Class 31: Sharing WebQuest Ideas

What ideas do you have for your WebQuest? How do you hook students with your introduction? What clip art could help make the introduction even more interesting? What questions do you have?

Last week we looked at the major components of the student portion of the WebQuest. Today, we'll spend a few minutes looking at the teacher portion.

Today you'll work on the first half of your WebQuest -- by next Wednesday's class it is expected that you will be at least halfway finished with your entire WebQuest. We will be working in pairs on Wednesday to conduct peer reviews of your WebQuests.

Don't forget that you have many resources available to help you to complete your WebQuest.

• WebQuest Project Description - what's due when?
  
• WebQuest Taxonomy of Tasks - what types of tasks can you assign to students?
  
• The Building Blocks of a WebQuest - what are the specific parts of a WebQuest?
• The WebQuest Design Process - what is a good way to put together a WebQuest?
• Sample WebQuests
  

Class 30: WebQuest Design Patterns

Have you sent your response to the 5 questions from Tuesday's class? You can still earn a few points if you send it by 5:00 pm today!

It seems like the majority of you have found some direction in where you are going with your WebQuest. You've done a good job of choosing topics that really lend themselves to WebQuests - now let's put your ideas into a useable format.

How do you ensure that students will be engaged in your WebQuest activity? View the WebQuest Taxonomy of Tasks to determine in what category your original WebQuest will fall. Share with the class your idea for a "hook" or introduction and your WebQuest category.

Now that you have an idea for your WebQuest, how will you design the entire process section for your learners? What are the major components of a WebQuest and what is the role of each in the learning activity? The Building Blocks of a WebQuest page will help you to better understand the purpose of each.

So, how do you get started writing your own WebQuest? The WebQuest Design Process
flowchart created by Tom March is a great way to keep track of what you are doing.

Now that you have an idea for content flow how do you put it all together into a web-based learning activity?

1. Choose the appropriate template from the WebQuest Design Patterns page. This page would be the guideline when you are create your subdirectory file with your Google pages account. You should refer to the student page only.
   
2. Spend some time working on your WebQuest, making sure to check the project description and rubric to ensure you are including all required elements. Have at least 1/4 of your WebQuest completed by Friday's class.
   

On Friday, you will be given the majority of class to work on your WebQuest. You will need to complete at least half of your WebQuest before next Wednesday's class - as we will be working in groups to review them.

Here are some questions to consider as you are working on your WebQuest (you do not need to turn in responses to these questions):
*Is your WebQuest topic authentic in order to engage your students?
*Is your WebQuest task challenging and doable?
*Do your learners need to think independently and critically during the WebQuest activity?
*Is collaboration between your students important for the successful completion of the WebQuest?
*What scaffolds (visual organizers, software tools, prompting questions and suggestions) are provided in your WebQuest?

Five questions for your WebQuest topic

Please email a response to the following questions related to your WebQuest. I will provide you with feedback about your topic choice via email and you will get 3 bonus credits.

1. Briefly describe your topic
2. Why did you choose this topic?
3. How will your WebQuest be tied to Georgia or national curriculum standards?
4. How will web resources play an important role in your WebQuest?
5. How will your WebQuest require students' deep understanding or higher-level thinking instead of mere comprehension?

Class 29: iMovie & Prepare for WebQuest

iMovie

The purpose of this project was twofold, 1) to show you how easily you can create a video for personal and professional use and 2) to understand how teachers and students can use video for teaching and learning.

iMovie is apart of the iLife suite of applications on the MacIntosh platform. The software allows you to edit video, develop movies, and share them with family & friends. PCs have similar software, Moviemaker. Depending on your preference both of the applications are fairly simple to use and will allow a wide variety of editing.

There are many resources on the Web dedicated to using video in the classroom:

Apple Learning Interchange (type iMovie in the search box)
Student-Created Video Workshop
A Teacher's Guide to Making Student Movies
Student-Created Science Lab Video Reports
Did You See That Poem?

Now, let's take a look at your productions.

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WebQuests

The resource we are going to focus on today is WebQuests. Similar to the other resources we've looked at, a webquest is a tool which uses various tasks to promote learning. If you were to type the term WebQuest in a search engine you would probably receive several thousand hits.

