Webquests teach more than just content (history, science, etc.). They also teach students digital literacy skills. Go to one of these sites and respond to the questions.
1) Connecting the Digital Dots
or
2) Wikipedia: please read the main definition, use in education, society and global impact
With this information in mind, would you go about your WebQuest differently? If not, how else could you teach digital literacy?
After reading the Wikipedia article, I would most likely not reconstruct my WebQuest plans. I only say this because my WebQuest is geared more for younger elementary students between grades 2-4. I believe at those ages, students are already practicing their digital literacy ablities by gathering information on different websites and organizing the information into graphic oganizers to help them better understand what they find within their resources. By using a WebQuest students are unconsciously using digital literacy. I would not have to tell them "this is how you understand the information" when using WebQuests; they are automatically practicing the skills and becoming digital natives. If I were using a WebQuest with higher grade levels, like in middle school, I would teach digital literacy a little differently. I think it would be a good idea to posts an extra amount of resources that describe the topic. I would require students to go through the source materials and decide which resource is appropiate based on their digital literacy skills. For example, I may post biased sources with clear profit-based intentions. Students would have to evaluate each source and decide which one to use and how to gather, organize and understand the information they have obtained individually. I believe it depends on the grade level when determining how to teach digital literacy. With younger students, teachers could probably introduce basic concepts so students can become familiar with the skill. With older students, a whole unit can be devoted to digital literacy where they learn and practice the entire concept in greater detail.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think that I would change my webquest very much. Right now, I am designing my webquest for students in grade 5-6, and I think that by then, they should be very digitally literate, however, the webquest I am creating is also easy enough to navigate that if students are not as literate as I believe they are by that age, they will be able to follow along and learn new things about the subject and about technology and the digital world that they might not have known. While webquests are a fantastic way to teach digital literacy, I don't think that this is the only way we should be incorporating digital literacy into lesson plans. I believe that as the first generation to really grow up with this much advanced technology, we should as teachers understand better than anybody how this technology works and how to help our students to understand it as well. They will be growing up in a world with extremely advanced technology as well, and by the time they reach us by the ages of 7-10, they will have most likely learned how to use technology at home. It is our job as educators to take their basic understanding of the technology they have at their fingertips and show them how to use it to the best of their advantage by showing them appropriate websites, programs, and much more that their world has to offer them. I think that nearly every lesson taught in the classroom should have technology incorporated in them, wether it involves smartboards, webquests, uploading homework to a class website, participating in a class blog, watching an online video and responding, or obtaining e-readers in place of hard copy books where students can find excitement in reading. Everything we do has to be understood and received with excitement by the children, or else we will lose them, and one way to make sure that they are interested and paying attention is by including technology on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteHaving read the article about Digital Literacy on Wikipedia, I think it is something important to keep in mind when designing my webquest. A lot of students will already be familliar with how to use the webquest (click on the links, etc) However, having them open files and type their information into a word document might require additional time or lesson to show how that would be done. Even though they have exposure and are probably capable of most things, there is that chance that they may not be either. However, I probably would not have to change many things because most likely the students have had exposure or other opportunities to use computers, it will not be a completly foreign concept to them. In fact, students may really like having a webquest because they can access it at home and show their parents what they are doing in class. The most imporant thing to keep in mind is to keep the websites user friendly and easy to navigate. The most difficulty, I believe the students would have (depending on age group the web quest is designed for) is picking out imporant information from a bad website.
ReplyDeletegood points
DeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Digital Dots", I find that my Webquest should be easy enough to navigate through. Also, the children I am creating it for are old enough to the point where they are most likely already digitally literate. Whether it be from prior knowledge from teachers in the past or their parents at home, technology is developed as you age. Teaching it in the classroom is definitely important because they are told what is appropriate to use. There are rules I was even taught to see if a website was too hard for me to read, just like when picking out a book to read, as well as if the source was reliable. These types of lessons are prerequisites to my Webquest, but of course, adding in some helpful hints along the duration of their time working it is not a bad way to ensure they know what they are doing while using technology. An example of a helpful hint would be giving them a few sources to choose from as well as giving them the choice to add on one or two more sources of their choice. It would be almost a test to see if they know what is considered appropriate for their grade level.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to hear what you were taught about how to pick out a good website.
