WebQuest

Remembering the Holocaust
https://sites.google.com/site/cassiefultzswebquested2201/

2 Ipad Apps

Ipad App Number 1

The first app I found was called Pearl Diver. This game is for upper elementary and middle school. It teaches  Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, and number systems, Understand and represent commonly used fractions, Understand fractions as part of unit wholes and as locations on number lines, Compare and order fractions, and find their approximate locations on the number line. The students get to be scuba divers and explored different parts of the ocean as well.

Ipad App Number 2

The second app I found was called stack the states. It teaches kids all kinds of things about states. Some of these things include the states capital, the state shape, abbreviations for the states and bordering states, location on the map, nicknames and the states flag. It includes 5 different games: stack the state where you build tall poles with the states and try to reach the checkered line; map it where you tap the location of the selected state on the map. Try to complete the whole country; pile up: the states are piling up! Tap them quickly to get rid of them before they pile too high; puzzler: sit back and relax as you slide the states around and put them together like a jigsaw puzzle; capital drop: match states with their capitals in this fast-paced bonus game and don't let a state fall! These games make learning the sates and their information fun for the students.

WebQuest Final Product

For the final webQuest product for my webQuest would be for the students to make an advertisement describing the cabin they choose to rent. On this advertisement, the students will need to include the location of the park and cabin, the prices of the cabin, the activities offered at the park, the number of cabins available and any other information they think will be useful to someone who could be interested in renting one of the cabins in this park. The advertisement should be catchy and grab the other student’s attention. Each student will be responsible for knowing about their park and cabins and must present their advertisement to the class.  The students will then vote on which advertisement they like best for each park and cabin.  This activity will help the students creative abilities and encourage them to try their best to make an attractive advertisement to represent their park and cabin choice. 

Updated Task and Process

Task

Outline: This task is easy to follow and full of adventure! The next three day weekend will give you and your family the perfect opportunity to go camping. The problem is, which cabin best suits your family's budget of $200.00? To figure out which is the best cabin for you and your family, you must research the different cabin locations, gas prices, and cabin rates. When you have decided which cabin is best, you will write a persuasive essay that presents your reasons. Let's spread some cabin fever! You will be learning budgeting and planning with this activity.

Budget Definition

Persuasive Essay Definition 

Steps to follow:

Step 1: Get into your assigned groups of four. Each member will be assigned to one of the four cabin locations. 

Step 2:  Research your cabin location.

Step 3: Construct a map from San Antonio to your assigned cabin destination.

Step 4: According to your map, calculate the distance and the cost of gas needed.

Step 5: Now, look up the cabin rates, and calculate how much it would cost to stay in for your three day weekend adventure. 

Step 6: With your individualized results, write a persuasive essay on your assigned cabin.

Step 7: Share results with group members and as a group decide which cabin location is best for your budget. 
Step 8: Make an advertisement for your park and cabin choice. 

Step 9: As a group present your Crazy 'Bout Cabin discoveries!

Process

Get into groups of four. Each team member will be assigned one of the four cabin locations. Then, research your assigned cabin destination independently.Create a map from San Antonio to your cabin location. Calculate how much it will cost for gas and cabin rental during your three day weekend. DON'T FORGET YOUR $200.00 BUDGET! After your research is complete, write a persuasive essay on why your cabin destination is best.

Team member 1: You will be responsible for researching Pecan Park

Pecan Park

Gas Prices 

Team member 2: You will be responsible for researching Chalk Bluff

Chalk Bluff

Gas Prices

Team member 3: You will be responsible for researching Kerrville-Schreiner Park

Kerrville-Schreiner Park

Gas Prices

Team member 4: You will be responsible for researching Deer Lake

Deer Lake

Gas Prices
 

Continue on to Process 2. 

Gather all your research materials including your map, gas price and cabin rental calculations, and your persuasive essay. Next, get into your groups and share your research information with each other. Compare and contrast each members results of their cabin locations. As a group, choose the best cabin that fits your family's budget for time and money.

Compare and Contrast Definition 

                 

Continue onto Process 3.

After your group has decided on the best cabin location for your $200.00 budget , present your Crazy 'Bout Cabin findings to the class!

                  

