Link

Purpose:

This webquest was created to give teachers a concrete model of how a traditional "go find out about" research project could be remodeled to emphasize and enhance critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. I was very influenced by the writings of Jamie McKenzie in his online magazine, From Now On.

Audience:

Fifth grade teachers and students in most states will find this project useful. I also use it when working with teachers of all grades to show them a model of a project that avoids student "cut and paste" thinking.

Feedback:

The teachers and students who've used it have loved it and cursed it. They often are not used to dealing with the messiness of authentic information. They don't have the skills to deal with info that's not neatly packages like a text or an encyclopedia. It is a fun but frustrating experience for the. It's been suggested that I need to create a pre-Webquest Webquest, one which introduces the information literacy skills needed in a simpler, more direct context. This project is pretty massive and requires the teacher to be knowledgeable about many things; creating a database, cooperative learning strategies, concept attainment, finding and evaluating information, and multiple intelligences just to name a few.

Reflections:

I would never collaborate with a group of teachers on this project again without investing a LOT of professional development time with them. I assumed far too much about teachers' abilities to take this on. The last time I did this was with 400 or so 6th graders and their teachers. It was a mixed success. The kids definitely came away with improved information literacy skills, but the teachers almost had a nervous breakdown. They were and are excellent teachers. I just hadn't prepared them with all the prior knowledge they needed to be comfortable.

Still, I am proud of the design of Radical Regions. I tried to take everything I'd learned about constructivism and apply it here. For the most part, I believe I succeeded.