Webquests were developed by Dr. Bernie Dodge of San Diego State University. This page offers a blog about the news of webquests.

What exactly is a WebQuest? What are its main characteristics? What are your initial reactions to WebQuests in terms of teaching and learning? What advantages and disadvantages do you see in teaching with WebQuests? What standards in your content area lend themselves to WebQuests?

Viewing exemplary webquests is a good way to get started on your own. Go to the main WebQuest page and click the words "Find WebQuests" on the left navigation bar. Using the Curriculum/Grade Level Matrix (in the middle of the page), spend a few minutes viewing 2 or 3 WebQuests in your content area. You can also see interviews with teachers who have used WebQuests here.

Hopefully, you're beginning to formulate an idea for a "hook" for your own WebQuest. It may be related to work you have already done in our class or work you are currently completing in other courses. It could even be something completely new in your content area. After you have some ideas together, review the WebQuest assignment so that you are clear on what is expected. Before Wednesday's class, you'll want to identify your WebQuest topic. Use this website to help you in the selection process.

Generally, a good WebQuest topic should have some inherent complexity, such as controversial issues, multiple perspectives, unknowns, etc. The topic needs to have your students take information in and transform it, using their own judgement and creative problem-solving techniques -- a LoTi level 4 or higher -- the learning should be authentic. Certain topics tend to lend themselves more to the WebQuest format than others.

All WebQuests follow a set structure with an Introduction, Task, Resource, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion.


WebQuest Resources:
Some Thoughts About WebQuests
Building Blocks of a Webquest
The Webquest Design Process
Taxonomy of WebQuest Tasks
WebQuest Rubric
Process Checklist
Concept to Classroom
Searching tips
WebQuest Templates

Sample WebQuests:

Bernie Dodge's Top WebQuests
Middle School WebQuest Matrix
George Mason Univ. WebQuests
Maryland Tech Academy WebQuests
Other examples

Class 28: One more day- working on your iMovie project

Since some computers were not working when our class was editing, you have one more day to work with your iMovie project. (The 5-person group need not come because you have already done with it. ) For other people, I really appreciate your patience with those technology problems. Please keep working on it with enthusiasm. I believe you all will end up with a great product!

At the end of today's editing, your project should be done and you need export your project in both email and web formats (you should have about 15 minutes for doing this). And one of your group member need to send me your final project with the teacher information sheet by Sunday night. Because the topic is Internet security, you don't need specify the content standards and the grade level, but you need describe your movie in detail.

We will have a small showcase on Monday. Our next project is WebQuest.

Some tasks you get done by April 20th:

• When you are doing your project, please check the links on your portfolio, make links to each project page.
  
• If you have not written your introduction page yet, please do that. Your introduction page will talk about what this portfolio is for and what it includes.

Class 27: Final Editing

Today is the final day of editing your iMovie project. By the end of class today you should have a completed project. After finish it, click on File-->export, then select the right format to export your project. Someone from your group should e-mail the instructor with the name of your file and the teacher information sheet by Thursday night.

On Friday we will meet back in 616 Aderhold.

Class 26: iMovie editing

Good Morning! Welcome Back! Hopefully you had a good spring break. We are in the 2nd half of the semester with just a few more projects to go.

Today is the 2nd day of editing your project. You should return to the same editing station. As you are working, make sure you save often!

Don't forget you can add music to your project. You may bring in CDs and import them into your project.

Save often!

Class 25: Creating your iMovie

Over the past few days you should have captured video for your project. Today you'll begin editing your video. Your goal for today is to import all of your raw footage and begin cropping. Here is an online tutorial from Apple.

To get started, take a look at the welcome book that is in each room of the editing suites.

SAVE OFTEN!!!!!


Decide what (if any) music or voiceovers you want to use and be prepared to work on them.

Several tips might be useful when you are editing:

1. When adding music to your video, you need to consider what you want the audience to think, feel, and identify with.

• Use music without lyrics when there is other sound on your clip you want the audience to hear.
• Only use music with lyrics when it will add to the effect of the video.

