Webquest student project.

Would Socrates approve of WebQuests?

The socratic method of questioning is used to explore a concept and its potential divergent course in all directions, yet ultimately seeks to bring understanding of that concept at a core level. Webquests by their very nature are simply tasks to be completed, a process to be followed, expected outcomes, evaluation criteria, etc... not exactly forcing the student to greater depths of inquiry. With that being stated, yes, Socrates possibly would approve of a Webquest that had at it's roots the task which brought the student to some deeper understanding of the topic presented. However, as the article points out, we are moving into a new cultural age and with it will come new ways of thinking, or at the very least, new ways of utilizing the knowledge we have at our disposal, without necessarily having a deep understanding of that knowledge. Personally, I feel that without developing the critical reasoning and values oriented thinking skills that Socrates advocated, society will indeed be worse off, although it will have exponentially greater pools of knowledge at its disposal, not everyone will have the ability to create new knowledge, they will simply be consumers of that knowledge. Socrates wanted each individual to have the ability to produce from within new and important ideas, not simply to consume and reproduce...

Taxonomy...
The primary element of my webquest would fall under "Design Tasks", as the students will be creating a digital media project used to showcase their trip to Costa Rica.

Webquest Assignment (part II)

Link to webquest on Costa Rica.

Paintball Mix with music by Rise Against

WEBQUEST ASSIGNMENT (part 1)

I will be adapting a webquest designed for 9th-12th grade students which focuses on the country of Costa Rica. The webquest is designed as an exploration of biodiversity (general science) within the country of Costa Rica, I will adapt the webquest to reflect a greater degree of geographic (social science) exploration of Costa Rica. Introduction, process, etc. will therefore be changed to some degree. Interestingly, one of the expected outcomes of the webquest was to return value (information) to the community by creation of a group display to be showcased in the school and exhibited to the public at large, which I would consider to a be civic ideal, which meshes well with one of the broader national content standards of Social Studies (Civic Ideals and Practices).
LINK TO WEBQUEST.

The new literacy.

In his article, "Orchestrating the Media Collage", Jason Ohler makes very valid arguments for the allowance, even the need of today's students to utilize and master the digital tools at their disposal. Educators and even parents realize that the rush into the future is now and that our world is progressing in such an explosive fashion, that not to embrace the elements of digital technology means to be left behind. Fundamentally speaking, simply the use of the new media and digital technologies bridges the divide between artistic expression and technophile intelligence, each aspect lending itself the development of the other. Further, a students ability to read, write and think critically will be highly important in the creation of meaningful media of which the creator can be proud. Viewing the video, "Power of One", you can appreciate the ability to utilize research, creative thought, and media knowledge to create a valuable, factual presentation of specific content. Educators can point to this video and identify various standards as set forth by NETS-T, for example:
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to
maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student
learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources

Utilizing standards and allowing students to follow their natural curiosity can significantly strengthen and enhance their abilities in the new digital age, and consequently in real life. Utilization of the new media and digital technologies is unavoidable and needs to be embraced and guided by knowledgeable instructors.

Webquest Group Work

During our webquest evaluations, as a group we decided that the landfill webquest and the John Wilkes Booth webquest were the most efficient and productive towards student learning. The Landfill webquest creates creative high thinking and makes the students effectively think and produce solutions. With the John Wilkes Booth webquest, it creates a learning experience that shows the other sides to history and enables students to "create" history of their own. Overall, we believe these two webquests would be the most productive and efficient at teaching the overall goals.The Creative Encounter webquest was one that we did not like. It had too many concepts being taught at one time and to many options to stray from the webquest. We believe that there are easier ways to teach those concepts being taught than those that were actually being taught on the webquest. The Poetry of War webquest is one that might be foreign to those students veiwing it. It was a very subjective webquest and darkly orientented. Overall, we believe these two webquests to be the least productive of the four.

Becoming a Teacher

video also on teachertube.com

Resume Assignment

Link to Resume

Ohhh the benificial world of technology...

Understanding the NETS-T standards can allow for the more functional creation of blogs or technology usage in general. I found the following blog to be interesting for its content, and the fact that it could deliver material effectively, that could, to some, be overly complex or perhaps simply uninteresting to others...

http://ghshonorsbio.blogspot.com/

The class instructor involves the class in posts, allows them to use digital technology such as podcasts, and delivers content rich material in a digital format which is proving to be something that today's learners are submersing themselves in... if learners today are willing to spend 9 or more hours a week on social networking sites, emailing, etc... then to incorporate class discussion and content into their already ongoing activity is a very pragmatic approach to education.
Whether by design or not, the instructor utilizes (among others) the following performance indicators with respect to his specific class blog project.

#3 of the NETS-T standards advocates "Modeling of Digital-Age Work and Learning"

c.
communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
d.
model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.