Techie Learning Tech

We're creating an Inquiry-Based Learning Activity in my Tech class. We have the option of a document-based activity, where the students are basically filling out an electronic worksheet by researching various websites, or (for extra credit) actually creating a WebQuest on http://questgarden.com. Of course, I'm going to go the WebQuest route. Fun!!!!

So a topic... hmm,... Well, I'd like to eventually teach AP Calculus, so I think I'll go with something involving the derivative. I checked out the Teacher's Guide to Stewart's Calculus, which is the textbook they use in Knox Co. for AP Calculus (incidentally the same book they use for Math 141-142 at UTK). Derivatives are Chapter 3 and Applications of Differentiation are Ch. 4. I'm trying to decide if this WebQuest will be an introduction to differentiation or something to tie it all together at the end of Ch. 4.

If they had more background knowledge, the WebQuest might be a little more fun,... but if differentiation was somewhat new to them, it would involve more discovery. Hm,... Section 3.4 is called "Rates of Change in the Natural and Social Sciences," that might be a good place to focus as far as the text is concerned. Okay, I flipped to that section in the book and it covers these standards:

• II.2c, "Instantaneous rate of change as the limit of average rate of change,"
  
• II.3d, "Equations involving derivatives. verbal descriptions are translated into equations involving derivatives and vice versa," and
  
• II.5f, "Interpretation of the derivative as a rate of change in varied applied contexts, including velocity, speed, and acceleration."

There's also a pretty cool "Group Work" worksheet in here for that section... Maybe I could convert that into my WebQuest? Hmm,...

So what's my first impression of Webquests? I think they have huge potential, and I think with Web 2.0 and things like Flash, they will be the future of online education. I think to really take advantage of that medium, a Webquest should be interactive (more than just clicking on hyperlinks) and should include things like audio and videos.

Most of the examples we looked at in class today were just a collection of resources (hyperlinks) along with some writing assignment. A few of the better ones incorporated software like Excel or Powerpoint. I think the more we can get students immersed in the material, the better. Give them headphones. In the introductory section, give them an introductory video in addition to a written introduction to hook them. Make use of Java or PHP to allow students to input information from within the Webquest and create a product that they can save or print.

Basically my first impression is that Webquests could be so much more than what we've seen so far. I'm sure there's some awesome ones out there though, and I'm sure they will improve by leaps and bounds as more technophiles get into the education workforce. I think it would also be cool if someone like Adobe wrote software (or a template for one of their existing software packages) specifically for developing multimedia Webquests, especially one with a WYSIWYG interface.

How do I feel about wikis? I feel pretty happy about them. We created one for our class that's content specific (I'm part of a Math wiki) here: http://tpte486math.pbworks.com. I'm having a lot of fun with it... It's my first time being part of a Wiki, and I can really see the usefulness. Being able to collaborate with other people, each able to edit the page, add links, text, tables, images, etc. It's very cool, and I can't wait to find a way to use it in the classroom.

I'm just trying to brainstorm how I might apply it to a math class. Create a wiki for the class, give each student an account, and then what? We could share links with interesting math resources, but I'm wondering how we could use it as a teaching tool for whatever we're studying at the time other than listing outside references. Maybe we could use it to collaborate on challenging homework problems... The only problem is math is a little difficult to type without the right software (equation editors, etc.). It's definitely something I'll be thinking about.

I think our technology teacher made a good point when she said that the main issue with new wiki users is resentment towards others who edit their work, or hesitancy to edit the work of others. It's definitely something you have to get used to. People tend to be very defensive of their work, even if there are glaring errors. They may take offense to someone coming along and making minor changes, which is simply the nature of the medium.