2. Using transitions is very important when you want to:

• Have different clips that look seamless.
• Enhance what you are doing because they serve as special effects.
• Add still images to your video.

3. Titles are also very useful tools within your video. However, keep readability in mind. For example,

• Long titles will show in small font, which can be hard to read.
• Text moving too much or too fast can also be hard to read and distracts from the message you want to get across.

On Monday, March 19, we will continue the editing process. You should return to the same editing station. You are more than welcome to come in edit your movies on your own time. You should go to OIT (room 232, on the 2nd floor) to reserve a room (make sure you know which room you are in) and get a key.

Your movies are due at the beginning of class Friday, March 23.

Have a great SPRING BREAK and BE SAFE!

Take your footage

Today we are not going to meet in our classroom. You might want to use this time to take your footages with your group members. Remeber that you need all of your members take part in this process. And also remember you don't want have a draft footage which is longer than 8 minutes.

For Friday, you will start editing your footage. We will first meet in 616#, which is our classroom. Then I will tell each group's editing suite.

Class 24 iMovie (1)

Before the class beginning:

• Send me the link of your PowerPoint game (you need upload your PowerPoint game file to that page) No late work would be accepted without a latepass!
  
• Remember to initial the sign-in sheet as you enter the room.

Today we will begin digital storytelling using iMovie. You will be working in small groups to create an original story about your subject area.

Please read the project requirement carefully before you start your project.

Now let's look at a few examples of digital stories to gets your brains churning about your own ideas.

For additional examples of digital stories look at the links below

University of Houston

The Center for Digital Storytelling

The use of video in education has been around for a long time, but it is just in recent years that it has become simple for classroom teachers and children to create and edit their own educational videos. The Apple Learning Interchange gives multiple examples of using educational video for teaching content standards.



Today you will checkout a digital camcorder or camera from OIT (room 232) and you need capture any footage for your movie between today and Thursday (March 5 - March 8). In case that some of you might not be able to schedule a meeting except for your class time, Wednesday will be a "meeting day". You can use the class time to meet your group members and take your footages. You may also use digital photographs like the examples we watched .

On March 9, March 19, and March 21st, you will use iMovie to edit your videos, add voice and music, and make transitions between clips (if needed).

You'll want to review the project guidelines for this project -- but keep in mind that you need not capture more than 5-8 minutes of raw footage. This will be edited down to 2-3 minutes of video. We will use iMovie for editing. iMovie HD is the software available in the iLife suite on Macintosh computers. PCs have a similar software called Movie Maker 2.0 -- but it is not as easy to use in its existing version. Today you'll learn the ins and outs of the software.

Our schedule for the iMovie project:
Wednesday, March 7th - video capture; no class meeting
Friday, March 9th - video editing; 602 Aderhold (the five-member group will work on the suite in our classroom)
Monday, March 19th - video editing; 602 Aderhold (the five-member group will work on the suite in our classroom)
Wednesday, March 21st - video editing; 602 Aderhold (the five-member group will work on the suite in our classroom)
Friday, March 23rd - Movie day (Due date); 616 Aderhold (the five-member group will work on the suite in our classroom)

Class 23: PowerPoint Game (6)

Today is our peer review day for your PowerPoint Games! Bring snacks to share! :)
Before today's class beginning, you need have these slides or items in your PowerPoint game:

• Copyright notice
• Credits
• Educational objectives
• Cover (first)
• Story
• Game directions
• Game preparation and game pieces
  
• Game board (could be either a paper board if you have not had time to scan it yet)
• 4 questions
• Correct feedback page
• Incorrect feedback page

The purpose of this game is to provide formative feedback for your peers so that you can continue working on your game to improve it before submission.

You will have 18 comment sheet one ticket. Each sheet would have a checklist of the game components , plus some scale grading. You will also need to write comments for every person except for yourself. These comments would be anonymous. You will also choose "the Best Game Designer". Write the person's name and put it in the cup. A gift and a winner card will be awarded to the winner!:)

For next Monday, we will talk about iMovie project and how to use iMovie to edit your footage.

Have a nice weekend!