WebQuests

A WebQuest is an activity that is web-based and asks students to search online for answers to questions pertaining to the lesson in the classroom being taught. The students go to the WebQuest and click on the link hot-list to search for the answers to questions provided about a lesson from the classroom, therefore integrating the use of technology in the classroom. It is important for teachers to understand and have knowledge of using WebQuests in the classroom, that way students are experiencing different techniques in the process of learning about a topic.
The WebQuests would be good for me to use in the classroom when i become a high school history teacher because students of that age group are very interested in the technological world. Using this technology will help them to become more interested and involved in the learning process. An example of something I would use a WebQuest for in the classroom is to answer questions dealing with a history lesson on the Great Depression. The students could find out more information on the Internet than in the textbook about the causes of the Great Depression, the culture during that time, and how America was brought out of such a slump. This would be a great opportunity for students that have trouble with learning through lecture or other teaching strategies to excel at something that truly interests them.
Some pros of using a WebQuest would be that it integrates a new way of learning into the classroom through technology. The generation of today is one that was practically born at a computer. At an even younger age than before students are excelling at mastering technology so WebQuests are a great tool to use in the classroom in bringing this skill to use. Another pro would be that students would learn more about information on the subject from the Internet than what is presented in the textbooks.
Cons of WebQuests is that as a teacher one must make sure to check that the WebQuest and its resources are valid. Another con is that there are not WebQuests for all areas that students should learn about, so a teacher must choose carefully what they will be using WebQuests for in their lessons. A con that might make teachers not want to use WebQuests for their lessons is the amount of time that they take to complete. Varying versions of WebQuests could take from a single week up to a whole month, therefore taking up valuable time in the classroom for other lessons and learning.