WebQuest Evaluation

The WebQuest I choose was Crazy ’bout camping

	Beginning	Developing	Accomplished	Score
Overall Aesthetics (This refers to the WebQuest page itself, not the external resources linked to it.)
Overall Visual Appeal	0 points There are few or no graphic elements. No variation in layout or typography. OR Color is garish and/or typographic variations are overused and legibility suffers. Background interferes with the readability.	2 points Graphic elements sometimes, but not always, contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. There is some variation in type size, color, and layout.	4 points Appropriate and thematic graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Differences in type size and/or color are used well and consistently.  See Fine Points Checklist.	3.5
Navigation & Flow	0 points Getting through the lesson is confusing and unconventional. Pages can't be found easily and/or the way back isn't clear.	2 points There are a few places where the learner can get lost and not know where to go next.	4 points Navigation is seamless. It is always clear to the learner what all the pieces are and how to get to them.	4
Mechanical Aspects	0 points There are more than 5 broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	1 point There are some broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	2 points No mechanical problems noted.  See Fine Points Checklist.	2
Introduction
Motivational Effectiveness of Introduction	0 points The introduction is purely factual, with no appeal to relevance or social importance OR The scenario posed is transparently bogus and doesn't respect the media literacy of today's learners.	1 point The introduction relates somewhat to the learner's interests and/or describes a compelling question or problem.	2 points The introduction draws the reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's interests or goals and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or problem.	2
Cognitive Effectiveness of the Introduction	0 points The introduction doesn't prepare the reader for what is to come, or build on what the learner already knows.	1 point The introduction makes some reference to learner's prior knowledge and previews to some extent what the lesson is about.	2 points The introduction builds on learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about.	2
Task (The task is the end result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting there.)
Connection of Task to Standards	0 points The task is not related to standards.	2 point The task is referenced to standards but is not clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.	4 points The task is referenced to standards and is clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.	2
Cognitive Level of the Task	0 points Task requires simply comprehending or retelling of information found on web pages and answering factual questions.	3 points Task is doable but is limited in its significance to students' lives. The task requires analysis of information and/or putting together information from several sources.	6 points Task is doable and engaging, and elicits thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension. The task requires synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a position, and/or going beyond the data given and making a generalization or creative product. See WebQuest Taskonomy.	4.5
Process (The process is the step-by-step description of how students will accomplish the task.)
Clarity of Process	0 points Process is not clearly stated. Students would not know exactly what they were supposed to do just from reading this.	2 points Some directions are given, but there is missing information. Students might be confused.	4 points Every step is clearly stated. Most students would know exactly where they are at each step of the process and know what to do next.	4
Scaffolding of Process	0 points The process lacks strategies and organizational tools needed for students to gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are of little significance to one another and/or to the accomplishment of the task.	3 points Strategies and organizational tools embedded in the process are insufficient to ensure that all students will gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Some of the activities do not relate specifically to the accomplishment of the task.	6 points The process provides students coming in at different entry levels with strategies and organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are clearly related and designed to take the students from basic knowledge to higher level thinking. Checks for understanding are built in to assess whether students are getting it. See: Process Guides A Taxonomy of Information Patterns Language Arts Standards and Technology WebQuest Enhancement Tools Reception, Transformation & Production Scaffolds	6
Richness of Process	0 points Few steps, no separate roles assigned.	1 points Some separate tasks or roles assigned. More complex activities required.	2 points Different roles are assigned to help students understand different perspectives and/or share responsibility in accomplishing the task.	1
Resources (Note: you should evaluate all resources linked to the page, even if they are in sections other than the Process block. Also note that books, video and other off-line resources can and should be used where appropriate.)
Relevance & Quantity of Resources	0 points Resources provided are not sufficient for students to accomplish the task. OR There are too many resources for learners to look at in a reasonable time.	2 point There is some connection between the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Some resources don't add anything new.	4 points There is a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Every resource carries its weight.	3.5
Quality of Resources	0 points Links are mundane. They lead to information that could be found in a classroom encyclopedia.	2 points Some links carry information not ordinarily found in a classroom.	4 points Links make excellent use of the Web's timeliness and colorfulness. Varied resources provide enough meaningful information for students to think deeply.	4
Evaluation
Clarity of Evaluation Criteria	0 points Criteria for success are not described.	3 points Criteria for success are at least partially described.	6 points Criteria for success are clearly stated in the form of a rubric. Criteria include qualitative as well as quantitative descriptors. The evaluation instrument clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish the task. See Creating a Rubric.	6
Total Score				44.5/50

One Change I will make to this webquest is to give each student a clear task and idea as to what he or she will need to complete.

Another Change I will make will be to increase the cogitative level of the quest.

I will also make the standards more clear in the Task area, so the students will see exactly what they will be learning this quest.  

Double Journal Entry #11

One school of thought wants technology to be banned in the classrooms since they cause distractions in class e.g. cell phones, individual laptops, Ipads, etc. I disagree with this because although technology can be distracting, it is also something children should use every day to become more prepared for the real world. A “technology evangelist” is A technical or technology evangelist is a person who attempts to build a critical mass of support for a given technology. “it is difficult to get excited about a research paper that takes two years to write, especially as the technology in question may have changed dramatically in the intervening time. I believe this quote is truthful, but I also think that if you are that interested in the subject, then you  will be on top of the new information coming out and know what you need to add.

Thomas, M. (2011). Deconstructing Digital Natives, Young People, Technology and the New Literacies

Worksheet

WebQuest about WebQuests Worksheet

 

Your Role

___Efficiency Expert

___Affiliator

_X__Altitudinist

___Technophile

Your Impressions

WebQuest	Strengths	Weaknesses
Grow School Greens	Tells exactly what student will be doing	Gives direct instructions; leaving little room for the child to be creative.
Where is My Hero?	The website allows the student to choose who they would like to interview.	The website gives direct links; leaving little room for the child to find information by themselves
Underground Railroad	This website is very good. The students use their own knowledge to find websites and make journal entries.	The website gives specific directions on how to do the project.
Ice Cream	The website allows the children to be creative with the new ice cream flavor.	The website gives specific website to go to.
Ancient Egypt	The students can be creative on the brochure.	The website gives specific directions; leaving little room for creativity. Also there are only a few choices to choose from for a topic.