Learning this week centers in on the Internet and the WebQuest. Internet users exceed 1.7 billion people around the world and are continuously growing. In order for computers in one location to connect to the internet, telecommunication technologies are needed. These are electronic communication between computers over distance. Modems are translating devices. They are needed whether using telephone cable or satellite to carry a signal between a computer and the internet. They translate digital and analog signals back and forth. Digital subscribers lines (DSLs) are a high-speed option for users at home because they provide speeds faster than a phone line. DSL offers voice and digital communications on a single line. Internet service providers (ISPs) are special networks that have been created to provide home and business computers a way to connect to the Internet. An ISP is necessary to connect a home computer to the Internet. Email is a communication tool primarily used on networks and on the internet. Email is similar to post offices boxes. URLs (uniform resources locators) are designations for specific locations on the World Wide Web. Computer discussion is an asynchronous communication tool that allows users a way to communicate with numerous others. An electronic mailing list is another asynchronous communication tool that automatically delivers email to those who wish to subscribe to the service. Chats are very useful in education as they offer real-time interaction. Instant messaging (IM) is another form of chat that is a one to one that can be started when users are online simultaneously. Videoconferencing software allows users at either end of a synchronous connection to hear and see.
There is often confusion between the Internet and the World Wide Web. These terms are NOT the same. The Web is the most popular of the services available on the internet. It is not a separate network. Web pages and Web sites can be created. These provide information to the user. Web pages are written by using a language called HTML (hypertext markup language). This special program translates the language in which a web page is written into an image on the screen. Pictures and visual images add interest. To use graphics on the web, GIF (graphic interchange format) and JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) are needed. Audio streaming sends audio in a continuous stream or flow and streaming video allows the user to view video clips. VR (Virtual Reality) provides a three-dimensional graphic environment that can be accessed on the Web. Search engines are programs designed to find web sites and pages based on key words that you enter.
The internet has great potential inside the classroom for both teachers and students. Many services and tools can be used to enhance the learning process. A WebQuest is an online tool developed in 1995 that is hosted online and guides students through the learning process by breaking a large project into smaller pieces. A WebQuest can be developed by anyone. Many models exist for different subject and age levels. WebQuests require higher order thinking skills such as synthesis, analysis, problem solving, creativity, and judgment. The format of a WebQuest is as follows: introduction, task, process, evaluation, conclusion, credits, and teacher page. These individual sections guide students and encourage them to work on problems as they would in the real world. WebQuests help foster collaboration among students. This increases motivation in the classroom because students feel challenged and encouraged. WebQuests also work as a structure for scaffolding learning, which increases success designing a WebQuest requires time and planning, but the result is worth the effort.
The WebQuest I created concerns recycling. To Go Green, or not to Go Green? That is the question is the title of my WebQuest. The WebQuest asks students to create a Power Point, a pamphlet, or a Public Service Announcement to convince the community to recycle. My WebQuest can be found at:
http://questgarden.com/107/90/3/100804200952/
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