Blog 8: Web Quest and Filamentality

Web Quest Articles:
http://webct6.csusm.edu/webct/RelativeResourceManager/Template/webquests.pdf
http://webct6.csusm.edu/webct/RelativeResourceManager/Template/webquest20.pdf
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech073.shtml and http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/webquest/webquest.html
Filamentality:
http://www.kn.att.com/cgi-bin/fil3.pl

A Web Quest is an inquiery-oriented activity where all the sources are used from the web. It is geared toward using information provided rather than finding information which allows the learner to focus more on the activity rather than finding bits of information to actually do the activity. It is designed to use learners' time most productively and engage learners in thinking in levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Bernie Dodge who first developed Web Quest created a FOCUS diagram to aide anyone in creating a great rather than good Web Quest. (F)stands for "Finding Great Websites". The key to creating a Web Quest with great sites is to search the "deep web" and use search engines that students would otherwise not use. (O) stands for "Orchestrate Learners and Resources". There are two facets to this area. First, Organizing resources is important in making a great Web Quest. In many cases there will not be enough computers per student. The solution to this is to create a Web Quest where students can work both online and offline. Organizing people in an effective and interactive manner will make a Web Quest most efficient. Creating a setting where each student will be accountable yet depend on each other while helping and applauding each other will be very effective; reflection on working most effectively should be built into the Web Quest. When creating a Web Quest these characteristics should be kept in mind. (C) represents "Challenge Your Learners to Think. The challenge here is to get students to successfully analyze and synthesize information. This can be done by having our students go beyond retelling and paraphrasing and engaging them in problem solving, creativity, design and judgement. (U) stands for "Use the Medium". This represents ways in which tasks can be designed to elicit higher level thinking and motivation. Beside just having text, a teacher may bring in voices either in person or through an email link. Also, having a link that is made specifically for students to contribute their thoughts can be highly effective in motivation and eliciting higher thinking. (S) stands for "Scaffold High Expectations". Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to help students act more skilled than they actually are. Three types of scaffolding are reception, transformation and production. "
"A reception scaffold provides guidance in learning from a given resource and retaining what was learned". The transformation scaffold asks learners to think of what hey just read but in another form such as a pattern diagram, brainstorm or, compare and contrast. The production scaffold asks learners to create some kind of form based on what they just read, such as a diagram or pattern. In the article "A Productive and Thought Provoking Use of the Internet" discusses ways of using the web as a motivational force while appeasing parental concerns meanwhile holding students' attention away from other interesting and sometimes inappropriate sites. Some examples given that are geared toward creating engaging and safe Web Quests are to incorporate non computer activities, relate to real world issues, create a product, etc... Both of the above articles regard the many aspects that should be included in a great Web Quest. The last two websites shown above are articles about teachers who actually used Web Quest to it's potential. One example is in Greece, New York, students had a choice of specific historical events to write as short story on as if they were an actual soldier.

The Filamentality website was very appealing to me. I found it to be a very useful tool for a prospective teacher to be introduced to. It is just one example of how many resources the web has to give teachers and students access to interactive and fun lesson planning and lessons while achieving efficiency and productive outcomes for both teacher and student.