DeleteReading the Wikipedia definition of Digital literacy was well organized. I thought it was a good web quest page. It listed the definition clearly, gave a table of contents, and it had good descriptions for each section. I think I would make my web quest a little longer and make the page look more presentable. I think the information was great, but it was not eye catching and did not look all that interesting. I would design my page differently by including a nice background or images of design. Something to catch the readers attention.
ReplyDeleteI know myself for one I use wikipedia a lot for sources of information. The bad side I also know that then information in their might not always be true. The digital literacy article that wikipedia offered is highly informal. It basically breaks down everything you need to know about an understanding of digital literacy. I believe that wikipedia is a great webquest but only one source of information. We must also looking into other types of webquests to find digital literacy information and broaden our horizons of understanding how to use the internet to come up with information.
ReplyDeleteI would personally change my webquest after reading WIkipedia. Wikipedia is a great source to use just for a definition or to find out a broad concept of something. I would like to raise awareness among my students about the scams that can be found on the internet so that they could roam the internet safely. I would incorporate this idea in my webquest by giving my students appropriate illegitimate and legitimate websites and testing their knowledge so that they could learn the difference between a site that can be used for educational purposes and research versus those that cannot be used.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should do a webquest on digital literacy?
DeleteThe webquest will involve students working individually to create a single tile of the periodic table. When the entire class has completed we will assemble the full table. Then students will verify the information on the web utilizing traditional reference materials at the library or in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteMy Webquest will require searching the web for details on certain Elements. Wikipedia will be a valuable tool for students in 5th grade. Reliable and verifiable data must be obtained via the internet. Wikipedia is a great source of this information. Not only can students find out atomic weights, mass numbers and certain facts about the individual elements they can use Wikipedia's reference section to complete the second part of the webquest.
Remember that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone and may not necessarily be accurate.
DeleteI agree that accurate wikis are seldom at best, but Wikipedia is in my opinion one of the best things on the internet. Yes of 50% of its content is listings of Battlestar Galactica episode plot-lines, but the factual portion of this online encyclopedia that anyone can edit is vast and mostly accurate. The problem with the internet as a whole is that no one can edit most of it. If I so choose I can purchase a server and domain name, post what I want(make it look pretty), claim it is fact and that's it. No discussion or debate (or science) takes place here. On Wikipedia; however, if an error is found the entire population of the internet (fellow nerds included :))can and will discuss and rectify the page to reflect accurate information. I didn't mean to rant here, but SOMEDAY Wikipedia (or something like it[1]) will reign the internet as the supreme source of knowledge.
DeleteNOTE [1]- A user created, editable database of the most reliable information available, posted with collaboration of those who are experts in that given field.
After reading this Wikipedia article I do not think that I would change the way I was to go about my WebQuest. In my own opinion WeQuest is already digital literacy. Although people are not calling it that, children are going online to read and learn their assignments and how to do it. They are reading and learning on the WebQuest, so why would we change it. Wikipedia did give a lot of information and was able to give you a great explanation on Digital Media and some examples, but if I were a kid I would much rather be looking at and learning from the WebQuest. WebQuest is able to add pictures and add things into it that grab the children’s attention and make them interested in what they are learning about. Wikipedia is set up very well, but it has no design or excitement on the page for kids to get engaged in reading. The age group I am making my WebQuest for grades 3-5. By this age a lot of the children have already had experience on computers with educational game and other things that they learn in k-2. Before I ever assigned everything I would teach the Digital Literacy in a way they kids would understand. I would make a WebQuest just on Digital Literacy and give them a walk through and understanding of what they will be doing. Also it will take them on a little tutorial and give various links and websites for them to go on to better understand before we ever start a project on WebQuest. I work in a daycare and I know once a week we have a women come in and teach the kids common computer skills. Technology is rapidly increasing and I think if children start at a younger age, learning how to use things and understand technology then we can use technology in teaching a lot more and productively.