Class 42: The last Day

Since all of you are safe from the absence limitation, we will not use April 28th as an optional day for making up your absence. So today is our last of this semester.
We still have several things to accomplish:

1. Go through the final project and final reflection.
2. We need to take a class picture.
3. Please make sure to fill in the "Final Checkout" form before you leave. I need your contact information in case I couldn't access your works.
4. I will finish grading by May 8th. -Your grade will be available on the WebCT right after I post them. Please email me if you have any questions with your final grade.


Please know that I am willing to be a resource for you. I can always aid you if needed. I check my emails hundreds of times per day!

Take care, good luck on your finals, and... have a nice and safe summer!

Class 41: Working on your Capstone

Today we have worked on your Captons project. The due date is Monday, April 28th.
On Friday, we will talk about the final reflection and the final project. The due dates for both of them are Friday, May 2nd.
Monday, April 28th is an optional day, so if you have already exceeded the limitation of absences., you can use this day to make up one absence.
But remember you still need to come for this Friday. That is our final day of the whole semester. You will need to leave me your contact information for me to contact you if there is something wrong with your final project and final reflection.

Class 40: Wrapping up the Capstone project

The course evaluation site is now available: https://ssl.coe.uga.edu/apps/course_eval/
Today we will be working on the last components of the assure model. We will be using this website as our guide:
http://www.coe.uga.edu/%7Egthomas/summer/assure.htm
to introduce the last three components -
U: Utilize Media, Methods, and Materials
R: Require Learner Participation
E: Evaluate and Revise

The rest of the class session will focus on completing the lesson plan. Make sure you view the project requirement.

Class 39: Introduction to Capstone

Today is the due date for your WebQuest project.

Because I forgot to mention the WebCT submission setting, the due time is extended to tomorrow, Saturday, 23:50.

Please upload:

1. A Word Document including all your webCT writing (Introduction, Tasks, Process, Resources, Conclusion, Evaluation, and Teacher page)

2. A word document of your webQuest reflection page.

Today we start to introduce the Capstone project.

There are many different lesson plan formats, but one that helps
to organize teaching and learning through the use of technology
is the ASSURE model:
A: Analyze Learners
S: State Objectives
S: Select the Media, Methods, and Materials
U: Utilize Media, Methods, and Materials
R: Require Learner Participation
E: Evaluate and Revise

Examples:
Lesson Plan -- on The Giver: A Novel by Lois Lowry

For your Capstone Project for the course, you will select one of
the projects you created this semester and write an original
lesson plan that uses that project to teach a Georgia Performance
Standard. You will use the ASSURE model as your lesson plan
format. The instructor in IT program, Gretchen Thomas have
created a web page that will walk you through the development
process step-by-step. You can view the actual project description
and grading rubric.

Your final product of Capstone (due Monday, April 28th) will be the completed
instructional plan template. It will most likely by 3-4 pages long. The
largest section of your template should be the "Require Learner
Participation" section, as this is where you will describe your actual
learning activity -- what your learners will be doing.

Resources

• Samples from previous students
• Sample 1
• Sample 2
• A List of Instructional Strategies and Methods
  
• Teaching Strategies & Descriptions
  

For Monday:
Begin working on your lesson plan with using ASSURE model

Class 38: Independent working on your WebQuest project

Hello, all, I decide to let us have one more day work in classroom on your webQuest project.
On Friday we will talk about the Capstone project.
The due date of webQuest is still Friday, April 18th.

Class 37: Working on WebQuest: Resources, Evaluation, Conclusion and Teacher Page

Today we will continue working on the components of resources, evaluation, and conclusion for your WebQuest project.

Resources

1. This section of the WebQuest consists of a list of the resources (bookmarked Web sites, print resources, etc.) that your students will need to complete the task.
2. WebQuests are enhanced by materials that supplement the online resources. These can include things like videos, audio cassettes, books, posters, maps, models, etc.

A sample of resources page

For the component of resources in your WebQuest, as required in the rubric, you will need at least 5 web resources for your students to use when they are accomplishing their tasks. These web resources should be age appropriate and relevant to the tasks. You might want to use those resources that Ms. Gretchen Thomas provided in last Wednesday's class.

Evaluation

1. Each WebQuest needs a rubric for evaluating students' work. The standards should be fair, clear, consistent, and specific to the tasks set.
HINT: Many of the theories of assessment, standards, and constructivism apply to WebQuests: clear goals, matching assessments to specific tasks, and involving the learners in the process of evaluation are all concepts from earlier workshops that apply here.
2. During the introductory stage of the WebQuest, it can be very helpful to point out three types of student examples: exemplary, acceptable, and unacceptable. The range between exemplary and acceptable work may be great and will spur the students to strive for excellence, while the demonstration of what constitutes unacceptable work will set clear minimum standards for all to achieve. The goal is for all students to have a good experience of the project.

