Would Socrates Approve of WebQuests?

After reading the article, "What Would Socrates Say?", I believe that Socrates would approve of WebQuests as long as the following standards were set.

The article says, "Mass education belongs in the era of massive armies, massive industrial complexes, and massive attempts at social control" which leads me to believe that Socrates would be pleased with the way technology has made it easier for individuals to contribute to a group. However, I believe that along with a final group presentation, each student should turn in his individual contribution and that along with a group evalution, the student should be given an individual evaluation. This ensures that each member of the group is learning and developing his/her knowledge of the WebQuest content.

Another problem is the lack of an educational filter in the internet that separates the credible from the non-credible. The article says, "Every day we are exposed to huge amounts of information, disinformation, and just plain nonsense. The ability to distinguish fact from factoid, reality from fiction, and truth from lies is not a "nice to have" but a "must have" in a world flooded with so much propaganda and spin". Socrates would be appalled by the disinformation that students have access to. A proper WebQuest must make sure that the websites and information that it presents are credible and that the students are using proper sources to conduct their research.

According to the article, "He believed that learning came from within and that the best and most lasting way to bring latent knowledge to awareness was through the process of continual questioning and unconventional inquiry", therefore Socrates would be pleased with the question and answer process that search engines provide IF all of the answers were factual. To comply with Socrates's beliefs, a WebQuest should ensure both individual and group responsibility, demonstrate responsible use of the internet's credible sites, and allow student's to ask and answer questions in order to obtain answers or gain knowledge.

According to "A Taxonomy of WebQuest Tasks", my WebQuest falls under the category of "Journalistic Tasks" because it asks learners to act as reporters and cover the events of the 1920's.

WebQuest Rough Draft

You can visit my "Gatsby in the News" WebQuest by clicking here!

Adapting a WebQuest

I have found a pre-existing WebQuest that I like a lot: Gatsby Meets the Press

The reasons I have chosen this WebQuest are:

• An essential part of understanding literature to its highest potential is understanding the time period in which it was written and/or takes place. This project helps readers to understand the Great Gatsby by understanding the culture of the roaring 20's.
• This project incorporates research, history, reading and comprehension skills along with journalistic writing skills. It also encourages exploration of the newspaper, a medium that students are not often asked to use.
• Each student has his or her own pages to create, yet it all comes together as one newspaper, encouraging individual and group effort.

The things that I will be changing are:

• The Introduction - I will be rewording the introduction to make the expectations a little clearer to the student
• The Task - I will be eliminating the competition aspect of the project in order to provide a less hostile working environment and allow more focus on the creation of the project rather than the finished product itself.
• The Process - I will be taking away the option of research. Students must do research to incorporate in their project. I will also be providing links to help with this research.
• The overall look of the WebQuest will also be changed

The things that do not need changed are:

• The grammar does not appear to need changed or corrected.
• The links provided are relevant and helpful and are also working.
• The creator has already given permission for use of the WebQuest, so I will not need to request it.

This looks like a fun activity that I would definitely incorporate in my own classroom.

Teacher Tube Link

My video A Good Teacher... can now be viewed on Teacher Tube.

A good teacher...

This is my video which briefly represents the qualities that I consider are essential for a good teacher to possess.

I am having trouble getting my video to show up on Teacher Tube, but when I figure it out I will post the url.

I believe that it would be beneficial to students to have them doing photo essays along with traditional written essays. However I feel that the amount of written essays should exceed the number of photo essays in a language arts classroom in order to improve grammar, syntax, etc. Photo essays and creative projects of this sort comply with almost all of the NETS by developing creativity, innovative thinking, planning and problem solving. It is also an interesting way to help students learn to express their thoughts and channel them to create a visual representation that may, in fact, enhance the viewers understanding in a way that words are limited.

My student resume

Click here to view my resume!

Libraries aren't for being quiet anymore..

The following is a link to the NMH Library Blog - http://nmhlibrary.typepad.com/

As a secondary education major, I was immediately drawn to the NMH Library Blog. Reading becomes an increasingly difficult subject to interest today's "instant gratification" generation in. I am always interested in learning new ways to make students more excited about reading. I also believe in the importance of both school and public libraries and feel that general library knowledge is being overlooked in today's education. The NMH Library Blog combines technology with traditional library knowledge in order to reach a new generation of students.

The things I find most effective and creative about this blog are:

• Librarians choose a "Lounge Lizard of the Week" (a student who frequents the library) and post his or her picture along with a quote. This gets students involved and serves as a reward.
• Book recommendations are often given. Not only do the librarians post recommendations that are accompanied by a brief summary and a picture of the book, but also student recommendations are posted along with the student's own words and picture.
• The blog also posts activities and media that can be found in the library so that parents can track what their children are participating in within the school.

The NETS that a blog similar to the NMH Blog could fufull are:

3. (b) collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

3. (c) communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.