Hello Everyone,

I would like to share with you the advantages and disadvantages about WebQuests.

The advantages of using WebQuests are the following:
 WebQuests are useful on-line tools where teachers post atractive and guided tasks to their students in order to make them active participants of their own learning.

 A WebQuest is made up  by some elements such as: introduction, task, resources, process, evaluation, and conclusion. Evidently, teachers provide the resources, as consequence students use the  down loaded information from internet to solve or complete a task. The purpose is to encourage students' collaborative work on a project, to develop both their critical-thinking and their power of analysis.

The disadvantages of using WebQuests are the next:

Students need  to have a certain level of  reading and language ability in order to follow and understand instructions.

Teachers might spend a lot of time  designing a webquest.

Webquests are not the best way to teach  facts and content, simple procedures and definitions. However these inconveniences can be coped with practice.

In my opinion, I found WebQuests as another atractive way to encourage students go beyond with their knowledge using internet as the tool to complete a guided homework.

Thanks for your comments!  See you

Ruth V. Aparicio Hdez.

• WebQuest= Web + Quests

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet, according its creator Bernie Dodge (1995).

As consequence, we can define WebQuest as an academic practice of investigation as well as a guided search. It allows students to organize and approach their time using information, not looking for it. Furthermore,  a  WebQuest is based on the principles of Constructivism, it means it is a classromm-based lesson where students should create their own knowledge schemas.

•  A WebQuest:

Elicits the team-work, students' autonomy, and the use of high cognitive skills. Besides, it contributes to improve students' competences related to the information society, social studies and science. A WebQuest provides atractive taks on which students participate actively and at the same time, develop their critical thinking including: comparing, classifying, inducing, deducing, analysing errors, constructing support, abstraction, analysing perspectives and analysis skills in order to solve  or answer a simple question. A webquest also can help with multiple intelligence work. students have to take into accounte that webquests are tools , not educational theories.

• A WebQuest in language teaching.

name:  FOOD GROUPS  
link:     http://www.cepdeorcera.org/majwq/wq/ver/2218
usage:  This Webquest is about food groups where students will search how food is cathegorized and what are the benefits that they provide to the human body. Teacher asks students to record a video creating a  healthy recipe where students will show their ability on the use of language, mainly using countable and non-countable nous. furthermore, students have to write the process of a recipe using  food vocabulary and quantifiers as well as the necessary instructions.

Mi relection this week:
 mmm well, We had too much to explore and read. The advantage is the experience I get exploring the net in order to find siutable activities for my students according their level; it is interesting to check new sites  because I have found ways to facilitate my students learning process in a funny way, with exercises that are more atractive.
Although, I sometimes get mad because I do not have enough time to  dedicate searching for information, I have learnt that If I invest time to search activities and webpages to share with my students, I will not only improve my teaching but also my students will enjoy more having english classes.

Task:
Lauri's ESL Website - grammar, vocabulary, listening exercises. The Flash ones are especially interesting. 
http://fog.ccsf.edu/~lfried/ 
   I consider this webpage with exercises and activities to practice grammar and functions very useful.
I recommend "Lauri's ESL Website" because it is applicable to students from junior and high school and for begginers and intermediates second language students who need more practice to learn the part of specch and their functions. L2 students can test themselves their approach.
This page shows several grammar points that are basics to create sentences since the articles until to guess the words that best complete a sentence according the tense and function.

What I have learnt and how I feel creating bookmarking

Hello classmates,

    This week I explored a little bit more about delicious bookmarking. I could organize my links and classify them by cathegories, called stacks,  according the  activities for children or adults. I  also learnt how to personalize the site so that I feel encourage to improve it everytime and obtain the best from it.

Hello friends!!
It is outsatnding to know about those sites that allow us to save our favorites links. As teachers or active e-readers we have the chance to share the links that are related to topics of our interests. I find these bookmarking very suitable for education.  Let´s start collecting links!!!

English Teaching