Working with WebQuests

Abstract

Searching the Internet is becoming an everyday practice for most students. Students with disabilities, however, are sometimes put at a disadvantage when attempting to complete this task. One practice that has become invaluable to me as a special education/inclusion teacher is the use of the WebQuest for- mat. This article describes how students are boosting their learning through teacher-led lessons on the World Wide Web. and can be incorporated in the creation stage of the lesson. With the special education teacher's knowledge of his or her students' needs, two of the IDEA requirements can also be met with regard to accommodations and access to the general education curriculum. First, teachers can address goals of the individualized education program (IEP) to focus on accommodations and modi- fications to support the child's success in the general curriculum (Goldberg, 1999). Teachers can incorporate instruc- tional support into the design of the WebQuest in the form of readability, larger text, and simpler directions. Also, because schools and teachers are required to help the child be involved in and progress within the general educa- tion curriculum, the WebQuest format offers the opportunity to incorporate basic skills with higher-order thinking skills and other enrichment activities with peers without disabilities.