My Thoughts on WebQuests

Before last week, I had never heard of a WebQuest. I learned quickly, however, by reading about WebQuests this past week but did not get the full effect of the impact of such a tool until I personally explored an actual WebQuest. I'm in awe! To have such a powerful tool available to students is much akin to Prometheus' access to fire! At first the thought of using WebQuest as an educational portal worried me because of the fact that all I have heard for years from naysayers is how educational technology will take the place of teachers by making human educators obsolete. I no longer feel that way. Although the Introduction, Task, Process, and Resources available are important, I believe that the Evaluation, Conclusion, Reflection, and Extension are crucial to the success of the WebQuest. After all, what good is having the first four sections if students are not able to tie it all together for the total and all-encompassing experience of the final four? Without them it would be like waiting for the other shoe to drop!