Module 14 - Webquests

I feel that the Waves and Sound webquest was the worst.  It had a great deal of technical information that seemed endless.  This should have been somewhat understandable for the average Joe.  After all, the intro does say that a person could grasp concepts after doing this project.  I couldn’t tell what the project was, really.  The instructions, if that’s what they were, were very confusing.  I certainly would have failed this.  The evaluation is very challenging and overwhelming.  Finally, the conclusion made me laugh.  In no way did I master that project.  This project could have been broken down, preventing students from feeling discouraged, just as I was.  As hard as this material is, mini-lessons might just do the trick.

I feel that the Saving the Gorillas webquest was the best.  I was interested right off the bat to discover that gorillas could be extinct within 10 years.  The instructions are very clear as to where and how to begin and what to look for during the search.  There is a chart which was to be filled-in, giving students a hands-on visual of their accomplished research.  It gets the students involved in saving the Gorilla, or at least wanting to, based on info found on the websites that the teacher has provided.  The evaluation is not overwhelming or confusing.  Finally, the teacher gives the student the option to write on behalf of these gorillas, again giving them the feeling of involvement in a very important issue.