Web Quests

I think that web quests are great to bring technology into the classroom. They can be made for individual students or for groups of students. They also allow students to work at their own pace. If they are well made, they can provide students with valuable lessons that tie directly into the Georgia Standards. Most provide a rubric for students to self-monitor their work. They can also guide students in creating wonderful displays of their knowledge.
There are many web quest already made just waiting to be utilized. Quest Garden is one site for finding pre-made web quest. I suggest that teachers go through the quest carefully before introducing them to their students. Some may contain inaccuracies. You may be able to change them or you may have to e-mail the creator to make a correction.
The best way to provide students with the experience you want is to create your own web quest. It may take some time but it can be used year after year. You can make sure that the content and reading material is age appropriate and the standards for your state are met.
The only drawback with web quest would be the availability of computers. Many schools have computer labs where teachers can schedule time for their class. If this is not an option, teachers may have to pair students and come up with a schedule of use for the computers available in the classroom.
I really like web quest because it does incorporate technology into the curriculum while staying aligned with the standards. Providing students with opportunities to use technology is very important and web quests make for a fun and educational way to do this.
This is a wonderful video to learn how to create a web quest in Quest Garden!