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the articles given I do think I would change my web quest. Reading "Connecting the Digital Dots" gave me a better understanding of how technology is incorporated in the lives of seniors, adults, and children. How media literacy is something that is going to be incorporated in all types of learning. The title "Connecting the Digital Dots" really gave me a greater understanding of what media literacy is. Media literacy can be difficult to understand because like the article says our world is composed of many different digital dots and these dots are very diverse and multidimensional. What media literacy try's to do it connect these digital dots to teach people all different types of technology. Using technology in the classroom is no longer a cool thing to do, rather now it is something that is a necessity to have students prosper. Although my web quest has technology incorporated into it, after doing the reading I was able to see the importance of having the students use the web and go online for my web quest. Having students go to multiple websites, and have a group chat with their classmates about a certain topic are all relevant to satisfy the students need for media literacy. I will also be sure to use media literacy that is doable for the age group that I create my web quest for. My web quest is directed for the age group of 3-5 so they will have a greater understanding of how to use technology, but I will make sure the websites, and online activities are understandable for their age group. Overall the reading gave me a greater understanding to what media literacy is, and it also gave me an opportunity to make my web quest the best it can be. I would also use media literacy for not only web quests but for other activities in the classroom like having a classroom website. The classroom website would have links to fun websites that give the students additional information about the topics we learn in class. There are many different ways to incorporate media literacy into the new modern classroom.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article on Wikipedia, I wouldn't necessarily change my WebQuest itself, but I would keep in mind a few things. Children in school now are "digital natives." This means that they have been born into the digital age. Many teachers and parents are "digital immigrants" and are not familiar with all of the technology that is out there today. The students will have a broad spectrum of where they are in the learning curve. The students that have regular access to technology are going to be more proficient and those who do not are going to need extra help. My WebQuest is going to be as in-between as it can be. I want to challenge those who are competent with computers and links, but I still want the others to be able to follow the procedure and understand how to complete the Quest and have more digital literacy.
ReplyDeleteI read both, Connecting the dots and Wikipedia. A lot of this information was not in mind while I was thinking about my WebQuest. After reading both, the definition and the article, I will go about my WebQuest differently. The students need to understand the information within the WebQuest. The teacher or I (the creator of the WebQuest) would make sure that the students have access to the information the need and the information is safe. Its not just about knowing how to use a computer, it's about understanding the differnt types of digital devices, andhow they are used. As a teacher, I need to keep in mind that the children now are digital natives. I would want my students to understand the purpose of the WebQuest and also be able to navigate through the Quest without any problems, while having fun and learning about a new topic.
ReplyDeleteI think instead of changing my entire webquest I might just look out for things and keep in mind what the article “connecting the dots” told me. We are in an age where the definition of literacy is changing. Many people have to learn how to use these new technologies and for some it is difficult but it can be done with the right instruction. First I would need to learn everything that has to do with any technology used within the classroom. If I have no clue what I am doing of using then it won’t be beneficial to my students if they don’t know what they are doing and they ask questions I don’t know how to answer. That is a big factor. Webquests are ways for students to learn digital literacy. For the age group I am working on they will have some form of knowledge about digital literacy that they can work through the webquest. I would still keep in mind that some students may struggle more than others, I just have to make my directions extremely clear to my students. Making sure the sources I put within the webquest should also be easy to navigate through and to understand. If I give an article where a student has no idea how to navigate or has no idea what they are talking about, that makes the student have plenty of questions for me. Who is to say that if that one student had a problem, another one might be the same way? I have to keep that in consideration too. Another strategy that can be used to teach digital literacy is doing a short lesson within the class that teaches students how to properly use new technology (internet). This gives students the fundamentals of how navigation works on a computer if they do not already know. Most of this is preparation, thought and assessing each student’s needs. Simply creating a webquest and telling students to do it may not be the best tactic. Taking is step by step and making sure it will not be difficult for them is what is important. I think for my webquest I have to take a lot into consideration especially the fact that students are becoming more and more technological advanced and in making this webquest I have to take into consideration their prior digital literacy and make sure it works the best for them.
ReplyDeleteDon't be afraid to use a technology with your students that you don't know. There is so much new technology that it is IMPOSSIBLE to know everything. If you waited until you knew everything you wouldn't do anything. Your students would enjoy knowing more than you and helping other students.
DeleteThat being said, you should make an effort to learn what you introduce into the classroom but don't think you need to be an expert.
After reading this article, I think I would change my web quest. Now, I feel like I have a better understanding of why we use web quests and how students benefit from them. We should not use web quests, or any form of technology just for the sake of it, but we should use it to improve our knowledge and technology literacy.According to the article, "The current and future health of America’s 21st century economy depends directly on how broadly and deeply Americans reach a new level of literacy—‘21st Century Literacy.’” If I can use web quests and other forms of technology in my class room, then not only will I be helping my students gain knowlege on the subject I am teaching, but I will also help them reach the expected level of 21st century literacy.
