Skip to main content

6.9.4 A summary of the Web quest Phase

My web quest was on communication (English) although it integrated elements of taxonomy (biology) and Primary Health Science. Along the way, I have gathered  so much to feed and grow my lesson design and management abilities. The web quest project prompted me to apply lessons learnt in other course sections in the CCTI course e.g. emphasis on application of learner centred technologies looked at during the innovative approaches to learning with technology course. This was used when learners were tasked to come up with an original communication model using the internet to browse and find out criteria used in selecting effective communication media. While at this, the learners would also get actively into using digital media skills to decipher the different graphics their colleagues came up with and vet them as accurate ways of communicating the health information that needed to be communicated.

Contrary to the usual Lecture Method I and a number of my colleagues have used on several occasions, the Learner centred approach in this web quest project has been very fascinating; even before it is implemented. I am now deeply  convicted that we should not wait to expose learners to real life situations when they are at Universities or other Tertiary institutions. Learners must begin to feel the relevance of their learning as soon as they can read and write. For example in using English language skills to design a very relevant communication model, a learner would be motivated by the thought of his skills being used to solve a global health problem.

I am challenged largely because of the following reasons drawn from the assessment lesson:

  • Assessment can be done at almost all stages; not waiting for the end of the lesson or topic or sub-topic. This is because the learners are engaged throughout.
  • Assessment is more holistic covering all content domains. So a skill, value or cognitive ability you could have easily missed in your summative evaluation can be captured during this learner engagement experience.
  • Also on assessment is that learners do not experience the usual mental stress which makes the assessment results rather invalid.

I have always battled with motivating my learners. Coming up with relevant jokes every now and again can sustain attention but not for long. I can only imagine what passion learners will now have when engaged in a term wide project which makes their classroom learnt content relevant after all. A used to be boring lesson will now be taught without the ('boring') teacher. Learners will definitely buy in to this.


I plan to look at another thrilling webquest where learners investigate the case of  Dominic Ongwen; a former LRA abductee and rebel under Rebel leader Kony. In this web quest they will look at both the implications of prosecuting the rebel leader and granting him amnesty. They will thoroughly look at the amnesty law, effects of the war, effects of releasing the former war lord and obtain a position while weighing the different view points surrounding the former rebel. They interview the masses and legal gurus and consider their view points on the matter before reaching a final position backed by evidence obtained. Sounds interesting!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Insight into my project work 6.2.4

In an attempt to state the curriculum objectives of the project with specific 21st Century skills and higher-order skills, I have written down the following: Objectives: Identify aquatic organisms in a water sample. (curriculum) Use sampling and counting techniques to estimate population size. (curriculum) Collaborate in groups to agree, with substantial reasoning, on the most appropriate sampling method to apply for each of the different water samples to be taken.(21st Century skill) Critically examine data on numbers of micro-organisms in the different samples and, considering other environmental factors observed, draw a conclusion about the patterns. (21st Century skill) Create a blog with content compiled by all learners, containing details of the story of the entire project, the observations made and the conclusions/hypothesis deduced.  (higher order thinking) Together influence the community to implement workable solutions which either guarantee the safe use of drink...

Research proves that children can perform better if teachers expectation of them is higher

Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson's study showed that, if teachers were led to expect enhanced performance from children, then the children's performance was enhanced. This study supported the hypothesis that reality can be positively or negatively influenced by the expectations of others, called the observer-expectancy effect. Rosenthal argued that biased expectancies could affect reality and create self-fulfilling prophecies. All students in a single California elementary school were given a disguised IQ test at the beginning of the study. These scores were not disclosed to teachers. Teachers were told that some of their students (about 20% of the school chosen at random) could be expected to be "intellectual bloomers" that year, doing better than expected in comparison to their classmates. The bloomers' names were made known to the teachers. At the end of the study, all students were again tested with the same IQ-test used at the beginning of the study....

My links for 4.6.3

Hello Group! I have tried to comb through the internet for websites that will provide support in determining the best digital literacies education strategy for a school. Kindly look through and share with me your opinions. http://www.teachthought.com/technology/63-things-every-student-should-know-in-a-digital-world/ http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/digital-literacy-skills/ http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/digital-literacy-across-curriculum-handbook http://classroom-aid.com/educational-resources/digital-literacy/ http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/29/ctq_crowley_digitalliteracy.html http://rpsconnected.rbe.sk.ca/2013/04/no-lights-no-camera-but-lots-of-action.html https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum http://swgfl.org.uk/magazine/Waving-Silently-Technology-and-Self-Harm http://www.digital-literacy.org.uk/Home.aspx https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002144/214485e.pdf