While working through building this website, I found myself having a brand new respect for websites. I find myself looking at websites and wondering what tool the website creator used to create certain pieces. I really enjoyed learning Dream Weaver and seeing my work become live on the Internet. When we first opened Dream Weaver, I felt so overwhelmed and at the end I do feel as if I learned something and actually accomplished something that I can use something at a later date.
This class actually made me work through two different skill sets in such short time. Building the Web Quest was such a refreshing experience. Using a Web Quest is much different than building one from scratch. Finding valid resources for students to use was indeed a challenge. After valid resources came the challenge of reading material that students can read and understand.
This is one of the few projects that I feel I can take back and share with teachers in my school and also help them to create a Web Quest of their own. This type of project can go in so many directions that the possibilities are almost unlimited. Having teachers use this as instruction piece can help both teachers and students at my school become more independent thinkers and problem solvers. It gives students a true purpose for using the computer and also for reading the various pieces of information.
By completing this course assignment, I have demonstrated my ability to plan and design a learning environment that will be conducive for teachers to integrate technology across multiple subject areas in the classroom. Using this instructional strategy can maximize student learning and meet various learning styles. This strategy also encourages teachers to use and create rubrics to assess student work. Rubrics also help students to reflect and self-assess.
Overall this experience was a positive experience for me. I look forward to using this Web Quest with students at my school. I also look forward to helping any teacher at my school who may be interested in using this technique in their classroom.
Hey Tracy! I agree that my comfort increased with Dreamweaver increased with more practice.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I tried to make clear to the teachers in my professional development workshops was that they would not master the software we were using in that three hour block of time we had. The thing we really have to remember is how to scaffold teachers as they learn new techniques, yet encourage that "play" time that Jason was talking about. One must really feel comfortable and confident exploring using new technology without a fear that something will break and never work again. I think, however, once someone has had their first big crash, where something went horribly wrong at a time when they could not afford for something to go wrong, has made teachers hesitant to playfully explore new software.
I'm glad to hear that DreamWeaver has won you over and that you enjoyed making a WebQuest!