Reflections on the Webcasted Presentation by Dr. Nellie

The Saturdays' class was interesting class and  new experience for me and my colleagues. We met  our teachers , different people from different country and Dr, Nellie in virtual class . Dr, Nellie was the presenter of  that class . She talked to us by online video and we were chatting with her. Also, we asked her some questions and she answered our questions but  unfortunately her voice wasn't clear and that made misconnected with her . She was exciting to talk with us and explain some points to us. I like the way that she shared her screen with us  . At the end, she drew some smiley faces  and I think that she wanted to tell us that she was happy with us .

Finally, I wish I could have this experience of virtual class but with high-level techniques to be distinctive and different experience. It's  useful way that it can connect you  with other teachers in the world even when you just set in a home  and open the virtual online  class in your laptop. When I  became a teacher I will try to use this type of classes to explain some  lessons that need to be in direct contact with academic people to tell us about their experiences and that will be useful to support students and motivate them .

The role of WeQuests in learning a foreign/second language?”

Bernie Dodge, the original designer, describes a webquest as "an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation."A webquest typically includes the following elements: An Introduction, a presentation of the Task, a list of Resources, a step-by-step description of the Process, a form or rubric for Evaluation, and a Conclusion that summarizes what students have learned.  WebQuests were designed to bring together the most effective instructional practices into one integrated student activity which emphasizes critical thinking, constructivism, cooperative learning, authentic assessment, and technology integration.  It's critical in the early stages of WebQuest development that you stack the decks in favor of your own success. You need to identify a topic that is worth your spending time on and one that takes advantage of the Web and the WebQuest format. WebQuests are a unique method for enhancing students' information technology and information literacy competencies. As inquiry-oriented, engaging, and student-centered activities, WebQuests promote high-level thinking and problem-solving skills. Although WebQuests are used extensively in primary and secondary educational institutions, they have received limited attention in higher education settings.Project-based learning is at the heart of WebQuests

 Finally, the structure of the webquest is a terrific organizational tool for most students.  All the requirements are laid out from the beginning.Students who is  using webquests  they must use their thinking abilities. Because  they are required to compare, contrast, make decisions and recommendations. They cannot lean on a quick cut and paste for their answers.

In my opinion  we as Students learn through discovery and synthesis with a quest.  (if structured properly)  This higher level of thinking is what we are striving for all of us  to achieve.

 

   : Here some examples  of Webquests

WebQuest about WebQuests for Elementary teachers

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/wq_wq.htm

WebQuest about WebQuests for Secondary Teachers:

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/wq_wq2.htm