ReplyDeleteNicely said!
DeleteAfter reading "Connecting The Digital Dots" I will pay more attention to the types of literacy I use in it. I know that students now a days grow up on technology and have some knowledge as to what the computer lingo means but some students might not have been so fortunate. While I create my webquest for students between the grades of 1-3 I will be more aware as to what I put in it and how I go about making it. If it were me trying to navigate through my webquest I would want it to be as simple as possible to understand/read so I can get all of the work done in a timely manor. Children these days are going to have to learn more computer literacy because we are seeing now that computers, smart boards, ipads, etc are becoming more dominant in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteand in the workplace - which is the ultimate goal of education.
DeleteAfter reading the Wikipedia article, I do not think I will alter my Webquest, but I think it is important to keep the concept of digital literacy in mind when creating the Webquest. Many children today, being born into a digital world, are already able to organize, understand, and analyze the information that they gather from the internet. By using a Webquest, students are already showing their abilities to navigate the internet and analyze what they see. Even if a student is not as advanced in digital literacy, a Webquest is designed to steer them in the right direction while still allowing them to learn on their own.
ReplyDeleteDigital Literacy is something that is becoming more and more important in the classroom. With the constantly increasing technology, it is very important for both teachers and students to be able to keep up. A WebQuest is a great way of taking a large amount of information for a student to learn and narrowing it down so that it is easier for the child to understand. This helps the child learn about the topic and helps them become digitally literate. It is good to keep the idea of Digital Literacy in mind while making a WebQuest and I will certainly be aware of that while finishing mine. I will make sure mine is easy to understand and follow but also teaches the students about using the internet.
ReplyDeleteWith this information in mind, would you go about your WebQuest differently? If not, how else could you teach digital literacy?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Dots" I would add to my Webquest. The idea I had in mind for the assognment is geared toward lower elementary grades kindergarden to about first or second grade. Many children at these ages have had some exposure to computers but there still are some who haven't had the opportunity to do so. Digital literacy is a very important concept to get all students accustomed to and doing a Webquest is a fun and relatively easy way to introduce children to the computerized world we are becoming.
Just remember that you need to pick resources that are at the reading level of lower elementary school students. You'll also need a way to help students who are not familiar with technology become familiar. Even clicking a mouse or opening a new window might be a challenge for this age group.
DeleteHaving read the article I would improve my web quest. I will make it slightly more challenging because as the articles states we are in an age where students are very technology savvy. Creating activities such as a web quest will give them the opportunity to utilize some of their existing digital literacy from an educational stand point. In the article it states that, “to successfully connect the dots at any level in cyberspace means we must be literate, both digitally and visually”. In any activity that teacher’s create whether a web quest or a simple lesson plan; incorporating the internet and a video or power point will be very effective to our E-generation today. Having more creative interaction in my web quest will improve the student understanding of the presented topic.
ReplyDeleteMy first thoughts about the web quest were not good ones out of all of our assignments this was the one i was a little iffy on. but after reading the article on connecting the digital dots, my opinion has changed. These web quest are actually like books or manuals because while it is teaching a student about a subject it is also teaching digital/computer literacy because nowadays it is not enough to just be able to read and write, these future also have to be computer literate as well. So i think these web quest are a great way to start teaching them at a young age.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad this article was helpful for you. I hope you enjoy working on your WebQuest.
DeleteAfter reading the article ,"Connecting the Digital Dots" I have a greater appreciation for the significant role that computer technology plays for the E-generation today. My approach to the WebQuest will be more mindful of the emphasis on keeping the WebQuest visually attractive and interactive to keep students focused. In the long run this should contribute to expanding their digital and visual literacies.I like the analogy that computer technology can be compared to learning a foreign language for an older generation that was reader-oriented.This presents challenges in introducing user-friendly WebQuests that are age- specific and can be challenging at all levels of computer competency.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Connecting the Digital Dots, I see something that's been explained to me numerous times; it's easier to teach children something new than adults. Some may make the accusation, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," as their comment, but most must realize that something new to an adult basically challenges & changes what they "already know." Information Technology can still be a new concept to most (like learning a new language), but with children there's no changing what prior knowledge the adults have because they're learning it for the first time or learning something better. While the other saying goes, "children are our future," they'll have the knowledge necessary to advance today & in the future. They'll be able to do things today's adults could only dream of doing. With that being said, I would not go about my Webquest differently because it will have technology integrated, will be educational, and will have creativity to expand upon.
