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The following resources identify various types
of Internet experiences that can be easily integrated into the classroom. Read
the descriptions and click on the links for further information.
A WebQuest is an excellent collaborative project
involving complex thinking where students use an inquiry-based activity to
interact with Internet resources. WebQuests are different than research because
students not only find and learn information but also must use the information
to complete a particular task. The student takes a role such as a research
scientist, reporter, or a politician to solve problems or complete a task.
WebQuests can be used with a group using one computer or can be completed
individually. It requires complex thinking and therefore may be introduced
first as a group project where each person in the group shares the responsibility
for working together to complete the task.
You can create your own WebQuests uniquely
designed for your class or choose to use one of the many already published on
the Internet. To learn more about WebQuests, how to create your own WebQuests,
or you would like to search for a particular WebQuest to use in your classroom
click on a link below.
More About WebQuests:
A simulation enables the student to manipulate
variables to explore relationships between the variables and further explore
the featured concept. The simulation can clarify challenging concepts as well
as engage students to investigate new questions. Simulations can be used as an
introductory activity to make predictions and pave the way to new learning. It
may also be used to reinforce a concept or as a tutorial which enables students
to revisit the concept in a new and exciting way. Students can graph the data
to make comparisons and draw conclusions.
Examples:
There are many ways you could use email in your
classroom to enrich student learning. Students can collaborate with other
classrooms all over the world when creating experiments and compare and
contrast data. Students can also contact experts to interview or ask questions
to clarify or extend their knowledge on selected topics.
If you are nervous about having your students use
email, you may consider doing group email where the class works as a whole
group to contribute to the email message requesting or exchanging information.
There are specific educational sites set up exclusively for the purpose of
classroom email exchange. The site is set up so that you work through the web
page and you do not have to give out personal information in any way unless you
choose to.
Tips
You should check into your school and/or district
policies in regard to the use of email within your school before utilizing this
rich communication tool. Once you understand these policies and procedures,
review email netiquette with your students before using email. Students should
know never to give out personal information as well as become familiar with
other important elements of email. The following sites are helpful in teaching
students how to communicate via the web.
Start simple by communicating with someone you know, a class in your
school district, or in your state.
Students can word process their requests or responses individually
and then copy and paste their message in the email body.
If you are emailing an expert be sure to research questions first to
make sure that it has not been answered on a website and be sure
the question is specific to the expert’s area of expertise.
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Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections:
http://www.iecc.org/
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e-pals.com Classroom Exchange:
http://www.epals.com/
You may also choose to have students use email individually to
interview experts and request information. The following website
is a free email service specifically for schools. The teacher
has complete control by monitoring messages, viewing student messages,
and blocking and restricting email from outsiders.
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Gaggle Net:
http://www.gaggle.net/
There are many sites that include a link to ask
an expert. Some of these sites provide an email link to the scientist and some
sites take you to a form to fill out and ask the question. Read the submission
guidelines carefully and note the response time so your students are not
checking daily for an answer; some sites report up to a two week response time.
Some of the sites also include a link to previously asked and answered
questions students can check first to see if their question has already been
asked.
Here are a few sites to start your expert search:
Online collaborative leaning is an electronic
community provides a medium in which a student can meaningfully interact with a
global community. Students collect and analyze data and report their findings
to a general database.
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