Week 7: Implementation 2

This is the second lesson of the WebQuest on the Internet.  I had 45 students in a class, and repeated the same lesson 4 times with different groups in a day.  That makes 180 students in total.

1. Review and Post-reading (5 min.)

Reviewed the arguments for and against the Internet. Students discussed other possible arguments, evaluated all the arguments in pairs and voted online.

2. Logic Quiz (10 min.)

Did the Logic Quiz of Educaplay quizzes.  Students worked in pairs to find the right answer, followed by explanations by the teacher.

3. Other Quizzes (10 min.)

Students did other Educaplay Quizzes individually.

4. Video and New WebQuest (5 min.) 

Showed only the beginning of the optional Video, "The Internet in Society", and moved to the next WebQuest.

5. Vocabulary (10 min.) 

Went over 10 flash cards of Quizlet; then each student tried different study modes at his own pace for 10 minutes.

6. Pre-listening (5 min.) 

Students discussed the questions in pairs, and voted their initial thought to the issue online.

7. Writing exercise (5 min.) 

Introduced Japanese-English translation exercise site with the automated assessment function.  This is primarily for their independent study at home.

Internet connection problem

Educaplay quizzes are Flash based programs, and it took as long as 7 minutes for everyone to open the page because 45 students try to access the heavy page all at once.  Educaplay offers very sophisticated design, but the downside is that it takes time to load.  After the first lesson, I decided to display one quiz on teacher's computer, so that students try it together in class while waiting for the page to show in individual computer.  

One very positive response 

Novelty of some tasks is partially disappeared for some students, and I had to nudge some students to focus more, but overall students did a good job.  One student visited me after school to seek some advice on how to improve practical skills of English. He said he wants to be a doctor, and he would like to work in a foreign country where a doctor is really needed.  He has started to listen to CNN and also started to keep a diary in English.  It was great to witness a student who has grown up to be an autonomous learner.  He also said he really liked the WebQuest, and he said he would like to do my WebQuests even after he graduates from the school.  At least one student appreciated what I have been doing, and that means a lot to me.

I will finish this WebQuest on Saturday.