Quillstress

Well, the webquests ended up being a bit abrreviated, but it was really interesting playing with the template.   While templates do help people in many instances, I was a bit annoyed with the lack of scope.  I couldn’t find a webquest tailored the way I wanted to do it, not that I couldn’t have used one and adapted what I wanted to do to the format, but why?   I found the Webquest template interesting as a way of learning to build a web-based assignment, but now necessarily the ends.  My own idea was to link a webquest to my “website” I have envisioned in which students would use a Writely document to build a “database” of great studyskills links, but I couldn’t get the templates to cooperate in the way I required.  I think it would be far simpler to build the assignment myself.   This was for several reason specific to my situation (for instance, you couldn’t remove the “evaluation” section of the template, yet there are no “grades” in my study hall) and for more general reasons like lack of creativity in the design…you couldn’t even change the font in most instances.  I think it’s a really good first step for teachers not aquainted with web-based lessons or who don’t spend enough time online to really have a grasp of what is possible, but I’m not either of those.  (That sounded a little arrogant, not the way I meant it, truly.)  I’m pleased the resource is out there, it encourages teachers to step out a little, but I don’t think I’ll be using it except as “inspiration”.   There are quite a few really good examples of lessons that have been catalogued and I love to see what other teachers are doing with the internet.