Sample of Evaluation page

Evaluation examples

For the evaluation part, I wish to see direct connections between the required task and the evaluation. Your rubric should be quantified, in details and clearly stated.

Discuss how to create a rubric for the webquest based on the task description and the rolls students will be playing. We will be using this links as a resources: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/rubrics/weblessons.htm and http://webquest.sdsu.edu/rubrics/rubrics.html
You will be using this template for your rubric: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/july/rubrics/Rubric_Template.html
The only thing that is missing on this template is a row indicating the maximum possible points that can be earned. You will need to add a row to this template.
The easiest way to paste your rubric table to your google page:
Copy and paste the rubric onto a word document. When you have completed your rubric it is to be linked so that it opens as a word document (Example:The same way we linked our resumes for our Autobiography)

Conclusion

1. This step allows for reflection by the students and summation by the teacher.
2. Setting aside time for discussion of possible extensions and applications of the lesson honors the constructivist principle: "We learn by doing -- but we learn even better by talking about what we did."
3. During the concluding section of a WebQuest, you can encourage your students to suggest ways of doing things differently to improve the lesson.

A sample work of Conclusion page
Conclusion examples

For the part of conclusion, you will summarize what students will learn when they finish this project, and you might also want to inspire their further thinking toward the subject content and the skills that they have been used, by asking some questions. A good example of conclusion can be like this.

Teacher Page (Remember, the audience for this document is other teachers, not students)

The teacher's page section of a WebQuest provides additional information to any teacher who might want to use your WebQuest in their own classroom. This page is helpful in providing data needed for lesson plans.

It should include:

1. A brief explanation of your WebQuest. Ex. What are the student's researching?

2. The selected Georgia Performance standard and grade level for the designed WebQuest.

3. A list of the prerequisites and materials needed for the WebQuest.

4. What skills does a teacher need in order to pull this lesson off? Is it easy enough for a novice teacher? Does it require some experience with directing debates or role plays, for example?

5. List here the sources of any images, music or text that you're using (with permission, of course). Provide links back to the original source. Say thanks to anyone who provided resources, help or inspiration.

6. Include this: "We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date)."

A sample work of Teacher page

Note: the due date for webQuest is Friday, April 18th, but on Wednesday, we will start talking about the Capstone project.

Class 36: Designing and writing components of introduction, tasks and process for your webQuest

Today we will focus on designing your introduction, tasks and process for your webQuest.
Now that you have an idea for your WebQuest, how will you design the entire process section for your learners? What are the major components of a WebQuest and what is the role of each in the learning activity?

The Building Blocks of a WebQuest page will help you to better understand the purpose of each.So, how do you get started writing your own WebQuest?

The WebQuest Design Processflowchart created by Tom March is a great way to keep track of what you are doing.Now that you have an idea for content flow how do you put it all together into a web-based learning activity?
Introduction:
What is introduction in a WebQuest? How should I write it?

1. Provides background information and motivational scenarios like giving students roles to play provides an overview of the learning goals to students
2. The infusion from other media (prints, posters, models) and guest lecturers (other faculty members, parents, business leaders, experts, etc.) adds real-world components to online investigations. This is very important because depending on technology alone to convey the meaning of a lesson tends to create a sense of unreality.
3. Adding "introductory" types of information and material throughout the duration of the WebQuest keeps students fully engaged.

A sample of introduction

Task:

1. A formal description of what students will have accomplished by the end of the WebQuest.
2. To create a task the teacher must find resources for a particular topic on the Web.
3. The teacher must devise an activity for the students that incorporates the information from the various sites.
4. Developing this task -- or the main research question -- is the most difficult and creative aspect of creating a WebQuest.
HINT: A task should be visually and aesthetically appealing, inherently important (global warming, acid rain, welfare policy, etc.), and fun for the students.
5. A successful project can be reused by the teacher several times (either with a different class or the next semester).

A sample work of Task description


View the WebQuest Taxonomy of Tasks to determine in what category your original WebQuest will fall. Share with the class your idea for a "hook" or introduction and your WebQuest category.

Process:

1. This is a description of the steps learners should go through in accomplishing the task, with links embedded in each step.
2. The demonstration takes the students through the process step-by-step and reinforces written directions.

A sample work of Process

Class 35: working on your WebQuest

Today my TA supervisor, Mrs. Gretchen Thomas, will give us a workshop on looking for appropriate WebQuest Internet Resources. We will use the handout that you get from the class to play some web searching skills and tips.

While selecting reliable web resources for your students, the UGA librarian Mrs. Nadine's website can help you identify which websites should be used and which should be avoided.