ReplyDeleteAs for teaching digital literacy, I would refer to the learning style that best suites the individual to successfully teach the knowledge. The main way to do this would be to show them how & to have them do it to make sure they've got it down.
After reading "Connecting the Digital Dots" I would not change the way I will create my webquest. Children are so good with computers. To teach digital literacy I would have students come up with away of teaching me something on the computer or away of teaching their parents something new that they might not know or understand.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to learn something is to teach it!
DeleteI read both links and I realized there is so much online that you can find its such a big part of our society. Students need to learn to research put not waste time on articles that aren't as important as what is out there. There are so many different ways for finding information video's on youtube can now be important. So instead of reading to figure out information that can be useful the students can also just simply watch a video and get information that way. By teachers using all the different types of ways to get information and integrating that into their lesson plans, the student can realize its not just clicking on links and trying to find information that way. So basically the teacher shows examples of how he or she uses the different ways into the classroom.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the article, “Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century,” I gained a deeper understanding of the importance of utilizing the digital and visual literacy that the E-Generation possess. Literacy is crucial for allowing students to advance in their ability to effectively and creatively communicate information. As I create my WebQuest, I will keep in mind that this level of literacy may vary amongst students. Therefore, I will seek to create a user-friendly, visually appealing, and interactive website that allows for various skill levels to navigate and achieve a significant level of competency. In an ideal WebQuest, I would seek to create a layered lesson plan in order to address these different levels of technological literacy and encourage a higher order of thinking. This layered lesson plan model allows students to acquire new skills while retaining a certain level of confidence in their previously obtained technological knowledge. This allows for student-centered learning which can reinforce the lesson while providing opportunities for self-exploration. All of these are positive teaching methods which can be obtained through the proper utilization of WebQuest.
ReplyDeleteGreat thinking!
DeleteAfter i read connecting the digital dots there are a lot of ways that children learn in different ways. Its easier to teach a child something new then it is an adult. There are also many ways to search for information like google, youtube, or yahoo. And for children to learn all these different types of ways to find new information its not all about the information you are looking for, but how you find it. I would change a few things i have in my web quest to help the children learn about something new, what to use to search for information, and how to search for that information.
ReplyDeleteWith more knowledge about digital literacy after reading the wiki article, I would like to change some things about my web quest. Specifically after reading the section titled, "digital natives and immigrants" I have come to realize that it is true. Since I didn't really use a whole lot of technology like they do in elementary schools today, I agree with the point they raise that those who were not taught this way, may resist teaching that way. It is almost like speaking a different language, as they say. I myself, didn't want to include a lot of technology, I like more hands-on activities in a classroom rather than playing a game on a smart board like some schools do for example. But now after reading this I realize, that once I become a teacher I should try to keep up on the newest learning techniques that my students enjoy most. Reading this article makes me want to include more technology usage because we are in a digital age, and it's going to become increasingly important in society and classrooms.
ReplyDeleteGreat thinking Sabrina. Remember that you as a teacher are responsible not only for students to learn your content but your job is to make them prepared to live and work in our society. There is almost no job that doesn't require some sort of technology today. So, teachers are responsible to ensure that students graduate with these skills. Also, to participate in our democratic society it is important the students have technology skills. Think of reading the newspaper - even that is offered online now. And I suspect someday we'll vote online.
DeleteI haven't created my WebQuest yet, but after reading "Connecting the Digital Dots", I am definitely going to keep digital and visual literacy in mind when I do create it. I think it is important to understand that all children learn differently so it is crucial to create WebQuests that are both visually stimulating and that require critical thinking while doing research. Not only will the students be learning something new when completing the task, but they will also be expanding their digital literacy. This is something that will help them in the future academically and also in the work place later in life. There are a lot of ways to improve children's digital literacy, but after reading the articles, I definitely think that WebQuests and other lessons that require internet research are a great way to get children started in experiencing digital technology.
