1.WebQuest: A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Description: This quest is centered around fiction, folk tales, fairy tales and helps to fulfill several Utah Core Currcilum Objectives including: 4070-1105, 4080-1105.  Using information from a variety of preselected Web sites students will gather information about folk tales and various versions of  the Cinderella story as told in different cultures.  Groups will then combine this new information with  what they have already learned in class about ancient Greece to write their own version of Cinderella as it might have been told by the ancient Greeks.

Reflection:   A good webquest allows students to learn specific facts and/or tasks at their own pace and in their own way.  A key to a great webquest is a creative task.  By providing a task that is interesting and challenging teachers can offer students a context in which to work that will inspire them  to work hard.  The World Wide Web is so enormous that all students are in danger of information overload as well as stumbling on to sites that are inaapropriate or offensive.  When the teacher can preselect 10-20 quality sites students can begin to get a feel for workingindependently on the Web without becoming bogged down or distracted.  The freedom offered by these quests allows group work to be shared and provides ample opportunity for peer tutoring and mentoring.   Advanced, remedial and inclusion students can all benefit from the self direction and group dynamics inherent in a good webquest.

2.Interactive Spreadsheet:  Spreadsheets are a common computer tool provided to most teachers.  Though initially identified as a personal productivity tool and often used for creating grade sheets adn roles, spreadsheets are also a very valuable teaching/learning application.

Description:  This is a simple interactive spreadsheet created using MS Excel that uses the spinner tool to let students learn about fraction by experimenting with the numerator and denominator.  As they "play" with the fraction they can see a visual representation of the fraction as the higlighted section of  a "live" pie chart.

Reflection: The spreadsheet skills I have learned that make the adminsitrative parts of my jobs more efficient can also be used in the classroom to support teaching and learning.  Beyond this brief example I can see ways in which the use of spreadsheets as a data base can help students organize adn better understand information.  Putting the spreadsheet application into the hands of students can provide them with a pwerful self directed tool for learning.