WebQuest Student Sample-Genetic Disorders

WebQuest Performance Task:

You are an up and coming scientist who has been presented with the opportunity to host a children’s show for Discovery Channel Kids. This new show will film many different volumes, each pertaining to different areas of science. In order to determine if you are the right host for them, the producers have decided that each contestant will create a five or six minute sneak preview show based on a secific genetic disorder. The sneak peek needs to include what the disease is, how it is diagnosed, whether or not it is hereditary, how it affects your genotype and phenotype, and whether or not there are any treatments. In order to be selected as the future host of this new children’s series, you will need to win over the hearts and minds of both the producers and the elementary students who will be viewing your show. Remember, this show is designed for children between the ages of ten and fifteen, so keep it fun and interesting! If selected as the winner, the producers will fly you out to their headquarters in Silver Springs, Maryland, and then on to L.A. to begin filming your show.




Resources Used:

St. Georges University of London:
Kessling, Anna and Mary Sawtell. "The Genetics of Down's Syndrome." Learning About Intellectual Disabilites and Health. 2002. St. Georges University of London. 30 September, 2008.

March of Dimes:
No Author. "Quick References and Fact Sheet." March of Dimes. 2007. March of Dimes. 29 September, 2008.

The National Down Syndrome Society:
No Author. "About Down Syndrome." National Down Syndrome Society. 2008. The National Down Syndrome Society. 30 September, 2008.

KidsHealth- For Kids
Scott, Charles. "Down Syndrome." KidsHealth- For Kids. August 2008. Nemours Foundation. 20 September, 2008.

The Lucina Foundation:
Ward, Kenneth, P. Farrington and A. Sharp. "Birth Defects." The Lucina Foundation. 2006. The Lucina Foundation. 29 September, 2008.


Photos:
(In order of appearance)
Groovin' on a Summer Afternoon
Collage
Down's Syndrome in South Africa
Amniocentesis
Average Karyotype
Trisomy 21 Karyotype
Effects of Down's Syndrome
Down's Syndrome Hands
Lucina Foundation- Birth Defects
New York Times-Genetics Photo
Pregnant Woman Photo
Incidence of Down's Syndrome
Gene Photo
Boy 1
Boy 2
Girl
Adolescent
Young Adult
Man

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The Maine Memory Network Video

How to Help Someone Use a Computer

One thing that I have to tell myself is:
"Knowledge lives in communities, not individuals. A computer user who's part of a community of computer users will have an easier time than one who isn't. "

This spoke to me because I think that it is important to everyone, young and old, to realize that technology is here to stay. Knowledge in this area is not something that will come easy to everyone, it is something that needs to be worked on frequently in order to become proficient. My mom has the hardest time with them and gets so frustrated because I just understand. The most you can do is fully immerse yourself in that kind of community.

Important Rules:
"Don't take the keyboard. Let them do all the typing, even if it's slower that way, and even if you have to point them to every key they need to type. That's the only way they're going to learn from the interaction. "

This rule spoke to me because I am always the kind of person that gets frustrated if it takes forever for people to do things or get mad if it isn't being done properly. I have a tendency to grab things out of peoples hands and do it for them. As a teacher, however, that is something that I should not be doing. I should be encouraging them to try it out in order to learn.


Though I don't think the concept of technology will be a problem in this classroom, I could say that this presented information would let us know how to better serve those who consider themselves digital immigrants by making the technology as fun, easy, and user friendly as possible.

Agre, Phil. "How to Help Someone Use A Computer." 1996. 18 September, 2008.

Copyright and Fair Use LR

The question that I thought was the most intriguing asked whether it was OK for a teacher to post work of elementary students on a password protected site for parents even if the work contained resources that had not been cited. Under copyright laws, that is technically OK as long as the website is really secured by a password.

This law struck me as really odd because it almost goes against everything our teachers taught us in school. I do not necessarily disagree with the law, but I certainly do not agree either. I understand that we are talking about children between the ages of five and fourteen, however, if it is not their own work it should be cited somehow. If the student doesn't do it, the teacher should take some responsibility of making some reference to who the original work was from. I don't understand why there is a rule such as this. How is typing a paper for your teacher any different? If the teacher’s eyes are the only ones that see your work, it is protected in a sense. At a young age like that, I would think it important that they learn to give credit to the work that you use. Some children may assume that it is OK to not cite their work, which could get them into trouble later in life.

Does the law hold true for students are in high school, or is it strictly for those in elementary school? If a password protected site is created for student work to be published for parents to view, how many hits does there need to be before a law is being broken? What is the reasoning behind the law?

Copyright and Fair Use SR

I thought that the most interesting answers came from questions 2, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 18 because a lot of them had to do with the simultaneous use of programs during class or in school. I thought that this quiz showed there were a lot of little loopholes in copyright laws and is not as cut and dry as I had thought. Now that I have taken this quiz, I do not feel like I know any more about the laws, and am just more confused by what can and cannot be done in a classroom setting.