After reading the article "What Would Socrates Say", it is obvious that the reader believes that Socrates would whole-heartedly support the ever increasing technology as a viable learning experience for children. I must say I have to agree with the author of this article. In this article, there are several points of proof for this. First, Socrates believed beyond any other thing that questioning was the key to advancing intelect. Webquests undoubtedly support questioning. If a Webquest is constructed correctly, a student must not simply search the web for facts, but critically think and question the matter at hand. Socrates was also an emperical thinker--he supported scientific reasoning behind natural phenomena. Facts and science are keys to discovering answers and Webquests request that kind of reasoning. A final reason Socrates would support Webquests is that his most advanced teaching tool of his time was communication--especially in groups. Webquests require group communication and questioning/debate that results in higher level thinking. Socrates would support any means by which a being could enhance their learning and questioning. Answers are always leading to more questions, and by that thought technology is always leading to more technology. Socrates would encourage an embracing of this learning source.
My Webquest requires students to perform the "persuasive task" described in the Webquest Taxonomy. The students use the information they learn to persuade "clients" to take a trip to their geological time period. Students must show an understanding for the characteristics of their specific time period and use creativity and presentation skills to persuade others.
Here is a link to my final Webquest!
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You have a strong understanding of how WebQuests can be used to support student learning!
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