WebQuest

What is a WebQuest you might ask?  It is really quite simple.  It is a virtual scavenger hunt.  Teachers can make them as general or as specific as they desire, so these types of activities can be used for a variety of subject matters.  Generally, the way a WebQuest is designed is that the teacher has a website (or several) for students to explore.  The students are given a worksheet and asked to answer the questions on the worksheet by moving through the site.  Students can work individually, in pairs, or in groups.

Music History WebQuest
http://oben.powertolearn.com/Music/conclusion.html

This WebQuest is a look into music history.  A student chooses a time period of music and then finds information about composers, compositional techniques, ensemble types, performance practices, instrumentation, and musical genres.  The student then follows the steps of the WebQuest to complete the assignment.

I could definitely see myself using WebQuests in my future classroom.  I like this activity because it can be adjusted for any age group of students - elementary through high school.  Being a music major who will be certified K-12, I really appreciate activities than can be modified for all ages.  I would use a WebQuest for high school students beginning a research project on a musical composer, for middle school students learning about musical time periods, or for elementary students studying musical instruments.

I think that WebQuests could be used for all types of education experiences, and I believe that I would make good use of these activities in my classroom.

Website Evaluation

Evaluating a website is harder than I had originally thought - especially if you don't have a guide.  When determining if a website is appropriate or not, it important for the evaluator to have a checklist of what should be on the site.  I found a site provided by Kathy Schrock for website evaluation.  I found this site to be a very valuable resource.  This site has PDFs available for a wide range of activities for all ages of students and all types of online tools.  Click here to view the site.

This tool is good for both students and educators.  An educator must research a site before using it as a tool in the classroom, and the checklist provided here would be useful for this.  However, the PDFs found are also easy for students to use.  They have simple checklists and questions that are both easy to follow and complete.  I can definitely see myself using the tool very often in the future.

DSO Kids

Our most recent assignment in TPTE was to do a website evaluation. I chose a site that was relevant to my future classroom. It is a children's interactive site presented by the Dallas Symohony Orchestra. This website was organized well, was easy to navigate, and was appealing to younger students.

This site has a wide variety of interactive activities for students. There are games that cover everything from listening examples to musical time periods to facts about composers. It also provides a visual tour of the DSO Performance Hall.

I would love to use this site as an educator. It even provides teachers with tools for setting up lesson plans that correspond with the games and activities on the site. I highly recommend this site for teachers, no matter the proficiency one might have in music.

For more information on the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and DSO Kids, visit their website.