webquest

Here is a link to my blog about webquests:
webquest blog

Looking at webquests
Webquests which are thoughtfully constructed could be a powerful technological tool in the French classroom. Some of the webquests that I have visited today have the huge constraint that they are mostly in English. How can the learner be immersed in the language, if the webquest is not based in the target language? Many have the constraint that the links are no longer available Others do not provide for thinking together in community using technology. What I mean by thinking together in community is that the learners should have a task which requires them to collaborate to scaffold each other to deeper and more disciplined understandings. The following webquest: [] has attractive graphics, which would be interesting for students. The webqest is entirely in French, which provides for immersion in the language. The task of clicking on links to find information about Strasbourg provides for a virtual journey to France. After doing their online research, The students have to work together in groups to make a powerpoint in which they synthesize what they have learned. There is also a speaking-component to the evaluaton. I have included the evaluation as a principle artifact from this webquest. The evaluation is multidimensional and involves using technology as well as traditional presentations. It is explicit and direct.

**Évaluation** There is one HUGE drawback or constraint to this and many other webquests which I looked at today. When I tried to click on the links, they had almost all expired. This makes this webquest not very effective and not one that I would use in the classroom in spite of the clever graphics and attractive design. What is a webquest? It can be a useful technological tool which provides cultural and linguistic enrichment; however, a teacher would have to study a webquest carefully in order not to waste her or her students’ time.

Discussion:
Most of the webquests I looked at had at least one constraint that would prevent me from using them. Either they were written mostly in English, which doesn't provide for a very healthy situated learning experience, or they had links which had expired. This tells me that it is important to look closely at whatever type of digital framework you are using and follow all trails to make sure it is a valid learning experience for your students. I found that the webquests we pursued in class where actually interesting and they proved to me that webquests may be worth exploring.