This week in class we discussed Web Quest, what exactly they are and we spent time online finding some different Web Quest to review. Before this lesson, I had no clue what a Web Quest was exactly or how to even start creating one. I found out through are assigned reading that a Web Quest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. They are designed to use learners' time efficiently, to focus on using information rather than searching around the web for it. The model was developed by Bernie Dodge with Tom March.
Now that I got a general understanding for Web Quest and what they are, it was time for me to do some researching online to see firsthand how these Web Quest function. For my assigned discussion post, I viewed the website
This Web Quest was an Elementary Music based one which is the field of teaching that I will one day be entering. The lesson being discussed was the history of the Star Spangled Banner, and the students acted as secret agents looking for clues, top secret information to answer questions based around the Star Spangled Banner. The Web Quest also had a “Karate Recorder” link which I though was very unique! Students “master” recorder fingerings and songs and are rewarded with different levels of “karate belts”. I thought this was a very creative concept that could really aide students in maintaining an interest for practicing and learning about the recorder.
This week we were assigned to create our own Web Quest that pertains to our teaching area. I decided to gear mine towards Elementary Music since that it the age and content I one day hope to teach. I looked on www.gardenquest.com and found one that related to music and the topic I wanted to cover “Notes on the Treble Clef” the Web Quest I found had 3 really good links on it that I used as my links in my lesson. I decided to do a “Pirate” theme for my Web Quest. I told students that the better the score they receive for their assignment and quiz the more “gold coins” I will hand out to them in class. They can then redeem these gold coins for a reward in the class treasure chest.
I think that the students will really like this lesson. It is something that is creative and it helps them to understand the lesson in a fun way by using the computer and internet tools rather than just reading from a textbook and taking a quiz in class. The “Shark Game” is a fun way to test their knowledge in a fun environment so they can learn and not feel so much pressure.
I did not know a lot about Web Quest before going into this lesson and afterwards I was able to successfully create my very own Music Web Quest. I think that the Web Quest is a useful tool for the classroom, it is fun for the students and it is not only teaching them the desired lesson, but it is also helping to sharpen their computer skills as well. The Web Quest was a very length process to create so it would not be something I would want to create for every single lesson I teach, but I do think it is a nice change from the everyday lesson, and it is a changeup that students will really have fun learning with.
Below is the Web Quest I created:
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