While selecting reliable web resources for your students, the UGA librarian Mrs. Nadine's website can help you identify which websites should be used and which should be avoided.How do you ensure that students will be engaged in your WebQuest activity?

Class 34: Movie Day

Hi all, you still have time to send me your WebQuest idea by midnight today.
Today we will have our Movie day!
Please remember that today is also the due date for your iMoive project.
You will need to upload the web version of your movie to your google page and write a short description for it.
Please arrive a little bit earlier so that we can set up your movie as planned.
Before you start playing your movie, you can introduce your group members and your movie story if you think it is needed.
Have fun!
On Wednesday, April 9th, we will finish writing the first four components of your webQuest:
Introduction, Tasks, Process, and Resources.

Class 33: Introduction to WebQuest

As I said in the email sent on this Wednesday afternoon, the due date for iMovie has been postponed to Monday, April 7th.

Instead of having movie day on today, we will have our movie day on Monday, April 7th! Each person in the winner group will have a DVD containing their group video.

Today we start talking about WebQuest.
What exactly is a WebQuest? What are its main characteristics? What are your initial reactions to WebQuests in terms of teaching and learning? What advantages and disadvantages do you see in teaching with WebQuests? What standards in your content area lend themselves to WebQuests?

Viewing exemplary webquests is a good way to get started on your own. Go to the main WebQuest page and click the words "Find WebQuests" on the left navigation bar. Using the Curriculum/Grade Level Matrix (in the middle of the page), spend a few minutes viewing 2 or 3 WebQuests in your content area.

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented online tool for learning, says workshop expert Bernie Dodge

• This means it is a classroom-based lesson in which most or all of the information that students explore and evaluate comes from the World Wide Web.
  
• Beyond that, it can be as short as a single class period or as long as a month-long unit; usually involves group work, with division of labor among students who take on specific roles or perspectives; are built around resources that are preselected by the teacher.
• Students spend their time USING information, not LOOKING for it.

Hopefully, you're beginning to formulate an idea for a "hook" for your own WebQuest. It may be related to work you have already done in our class or work you are currently completing in other courses. It could even be something completely new in your content area. After you have some ideas review the webquest rubric so that you are clear on what is expected. Before Wednesday's class, you'll want to identify your WebQuest topic. Use this website to help you in the selection process.

Generally, a good WebQuest topic should have some inherent complexity, such as controversial issues, multiple perspectives, unknowns, etc. The topic needs to have your students take information in and transform it, using their own judgement and creative problem-solving techniques -- a LoTi level 4 or higher -- the learning should be authentic. Certain topics tend to lend themselves more to the WebQuest format than others.

In Summary a WebQuest is:

1. A clear, concise introduction that provides necessary information and sets up the activity.

2. An interesting and concrete central task.

3. A collection of information resources needed.

4. A step-by-step description of the process to be used for the task.

5. Guidelines on how to organize the information acquired (questions that should be answered, etc.); this will be the backbone for the Web site students create.

6. A closing lesson that reviews what the students have learned and how it can be brought to bear on other subjects.

7. The teacher resources page includes the standards that are addressed, the appropriate grade level and directions on how the teacher can use the webquest for their classroom.


WebQuest Resources:
Some Thoughts About WebQuests
Building Blocks of a Webquest
The Webquest Design Process
Taxonomy of WebQuest Tasks
WebQuest Rubric
Process Checklist
Concept to Classroom
Searching tips
WebQuest Templates

Sample WebQuests:

Bernie Dodge's Top WebQuests
Middle School WebQuest Matrix
George Mason Univ. WebQuests
Maryland Tech Academy WebQuests
Other examples

Here are some questions to consider as you are working on your WebQuest (you do not need to turn in responses to these questions):
*Is your WebQuest topic authentic in order to engage your students?
*Is your WebQuest task challenging and doable?
*Do your learners need to think independently and critically during the WebQuest activity?
*Is collaboration between your students important for the successful completion of the WebQuest?
*What scaffolds (visual organizers, software tools, prompting questions and suggestions) are provided in your WebQuest?

Homework:

By Monday, April 7th :

• You'll want to identify your WebQuest topic. Use this websiteto help you in the selection process. It may be related to work you have already done in our class or work you are currently completing in other courses. It could even be something completely new in your content area. After you have some ideas together, please email (edit2000spring08@gmail.com) a response ( to the following questions related to your WebQuest. Make sure to include your name in the body of the email. I will provide you with feedback about your topic choice via email before class on Wednesday, April 9th.
  
  1. Briefly describe your topic
  2. Why did you choose this topic?
  3. How will your WebQuest be tied to Georgia or national curriculum standards?
  4. How will web resources play an important role in your WebQuest?
  5. How will your WebQuest require students' deep understanding or higher-level thinking instead of mere comprehension?