This week I had the task of creating a webpage and creating a webquest. I was very comfortable with these assignements because I had already done both. Two years ago I created a webpage for my classroom through teacherweb.com. A coworker had told me that our school system would pay the annual fee and would link my site to theirs if I went through teacher web. I found the layouts and formats very user friendly and easy to set up. The positive response from parents have been great. I feel like having a classroom web page is like welcoming parents into your classroom everyday. I feel like parents are more at ease and more comfortable with me if they have an opportunity to view my webpage before meeting me or coming into the classroom for the 1st time. I also feel like the new generation of parents is coming to expect teachers to connect with them through e-mail and webpages more than parents did 8 years ago when I began teaching.
A few years ago I took a Web Quest course in order to renew my license. I think Web Quests are fairly easy to create and can be a great way to incorporate technology into your curriculum. The biggest downside is that it is very difficult to create a webquest that is at a appropriate reading level for primary students. In my experience I have used a Web Quests as a small group activity with me assisting as the facilitator and helping them read.
Overall Web Quests and webpages can be relatively simple ways to incorporate technology.
Webquests can be great activities to use in the classroom. I've found that they can take a lot time to complete, thus taking away from other things we need to cover with our students.
ReplyDeleteAt the high school level, I've found it's not the parents who send e-mails and check grades, but the students who self-monitor themselves.