Teacher Process
Mind Map of Ideas for WebQuest:
Teacher Prior Preparation/Organisation:
Prearrange details with the principle in relation to:
- Digging up part of the school yard for a vegetable garden,
- Having students work autonomously in the garden - you may need to organise supervision for the times that children are actually digging and planting the garden, and
- Funding for supplies.
Prepare a list of resources that students will need so that you can ensure that all the correct resources are purchased.
Speak to the Canteen to ensure there are enough vegetables being used for research purposes. As the group has 5 members, you will need at least 10 different vegetables.
Further learning ideas for vegetables grown in the garden:
- Use in taste test comparisons (store bought vs. home grown) to introduce a topic on organically produce,
- In class cooking,
- Designing menus or healthy eating plans or
- Students can take home.
Suggested Time Line for allocating lessons:
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Week #
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Step #
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Lesson allocation
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Week One
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Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
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1 lesson
1 lesson
3 lessons
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Week Two
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Step 4
Step 5
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3 lessons
2 lessons
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Week Three
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Step 6
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1 week
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Week 4-10
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Step 7: ongoing
Step 8: ongoing
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Week Five
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Step 9
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4 lessons
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Week Six
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Step 11
Reflection
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6 - 8 lessons
1 lesson
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Integration of ICT
Brainstorming/Mind Mapping
Kidspiration is used for students to brainstorm their ideas throughout the project. It will be used primarily as a reflection tool to compare what they knew at the beginning of the WebQuest to what they know at the end.
Creating a timeline
Use Microsoft Excel to create a timeline. Students need intermediate skills in excel to complete this task and a tutorial site has been provided to instruct students in creating a timeline. For students with lesser skills, they can use a word processing or paint program.
GrowVeg
I found this to be a great interactive site for planting a vegetable garden, however it provides all the information that students need to gather in step 3. It is for this reason that I would start the free trial myself and only give the log-on details when the Design Coordinator is up to that step.
Log on details: GrowVeg.com
Media
Students have been asked to take photos with a digital camera throughout their garden building experience. These photos will be scanned into the computer for use in their presentation and book.
Presentations
Students will use Microsoft Publisher to create a presentation for the principle outlining their final decision and reasons. A tutorial site has been provided for those students needing instruction.
Publishing
Students have been given an option to use whatever format they would like to create their final book. I expect some students to use publisher, some to use word.
Research
The Internet is used as a tool to research the information required.
Word Processing
Microsoft Word will be used for the students to write a letter to the principle. A letter pro forma has been provided to aid students in structuring their letter.
Microsoft word can also be used to create pages for student's book in step 10.
Social Constructivism
Constructivism involves a student’s "need to construct their own understanding...so that the primary role of teaching is not to lecture, explain, or otherwise attempt to 'transfer' ... knowledge, but to create situations for students that will foster their making the necessary mental constructions" (Dubinsky & Schwingendorf, 1994). "The social aspect [of social constructivism] regards the belief that learning occurs among children and adults. Learning is dependent on one's social situation" (Swayze, n.d. page 1).
According to Classroom Compass (1994) a constructivist classroom encourages student autonomy and initiative, higher level thinking, and collaborative work.
Grow School Greens WebQuest is based on a cooperative group work strategy in which all students are given an individual role and the effort of each student directly impacts the others. There is both individual and group accountability.
The cycle of research, collate, evaluate and carry out in this WebQuest provide hands on activities that allow the students to construct their own knowledge and test their theories.
There are no set lesson plans as the students are to work autonomously. The students have been asked to take responsibility of their own work and set themselves a time line that they will be expected to stick to.
Incorporation of Blooms Taxonomy
Following the steps of the WebQuest, students move from using provided graphic organisers to creating their own. The WebQuest also provides for the progression from simple data collection, to comparisons and then onto analysing a concept and providing their point of view.
The outcome of the project requires students to visualise their sample garden on a large scale and determine the pros and cons. They are required to make a decision of whether they think it can work and why.