Entry 2- Webquests

A webquest is a very effective online classroom tool that can be used for a specific assignment. They can take anywhere from a few days to a month to complete depending upon the length and extensive material it requires. These assignments are helpful to teachers because they are easily accessed, well organized, and an interesting way to keep students enthusiastic about learning along with an excellent example of incorporating technology in the classroom. For students, they insight higher levels of thinking and help students stay on task.

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Someday in my classroom, I will use webquests to engage students in digital media in the classroom. Projects will be put in webquest form so that they are easily accessed, very organized, and fun. Through webquests, students will be able to focus on all of the necessary information needed rather than weeding through ambiguous information that often gets in the way of learning.

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Although there are many pros to a webquest, cons exist,too. For example, allowing students to access the internet for an assignment leads to the tempting world wide web and its many distractions. It also is extremely easy to access and doesn't allow for much exploration and individualized learning by students. Creating webquests, especially longer webquests, can be very time consuming for teachers, and the amount of time they take can take away from other necessary benchmarks teachers must cover in 9 months time. Although not perfect, the webquests also have many admirable qualities. They are organized, easy to access, and a fun way to get students involved. As long as students are monitored, there is no reason to believe distractions will be of issue. Also, the amount of organization they provide well outweighs the amount of time they take to prepare.