5.+Reflection

I found the creation of this webquest to be fairly easy once I actually had the chance to sit down and think about what I was doing. I wanted to create something that would be fun for teachers to do and yet informational at the same time. At first, I thought that including a research module such as the Big 6 would be difficult because I was working with adults, not children. However, it really fit in very nicely with the ideas I already had in mind. I tried to speak in “adult” language versus student language and really give the teachers the ability to go through the quest at their own speed. This activity is not designed so that the entire school staff has to be sitting in the same room at the same time listening to a principal or guest speaker talk. The teachers can be working in their classrooms, lounge, or media center, anywhere where they can sit with their teammates and have a chance to speak to each other. I tried to differentiate by giving teachers a choice of how they wanted to think about the use of their tool. If they wanted, they could jot down notes, use a simple organizer I created, or simply keep everything in their minds until it was time to share. This web-based activity has a real-life feel to it, and teachers know that even though it doesn’t seem to be a professional activity, principals can really use this information. I think that they will respond well to it because it is easy to follow, interactive, and still has them engage in worthwhile practices such as talking with team members, sharing thoughts and ideas, brainstorming, and using new technologies. Hopefully they will see the entire webquest as a worthwhile activity and something that is unique. It was difficult to make the wiki look more appealing to teachers, but then again, is that really necessary? I chose not to include pictures and clipart because I thought it might not be needed, although I feel as though the finished product leaves something be desired and I’m not sure what. This leaves me with this final thought: do web-based activities improve professional development sessions? I would definitely say yes, having sat through day-long SIP days before and knowing what they are like, but then again, is everyone going to feel obligated to participate if we aren’t all in the same room together? If teachers were asked to complete this activity during a plan time, would they do it? Or would they neglect to do it or forget about it completely? Sometimes we need people to push us to do things before we see the value in the activity. I tried to make it simple and easy-to-follow, as well as engaging for teachers. Hopefully they will find it just so.