well, you can think of it this way - it's an assignment where our brave heroes (the students) wander the wilds (the Internet) looking for knowledge (the lesson objectives). There's a better definition at WebQuest.org. Or you could watch this video.
So the topic I'm choosing for my WebQuest is genetics. Genetics is one of the hardest topics that I teach. Waaaaay back in my undergraduate days, I struggled with genetics. My students aren't in college so I can only imagine how hard it is for them. One of the most important things to understand is the basic structure of DNA. If this were a bridge, I could show them pictures and have them build one out of toothpicks using the basic laws of physics. For DNA, I can show them pictures and make them build models, but that really doesn't give them the extent of what the molecule is all about. High school students (aged 14-16 for my classes) learn in a variety of different ways (multiple intelligences) and using a WebQuest will allow them to explore the topic on their own and learn in the way they find easiest.
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| What does it all mean? |
Here are a couple of WebQuests related to genetics and the cell in general just to give you an idea of what I'm trying to do. All of them came from Quest Garden - a huge library of WebQuests created by teachers all over the world.
The DNA Learning Center is the main website for my WebQuest. It has a lot of 3D animations of the molecules and processes with both basic and advanced topics. My hope is that students will go to this website (among others) and dig deep enough into the structure of DNA that when they build a model, they have a much greater understanding of what they're building. Instead of them seeing blue and green plastic pieces they will see adenine and thymine. I think one of the best ways to do that is to have the students create an animation of their own. My classroom does animation using PlayDoh and stop motion photography for a couple of different topics. However, I have recently learned how to do animation with PowerPoint! So I think I will have them wrap the whole project with their own animations.
So there you have it - the beginnings of a WebQuest. I look forward to showing off the results as the process is completed.
Hi Scotty,
ReplyDeleteI thought your link to multiple intelligences, fit perfectly with our webquests and this technology class in general. The webquests we will create will give the students choices not only when researching but also when presenting or creating a final project too.
I really like your idea of taking a complicated topic and turning it into an interactive learning experience. The nice part of the webquest is that you can provide interactive type links and videos for the students to learn from, along with giving collaborative assignments to the students if you wanted. There are many web2.0 tools that the students could use to create their project and also the animation idea is really great as well.
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