Effective Instructional Models: Internet Workshop, Internet Project, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest

Chapter Three

“Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times”, Leu, Leu, and Coiro

Effective Instructional Models:
Internet Workshop, Internet Project,
Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest

Four instructional models were clearly defined and examples given of the use of each. They were the Internet Workshop, Internet Project, Internet Inquiry and the WebQuest.

At the present time, I have not seen much of the use of collaboration with any
other school or website. Why? I don't know. Perhaps it is because our school is a Title II school and our emphasis is on reading, math, and improving our PAWS scores. Although, it could perhaps be that some teachers are using these ideas and I just have not been aware of it.

I've seen portions of the Internet Workshop used in the classrooms. Good sites are bookmarked. Student are assigned a topic or select a topic to write about. Outlines or questions are given for information that needs to be located on the Internet. Students have shared ideas and sources for finding the information. Then after gathering the information they are to write their reports or synthesis all their thoughts.

I feel that the last paragraph of the article sums it up pretty well in the “Final Words”. Teachers are isolated in their classrooms and the Internet give them more of a chance to chance to connect with other teachers and students around the world. Sharing these ideas from this book with other teachers can help with the Internet being more successful in the classrooms because the important issue is success depends greatly upon the classroom's teacher decision to use these resources.

The following ideas I would like to see being incorporated into our use of the Internet at our school. One idea I really liked was the “Healty Skeptics” addresses that are available to check the accuracy of the site information.

The Internet Workshop was helpful as it “teaches content” and indicated “sources”
of the content. The lesson was socially constructed as the teacher sought out other teachers advise on the Internet. A WebQuest site can be incorporated too which are complete lessons that are found on the Internet. Internet Project whereby a collaborative project with other classroom's leads to new outcomes as information
is shared and discussed.

Sharee, the classroom teacher used the idea of “author's chair” but I do not know that this practice is.

The article suggested when using the computer laboratory only as a “free choice” activity teachers are abdicating their responsibility to prepare students. The students are without direction and special guidance.

It was suggested rotating class time on computer's use so that students do not miss out on their computer time because of specials. Change the schedule every two weeks or so. Use partner learning and rotate the partners often. I liked the fact that when the teacher only had one computer in the classroom she scheduled thirty minutes for each child or each pair of children to work on the computer during each week.

I especially liked the end of the week Workshop Session where all discussed their finds, questions, and new discoveries of sites on the Internet.

Finally, the Internet Inquiry seemed important to use also where children learn to ask their own questions about a topic. They then search out the answer. They evaluate all the information, finally compose and share all this information.

These were many excellent models and ways to use the Internet for the classroom teacher and the children.

Ida M. Rounds