WebQuest

Despite the chaos of my life recently, I finished my WebQuest...Is it truly a WebQuest? That is the question. I only know that I researched a topic of personal interest and found some really neat stuff, slowly figured out Google sites and how to make a multi-page production, and then began to "build"...I enjoyed this activity even though my OCD had me continuously editing the pages. The assignment was a satisfying one, as it was a culmination of the many skills to which I was introduced and allowed to practice throughout this semester. I plan to use these skills to keep myself current and to give my students a fair shot at becoming part of a global learning community. Who knows, I may even reach the "mastery" level myself one day!

My topic is the WV Coal Mine Wars, with a focus on the Company Store and the events at Matewan, WV. My grandfather immigrated to the US from Sicily in 1928 and went to work in coal mines in PA near Johnstown (east of Pittsburgh). His father was already in the US and had met my grandmother and her family (also miners)...he thought my grandmother (then age 13) would make a good (hard-working) wife for his 17-year-old son...and there you have it...an arranged marriage that lasted 75 years. Hearing the many horror stories led me to investigate the history...Italian immigrants also settled in West Virginia...in fact, one of the authors of a book I recommended in my WebQuest also had a grandfather who immigrated to the US from Sicily and worked in the coal mines (only in WV). This is interesting to me...I am trying to contact her. Anyway, my grandfather, who only attended three weeks of first grade before quitting school to work on an artichoke farm, made his fortune stripping coal, using his experiences in the mines as he became a true entrepeneur. If you have never seen the movie Matewan, take the time to watch it, as it is based on true events; be prepared for some difficulty in understanding some of the dialogue, but it is definitely worth the effort.

I had to publish my rubric once I uploaded it go Google Docs in order to make it "viewable" on the Guidelines page of my WebQuest. That was the only gliche. Here is the link:

WV Coal Mine Wars

Even though it may seem to be a convenient and simple task to complete a WebQuest due to the quick and easy access to all of the resources, when designed properly, it requires critical thinking and as well as an analysis and synthesis of a lot of information. Students must pull information from a wide variety of sources by weeding through the relevant and non-relevant in order to gather what they need to perform their portion of the task. Because WebQuests are new to my Special Education students, I will evaluate them mainly on their collaborative efforts and their storytelling ability (as evidenced by their Windows Movie Maker artifact) to start. Of course, factual accuracy will be necessary, so the content of their "movies", rather than their digital ability, will be the main focus. As they complete this type of assignment, they will practice a wide range of 21st century skills.

Debbie