Blogging it up- Avoiding WebQuest Mistakes

In case you aren't one of my classmates, and just happened upon this blog, this entry is a response to the following:

Clearly there are some common errors to be avoided in WebQuest design!
The first thing that had me concerned watching this video is the "Choosing a Topic" forum. I was immediately worried that my topic wouldn't hold up against the criteria. Fortunately, after listening for a little while, I decided that the WebQuest format is right for the topic of recycling. It is not so well covered in the textbooks (at least not back in my day). It leads to a very open ended project that will yield very different results from the student groups who work on this project.
Bernie also talks about real world application, which is, I think, a big important part of making learning something that engages students. He mentions that age-old question "When am I ever going to use this stuff?"
Well, by demonstrating lessons in ways that have real world applications, you are showing students skills that they will use. Really. That was the whole idea for me in this WebQuest culminating in a PSA. You see them all the time on television, hear them on the radio and (outside of Vermont) you see them on billboards. Students can have fun with the assignment and feel proud of what they have created. My goal is that it will be so much fun, they'll forget that they are actually learning!
He also mentioned that the best topics for WebQuests are those that are current type issues, about which the information is evolving all the time. Well, I certainly think that my topic fits the bill on that point. Environmental issues are a hot topic right now, what with global warming and all. Any student who has heard one way or another in that debate ought to be interested in finding more information on the subject!
Well, overall, I was relieved to mentally check off things in my WebQuest as Bernie brought them up. Of course, I would never claim that it was a perfect job, but I am comfortable saying that I think, at least according to this video, that I am off to a good start.
Thanks,
Katie May

http://recyclingwebquest.weebly.com/