ReplyDeletewhen i started my webquest project it was after reading this article and i was thinking that it is very important to understand that all the children learnt in differents way. so it is imoprtant to create a webquest being visually and also to make children thing when they have to do their own research. the other sido of digital literacy today is that many children today are born into a huge use of technology from everyone and it is obvious that if you compare a child with his or her parents the child will be the one who is going to be very comfotable with a computer instead of old generation. it is not anymore the that old time when my mom was yelling at me becasue of my notebook was tearing off :) today is all about technology back there people used maps to go somwere but tody we have that thing called GPS which directes us everywhere we want to go just plug in the address and you are good to go. we have to crate a webquest for being in the same page with the children because today they do not understand our old system of teaching we as a teacher have to make them comfortable in the class and make sure that they do understand the lesson. Being successful in a classroom we all have to talk the same language which is the technology language.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Digital Dots", I wouldn't say I'm going about my WebQuest differently, but I definitely have a different mindset about it now. The article make me rethink what literacy actually is in today's world. In the 21st century, children are being born into a modern, technological world. They are natives to the digital world while everyone before my generation are pretty much foreign to the idea. I think as future educators though we need to realize that using technology in the classroom is not to be cool and savvy but to use it as a tool to effectively enhance education while keeping up with the modern world that our students are introduced to when they are born. And as the title of the article expresses, we are all on different levels in the digital world. We all have to deal with the challenges and complexity of the advances in technology. As a teacher, one of my roles is to reinforce this new idea of literacy. The definition has changed to not only being able to read and write but has been extended to digital and visual literacy. So as I create my WebQuest I will keep in mind that the point of this activity is not to be a cool assignment for students to use the computer but actually use it as a task that incorporates internet as a resource that is crucial in education and in our students lives as the world continues to progress.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Digital Dots" and getting a better understanding of what Web Quests are I found them hard to understand. I can see where we are becoming a more tech-savvy world and this is where the learning of the future is most likely going to be incorporated into. Even today I use the internet a lot to find information everyday, so using web quests and the internet is a good way to put learning/tech-savvy together to broaden this horizon. Using the internet to find information isn't the hard part. The hard part is creating a good web quest that will challenge the student. With this information in mind I would try to make my web quest have a great amount of learning connectivity in it, but at the same time make it flashy so the student wouldn't lose any interest in it. I think it's important for the student to have fun with what they're learning about and making the web quest a little flashy might help this.
ReplyDeleteIn response to digital literacy, I feel that web quests lead the students or information seekers in the right way without any misleading information that the students don't need to know. Web quests definitely support digital literacy. Other types of digital literacy or organization for information can be found with search engines but they're not as good as using a web quest first.
DeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Digital Dots" I think I may change the age to I was originally targeting. At first I wanted my webquest to be for 1-3 grades but, I think that it would be too complex even though they contain digital literacy. As we as a society become more technologically advanced so do the teachers in the classroom. I want my webquest to show the students a fun way to use technology to learn. In elementary school the students are shown how to use a computer and how to conduct basic research, but on their own they do more extensive uses of technology. They probably know more about technology than I do. I need to keep up with them by using images and text that appeals to the students. They need to be interested but educated.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very critical for students to understand where they are getting information and what the internet and resources can do for them academically and efficiently. After reading "Connecting the Digital Dots" I realized that digital literacy is a lot like a language, if you do not learn it as a child it will be difficult to understand. Futuristically, the children I will be teaching will be digitally literate and Webquests will be an excellent lesson for them to further their understanding of the internet and the topic of the quest. I don't think I will go about my Webquest any differently than planned but I will make sure it is easy to understand for children who may not be digitally literate. Digital literacy is very important for younger generations and by incorporating more technology into lessons, like through a webquest, seems to be very beneficial to them. A Webquest is a great way to teach digital literacy; students can learn what trusted sites are, about internet plagarism and learn new technological ways of learning and conveying information with the use of the internet and digital media.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Digital Dots" i realized how important it is to educate students how to properly use the internet for digital literacy. Digital literacy is definitely becoming a language students must know in order to progress through their education. A webquest would allow students to explore the web for resources while becoming more familiar with the internet and its search engines. With a webquest the students cannot simply explore the web they are required to look for information that is needed to finish the assignment. with webquests students can become familiar with good websites and how to use them to their advantage. overall i think webquests have multiple advantages such as familiarizing students with the web, teaching a lesson in a different way, and expanding their digital literacy. Incorporating technology into the classroom is extremely important in todays society. Children are becoming dependent on the internet for work and it will be required for students to have experience with technology in their futures. Overall, the article made it very clear how important it is to "connect the digital dots" and familiarize students with digital literacy because they will need it in order to advance in their education and their lives.
