Unbelievable, we are half way through the webskills course now! I feel that my head is spinning with all the new informations and ideas I've got.
This week's topics have been alternative forms of assessment, rubrics,project-based learning (PBL), and web quests. Alternative assessment is something I should get more familiar and comfortable with. I occassionally use it for oral presentations in the form of peer evaluation but I should apply it more. That's another challenge I have to take on next winter. Writing a rubric was easier than I had thought when I used Rubistar http://rubistar.4teachers.org/, which gave a lot of ready-made criteria that could be modified.
Web quests sound really interesting! I found a few that could be used with my students, maybe they should beslightly modified to meet my students' needs and interests better, but I will look into them. We got an extra credit assignment concerning creating a web quest. I have an idea that deals with applying to universities, but I'm afraid I won't have enough time this week to make it into a web quest. At least not a nice, "formal" web quest. Maybe I'll just write down the ideas more informally.
I hope you all my dear colleagues around the world participating in this course with me still have the strength to carry on with these readings and tasks we are working on! This is hard work but also rewarding.
Hello Tuula,
ReplyDeleteMy head is full of new ideas, too.
Regarding rubrics, it is totally true, it was pretty easy and fun to make it. What happened to me before is that if I needed to try a new technology tool and it occured to me it was too difficult, I just gave up.
I don't understand much about web quests, yet. However, as you said, I will just experiment creating a draft, and then for the final project I'm developing a formal web quest.
I still have the strength to go on with this amazing course.
Take care
Marga
Hi Tuula,
ReplyDeletewe are on the same boat and trying to stay afloat sailing :-)
It seems more and more work every week and with all final examinations at the door, it is also pretty difficult to time-manage it.
I spent literally a whole day by doing WebQuest on Zunal and was so frustrated. Not because of the WebQuest, but Zunal. It took ages to wait for the response of the site and formatting was a nightmare. "Fortunately", I am on a sick leave so I found some time to do it.
Have you thought of some kind of project based on WebQuest but done it internationally? Perhaps, we might co-operate next school year to give our students more opportunities to use the Internet more purposefully.
Monika
Hi Monika!
ReplyDeleteA joint webquest or other similar online project sounds like a great idea! I'm sure there are plenty of topics we both share. The only challenge for my part is that I only have a specific group of students for about 6 weeks and then a new period starts and I get new groups for the the next period. So timing a project is crucial.
I'm sorry to hear you've been on sick leave. But, as you said, it has given you time to concentrate on this course.
The last two weeks of May will be difficult time-wise for me as well because of exam week and graduation arrangements, so finding time for these tasks will be a challenge, but I'm certain we will both make it. You know, we women are in the master class of multitasking, aren't we? ; )
Tuula