WebLessons Research and Writing Process

June 8 – 10, 2009

Why Use the Internet as a Core Source for Curriculum and

Learning?

The World Wide Web provides access to

• a vast reservoir of information

• dynamic multimedia eyewitness demonstrations/examples/scenarios

• primary/first-hand sources and accounts

Our students come to the classroom readily prepared and equipped to use technology and electronic devices. Supplanting and even replacing traditional textbooks written and edited by one source with exciting, interactive, multiple-source Internet resources invigorates classrooms of all levels and disciplines.

WebLessons: Workshop Objectives Teachers will understand the WebLessons program from

student, teacher, and writer perspective.

Teachers will explore and refine Web research tactics to become experts at locating the best available online resources and evaluating those Web sites for a variety of Social Studies topics.

Teachers will incorporate a variety of higher-order thinking questions and write numerous examples that will be incorporated into the WebLessons.

Teachers will plan, prepare, and present complete WebLessons ready for publication.

Teachers will edit and provide constructive feedback for the WebLessons created during this workshop.

Let’s Review the OverviewWebLessons is an easy-to-use learning management system that transforms the chaos of the Internet into a safe, structured learning environment for you and your students. Instead of a normal browser Window, WebLessons gives students an organized, step-by-step learning path complete with instructions, study questions, vocabulary, quizzes, and inquiry-based projects. Students stay on track and stay on task with engaging sites and relevant subject information. They can even turn in their work online.

Let’s face it, everything is done online these days. And kids not only “get it,” they embrace it and already “own it.”WebLessons is a natural method of curricular study for students.

Instructional ModelThe instructional model reflects the latest research and most advanced innovations in effectiveteaching and learning, combined with a Web-based integration technique that is truly unique andhighly effective. For simplicity, the instructional model consists of four discrete but interrelatedsteps: Prepare, Learn, Practice, and Apply WebLessons

rock!

Prepare

This important step prepares students for the learning activity by activating backgroundknowledge and generating interest in the topic. This preparation may begin offline as a whole class mini-activity and/or discussion. We also repeat the preparation online in the form of an introduction and scenario. The scenario is a situated learning proposition that provides

students with a meaningful context for the lesson; a reason for them to pay close attention and learn all they can.

LearnDuring the learning stage, students visit a number of specific Web resources that engage them with rich content. Sites that contain rich media (audio, video, animations, and simulations) and primary sources areprevalent. All lesson sites include a bibliographic reference (modified MLA format), a glossary, and integrated study questions emphasizing higher order thinking.

Practice

To help reinforce learning and provide a low-stress level of accountability, students will get an opportunity to practice recalling some of the details of what they have learned. A short quiz (multiple choice) is integrated into every lesson. Students answer questions right online and receive immediate feedback; they are free to go back into the lesson and study up if necessary.

Apply

The best way to reinforce learning and provide a means of assessment is to give students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in meaningful ways. There is a final written project at the end of each lesson. Projects closely tie to the scenario and require a creative application of the knowledge students should have gained from the lesson pages. Some projects resemble Document Based Questions that require formal analysis or synthesis, while others appeal to a student's creative side. Variety is favored, not formulas. In addition to the integrated student project, teachers are provided with a number ofdifferentiated learning exercises and whole class activities to extend learning further.