ReplyDeleteI liked what the article,"Connecting the Digital Dots", had to say. I believe it is important to teach in a medium that the current generation understands. When I was in elementary school, it was overhead projectors and chalkboards. We understood the medium and it was sufficiant. Yet,it does not even compare with what is happening now. I believe because of the explosion in technology student and perhaps all people learn better when ideas are presented in a faster and more exciting way. It is just the world we live in. Video games, advertising, movies, are all faster and more exciting gthen when I was in school. So, learning needs to follow suit. The problem is that technology is moving so fast it is hard to keep up with. Many adults enter the work force and stay at the level of technological literacy they came in with, and also what their employer uses. If an employer does not stay current with technology then the employee has no motivation to continue to learn. As far as my own webquest, I have not completed it yet,but I do not think I would go about it any differently then I have. Now ask my that question in 2 years, when the technology has changed, and I will probably give a different answer. A prime example is power point. Many of my Professors use it during their lectures, but it is quickly becoming out of date. The world is moving fast and technology is driving that speed.
ReplyDeleteWhat would you suggest instead of PowerPoint?
DeleteAfter reading "Connect the Dots" I gained a better understanding of how technology is used to explain literacy and that everyone can benefit from digital literacy skills. I have not begun my WebQuest yet but I believe I now have a better idea and plan as to how I should go about this project. It is important to allow the students grades 3-5 to expland their learning skills both visually and digitally to expand their knowledge of technology. It is important that children are expectected to manipulate, create and visualize their work and this allows them to become more literate without them realizing. Most children know how to search the web and use resources online and they are learning these skills as a faster rate. By encouraging children to use technology in different ways, they are unconsciously learning new ways to maniupulate and understand information that is at their finger tips. The article made me understand that digital literacy is important to all age groups and is currently effecting the children of the future more and more. It is important that teachers use technology to their advantage because it is improving digital literacy which helps create more literate students!
ReplyDelete“…the new media is nothing if not simply another way of viewing our world, of interacting with one another, of opening ourselves to learning in realms of possibility we never conceived of before.” After reading “Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century,” I don’t think I would go about my WebQuest any differently. I think I will just have to keep in mind that it is not just a “fun” activity for students; it’s a new way for students to learn. It’s a way to show them that the internet is not just for games and social networking, but for learning and finding new and more interesting ways to learn. So many young children know how to use cell phones, or smart phones, computer games, or social networking sites. Sometimes children know how to use technology better than adults do! The job of a WebQuest isn’t just to teach students a lesson or help them with a project, it’s also to help them figure out that the internet is a great resource. Using a WebQuest, we can show students how to find great information and what sorts of resources to trust for correct information. This is really important for students of any age, especially elementary students, to learn. They will be able to use these skills throughout the rest of their lives. Not just for school work, but for jobs and careers and everyday life situations. Students need to learn digital literacy. It’s just how our world has become.
ReplyDeleteThe article Connecting the Digital Dots was another great way to reinforce to current and future teachers that technology can only benefit students at this day and age. The article did this by basically stating that young kids literacy is about using technology not reading books. Reading books is slowly falling behind the internet for the most important factor in literacy. I haven't started my Web quest yet but I think this is a great way for kids to use the internet and technology to learn new things. This article has made me realize that when i become a teacher I most definitely will incorporate technology into my lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you will include technology!
DeleteThe article Connecting the Digital Dots was a great way to really bring the focus of Webquests back to the students. For me it definitely made me realize that as teachers it's not enough to teach kids about reading and writing in the physical world but now we need to teach them to "read " in a sense via the internet. It's important for teachers to keep up with the most recent trends in technology to better inform and teach their students. For my Webquest I will now definitely be thinking more about how current an article is and whether or not an article is new and challenging enough for the grade I intend my Webquest for.
