We're thinking about our upcoming research projects, and thinking about how to write a good research question this week.
This feels like a really big challenge for me, because with my limited knowledge of the technologies available for classroom use I feel like I'm up against all of the smart people who figured out that technology could be used in a classroom a long time ago, and that they've already asked all the good questions!
I started brainstorming in class about webquests, and how to use them in the classroom. It seems too broad to ask a question like, "are webquests effective tools for teaching foreign languages?", but at the same time, I feel like my knowledge of webquests is so limited that I don't know what kind of questions have already been asked, what information has already been found about them, and what kind of questions would actually add something to the realm of SLA theory in relation to webquests.
So for now, the questions that stick out as possibly interesting topics for my research project this semester are:
1. How do webquests promote the inclusion of the standards for foreign language learning in the secondary classroom?
2. To what extent do webquests promote language proficiency in foreign language classrooms?
I think that both of these questions have potential, and both are related to a subject I'm interested in knowing more about. What I'm hoping to discover through studying this topic is more information about webquests, how they are useful, when they are useful, and what they are useful for, especially as related to the foreign language classroom.
I think knowing more about what aspects of webquests are truly conducive to learning would be very helpful for language teachers. Also, knowing the most appropriate strategies for using webquests in the classroom and having guidelines for what works well and what tends not to be a productive use of class time would be helpful for many teachers, including myself!
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4 comments:
I would love to see the results of your questions. Webquests and their use in a foreign language classroom is something about which I would like to inquire. Like powerpoint, the use of webquests and its benefits in the classroom must be experimented in order to use them efficiently. My knowledge of them is also limited, and would like to learn more.
Something to think about .... how would you measure language proficiency when a student is doing a webquest?
Feel free to see me during break to discuss more....
I guess I would have to measure language somehow through follow up activities, like writing a paragraph about what they had found in the webquest, or an email that they send to the teacher after completing the webquest....there are definitely a lot of aspects of these questions that need to be refined!
I think webquests are great, fun, and useful if they are organized and done correctly. I found out about webquests during an undergraduate foreign language methods class that I took. It might be fun for the students to create their own webquests for their peers to do and they could grade their peers' work based on a rubric that they have created. Buena Suerte!
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