Take a Web Tour on Project-based Learning

 Lesson Goals

To learn how to create your own curricular web pages without needing your own web authoring software or personal web site.

To begin to learn about the many proven K-12 web curriculum formats.

To identify sources for participation in existing online multi-classroom projects.

To identify sources for learning to create your own online collaborative projects.

A. To see how easy it can be to turn web resources into five different models of
        online classroom activities:
       (Hotlists, Multimedia Scrapbooks, Scavenger Hunts, Samplers, and Webquests.) 

Read the Filamentality home page of the Knowledge Network Explorer at 
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil

Read the following introduction page and review the five activity formats at the bottom of this page.   http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/guides.html

Note: While the Filamentality site is great for those without web authoring skills or their own Internet site for posting web pages, you'll ultimately prefer to have your own web authoring software and web site. However, Filamentality is a great place to get started. Review other curriculum authoring sites at  http://lone-eagles.com/currtour.htm   and  http://lone-eagles.com/webdev.htm     
Note that at some sites you can easily create quizzes for your students to take online, where the quiz results will be automatically emailed to you. (One Hour)

B.   Learn to Create Your Own Online Projects:

Go to: http://www.gsn.org
At this site view the link to Collaborative Projects, and review the resources, be sure not to miss the Projects Directory where you can post your own projects and/or find other educators with which to partner!

Review the exceptional resources at the following sites:

Guidelines for Educational Uses of Networks:
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/Guidelines/

The Best and Latest Resource

Review briefly Dr. Judi Harris's "Virtual Architecture " book/site at
 http://virtual-architecture.wm.edu

Note it is only partially online  offering extensive listings of articles related to each chapter at this site. This is the required text for the online course "Designing K12 Internet Instruction" http://lone-eagles.com/spu2.htm which intended to follow the current course.
      
You can purchase this wonderful resource from http://amazon.com, or by calling the publisher http://www.iste.org at   800-336-5191

The course text is available in the Seattle Pacific University bookstore for around $30 (last time I checked). You can order the text over the phone, by mail or by fax. Their number is (800)778-3401. Fax number is (206)281-2688. Address is SPU Bookstore, 310 West Bertona Street, Suite 220, Seattle, WA 98119-1950

(One Hour)

C. Explore the following resources on project-based learning.

Go to http://lone-eagles.com/pbl.htm and explore the resources on project-based learning.

Go to http://www.gsh.org   Select Professional Development and read "Harnessing the Power of the Web." Select "Articles On NetPBL" and review "How to Design a Successful  Project." and "Collaboration in the Classroom and Over the Internet.".

Then, conduct a search for "project-based learning" (include the quotes) to identify the volume of  resources available. Use the AND command with your preferred topic area
to find even more specific resources.
Example: "project-based learning" AND math

Go to: http://www.gsh.org
At this site select the link to the "Projects Registry," and review projects posted by teachers. Note you can post your own projects and/or find other educators with which to partner for multi-classroom projects!

        Explore some of the 5,000 student-created instructional web sites created
          through the Thinkquest Internet Challenge Competition http://www.thinkquest.org/library.html  

D.  Read http://lone-eagles.com/capacity.htm  and explore it briefly, with special emphasis on
          the Webquests section (The Official Webquest homepage at
          http://webquest.org and explore the   "Examples"and "Community"  resources.
          from which you will find a template which you can edit to quickly create your
        own webquest activity. Read about what webquests are and explore the related resources.
          Review multiple webquests related to your teaching.

         View the Webquest slideshow  at
           http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/webquest/wqsl1.html  

         Kathy Schrock's site has great webquest resources,  in addition to her slideshow,
           above. Explore:
           http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/webquest/webquest.html

           Review the "Webquest about Webquests." The "teachers' template" will make
           creating your first Webquest easy!     All Webquest Templates are at :
            http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html
      
            Here's the easiest template which you can also find by clicking
            on the first template image in the URL above;
            http://webquest.sdsu.edu/templates/lesson-template1.htm

            Explore the rich listing of tutorials at:
            http://webquest.org/index-resources.php
        

IMPORTANT: From the Teachers' Template page, click on the first "no frames" template
      IMAGE to view it in your browser, here's the correct link:
      http://webquest.sdsu.edu/templates/lesson-template1.htm  You can either save it directly,
     or select File/Edit if you're using Netscape Communicator/Composer to edit it right away!
     You cannot edit a web page using the browser, only usin the composer or another
     web-authoring program. Most word-processing programs WILL handle web pages but
     you have to be careful that you save your web page as a web page with extension .htm etc.
     

    Don't bother with the 'frames' versions unless you're comfortable with advanced
    web authoring and unzipping bundled files.

Create a sample webquest and email it, or the URL, to your instructor. By editing existing
      webquest templates this can go very quickly. The point of this activity is experience how to
      successfully edit a template or existing webquest to quickly create your own unit. There's no
      need to spend lots of time on the content.

     Don't hesitate to ask questions of your instructor if necessary!

     Optional: Here's an Alaskan Specific collection of examples of cultural lessons and pages.     
                     http://lone-eagles.com/alaskan-stories.htm
          
      (One Hour)

E.  Explore  http://lone-eagles.com/projects_tour.htm , at least three other sites that
       look interesting to you. Go also to the Global Schoolhouse at http://www.gsn.org 
       and review the Cyberfair project.

While there are a great many free online projects available, there is a rapidly growing market for fee-based  "plug-and-play" Quest-type curricular units. Typically costing around $70 for a 6-8 week activity complete with workbooks, videos, and real online scientists and mentors. Here's are listing of both free and fee-based Project-Based Learning, (PBL) directories: http://lone-eagles.com/projects_tour.htm http://lone-eagles.com/pbl.htm

Post to the class listserv the 3 best projects you've found during this lesson which are relevant to your teaching along with your thoughts on project-based learning as potentially
applicable to your classroom.

(30 minutes)

 

Lesson Feedback: Optional, but much appreciated.

You're invited to privately email your instructor:

       1. What areas, if any, did you have trouble with during this lesson?

       2. What questions remain now that you've finished this lesson?

       3. Approximately how much time did you devote to this lesson?

       4. What improvements would you like to suggest?