ReplyDeleteThe article "Connecting the Digital Dots" focuses on the importance of using webquests in a classroom. Webquests help kids to learn about using the internet to find viable information. Since most of our assignments and jobs will require knowledge about technology it is important to integrate the kids at a young age. I think webquests are good for kids around 3rd grade. At this time they will know how to read and write on paper, then they will use that towards the online assignments. Webquest should also promote active thinking, however they should be organized so the students don't get confused.
ReplyDeleteWith this information, I would make my Webquest easy to navigate with a lot of tools that students can use to research. Because many people are not as familiar with the new technology, attempting a project such as a Webquest can be intimidating, and I want to give everyone a fair chance of completing the project without it seeming to difficult. The best way to teach digigital literacy is to encourage people to not be afraid of the changing techology and to participate by using it.
ReplyDeleteThe article "Connecting the Digital Dots" made me realize that digital literacy is almost like learning a whole new language. When it comes to technology, if you have grown up with it and have been around it everyday it's much easier to navigate through it as opposed to just being introduced to it. To be aware that not everyone is as tech-savy as you is important to remember while making a webquest so that anyone will be able to follow along and use it as a learning tool. I will definitely use this information as a guide when making my webquest, because I want it to be a helpful experience.
ReplyDeleteReading this article really opened up my eyes about what a webquest is. A webquest can be helpful in the learning of an almost new language. Most students, especially the second language learners or studens from other countries look at the internet as jibberish and need help adjusting to this new technology age. It is also difficult to learn because their parents do no know how to use the internet and cannot help their children. So with this information I will go about my webquest differently. Knowing that students will get easily confused by some steps I will make sure to make it easy to use and overall a helpful tool for learning this new "language". I believe that the webquest is the best way to teach the internet to students.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "Connecting the Digital Dots," I realized that children these days growing up are learning more and more with technology and less with physical books and texts. Whereas a lot of older people still cannot use much of technology at all. I feel that this "new language" should be taught to students. But that we also shouldn't just forget about texts and the "old fashioned way." When students go to their parents for help, they might not understand how to help them. The language of digital literacy is important. It is the new way of learning for students, but we have to make sure that we don't forget about how we all used to survive without it.
ReplyDeleteYes, we could all use a reminder, like when I lost power for a week last year!
DeleteWith this information I would make sure that my web quest was easy to use even for students that didn't have a strong back round in technology. We have grown up with technology and have become very tech savvy but that doesn't mean everyone is. As a teacher we have been using technology for awhile now, but you can't forget who your audience is. That audience could be anyone from a second grader to a parents that wants to know whats to know what their child is learning. I will definitely use this information when creating my own web quest.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the articles, I do not think I would change my webquest too much because children now are being born into the technological era, where in the ways that we were expected to be able to read and comprehend and write in cursive, they will be expected to know how to navigate their way on a computer at a fairly young age. I've seen children with iPhones and a better understanding of how to use the internet than my self. I think my webquest is fairly simple to understand, a difficult part maybe the sections not linked, where they must type their own small paper up. I could understand if it is not all mapped out for the student, it would be much more difficult to understand.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading "connecting dots' article I think I would incorporate more technology into my webquest. I think I need to keep in mind that webquest project is not only engaging way for my students to gain the knowledge on the particular subject but also great tool in teaching digital literacy. Although my students are most likely far more immersed in the new technology than I am, there are still things to be learned. Digital literacy can be defined as ability to read and interpret digital media, to know how to evaluate and apply that new knowledge. Having said that, I see a webquest as a great tool in learning digital literacy for both my students and myself. Incorporating technology into curriculum is not a choice anymore but, as stated in "connecting digital dots", it is matter of survival in the new reality we created and we live in.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia-First off, I agree, WebQuest can be an amazing resource for teaching students digital literacy. And I am sure that it is not a tool that would be too complicated to navigate considering they are exposed to all types of technology throughout their every day lives. But we as teachers must also take into consideration that not all students have the economic advantages or resources to have access to some of the technology we will require them to use. And therefor those students may not be familiar on how to use these tools. So then instead of enhancing a lesson we might create a frustrating situation for them. At least one thing is for sure, technology evolves every day and it is a huge part of every aspect in our lives and due to this children are exposed to it more and more each day. Which will then make teaching digital literacy easier because they will be familiar with the technology.
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