What is a WebQuest?

Like most other topics in the class, I had no clue what a WebQuest was.  After working on today's assignment I have become much more familiar with them, and their purposes.  Using WebQuests allows children work together and to research a topic in depth.  When we began exploring the WebQuest I immediately became doubtful.  How can I use this tool in ECE? What I eventually discovered is that it may not be a tool I utilize often, but there is potential.  I will just have to search for it.

When we were working on the WebQuests about WebQuests I was really interested in the variety of topics.  For some reason I was under the impression that they would only be about math and science.  The topics for elementary children varied, and included a variety of skills.  I found that I was wishing I participated in these activities when I was in school.  When we were evaluating the WebQuests I was the Efficiency Expert and Affiliator.  Doing both these tasks really allowed for me to take an indepth look at each WebQuest.  I was able to see how important the quality of a WebQuest is from several standpoints.  Just because a WebQuest has a lot of potential in one area, does not mean that it is strong in the others.  In fact it may be seriously lacking in three other areas.  The importance of evaluation is becoming a theme in this class.  As an educator it is my duty to provide only quality resources for my children.  Evaluation is key to completing that duty successfully.

After we finished the WebQuest about WebQuests, we began searching for a WebQuest that we felt had potential for ECE.  I was a little doubtful that I would find anything appropriate, but I have been surprised every time thus far, so why would this tool be any different? After searching I found a promising WebQuest based on Eric Carle's Work.  The WebQuest proved to me that they can be accessed for young children.  The process touched on a variety of skills that a child would be working on.