Response to Readings: Internet Workshop, Project, Inquiry and Webquest

Internet Workshop, Internet Project, Internet Inquiry and Webquest are all internet-based teaching tools designed both to enhance teachers' methods and to help students develop technological literacy. In his article, "Internet Workshop: Making Time for Literacy," Donald J. Leu argues that "In this new world, what becomes critical to our students’ literacy future is the ability to identify important problems, gather and critically evaluate relevant information from information networks, use this information to resolve central issues, and then clearly communicate the solution to others." All of these tools address at least one of these skills as well as providing assistance to classroom teachers in presenting information to students.

First, all these tools allow teachers to use the internet to create and implement lessons for students. All four of the tools enable students to gather information in a safe way on the web by allowing teachers to set the parameters of available information. While webquest is often used as an indivdidual learning tool, all the others have an element of cooperation or sharing of information. In Internet Workshop, research is done on the internet and then shared in a workshop format. In Internet Project, the collaboration occurs on line, between classrooms at different locations and even different countries, whereas Internet Inquiry has a more sophisticated level of information gathering and sharing than both of the others. In Internet Inquiry, the phases of the project are more complex, including questioning, searching, analyzing, composing and sharing. These skills directly relate to the technology literacy which Mr. Leu argues for in his article, as mentioned above.

All four of the internet tools help students develop the literacy tools that Mr Leu speaks of in his article. For example, in all four, students develop the ability to gather information by navigating information networks. In addition, Internet Workshop, Internet Project, and Internet Inquiry all allow students to learn how to communicate and cooperate with others. Internet inquiry further allows students to develop skills in identifying important problems and evaluating information sources.

Ultimately, one of the essential skills Leu is concerned with is the ability to acquire new skills required by constantly evolving technologies. As he says, “learning to learn is at the core of the new literacies. It is not just that we want students to know how to read and write; we want them to know how to continuously learn new skills and strategies required by the new technologies of literacy that will regularly emerge.”

Use in the Classroom


I really like the webquest site Journey North as it is a multimedia and interactive presentation which allows students to learn about the earth and to use multiple skills and skill levels.  I would probably use this in my future teaching as on ongoing group project which students could contribute to depending on the particular skills I might be working on with them.  Although the site is overtly science based, it utilizes math and language arts and social studies, thereby being a good integrated website to use for special education.



References:

Leu, D.J., Jr. (2002, February). Internet Workshop: Making time for literacy [Exploring Literacy on the Internet department]. The Reading Teacher, 55(5). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/RT/2-