What Would Socrates Say?

I think that Socrates would approve of WebQuests as an innovative and modern approach to teaching and learning. The article states that Socrates “believed that we learn best by asking essential questions and testing tentative answers against reason and fact in a continual and virtuous circle of honest debate.” The properly designed WebQuest achieves this in a modern sense, utilizing modern technology and resources in a way that Socrates probably never imagined during his lifetime. The first reason I think he would agree based on this quote is because a WebQuest certainly poses some variety of important question to be examined or problem to be solved. The second is that a WebQuest should also explore many possible solutions and ideas relative to that problem and engage students in critical thinking and creative problem solving. Teachers can provide reputable links to reliable information so that students can “test tentative answers” using the most information possible. Third, I think Socrates would approve because the rich socialization enabled by online resources enables an arena for continuous debate, discussion, exploration and researching. Students can communicate in unconventional ways and without the restraints of a class schedule or schoolroom. Socrates believed in non traditional forms of education and WebQuests are different and exciting ways to challenge students.
I agree with the points made about the internet creating a sort of quick fix culture of google-ing searchers, more interested in “fragments of thought” rather than actually reading and learning something in its entirety. The freedom and vastness of the internet comes with the inability to control what it contains, and therefore it is filled with inaccurate and wrong information. That is why it is important the a WebQuest be designed using scholarly and accredited resources available online to help students learn how to discern between fact and fiction on the internet.

My WebQuest is about Earth Day and I believe it presents an analytical task. Students are asked to compare different problems facing the plant and the effect they are having as well as different solutions for these problems. From this they gain an understanding of the impact our actions are having upon the planet and the way in which they can change this.