I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.

Teachers have been around a long time but they have never looked more under threat than they do now. THe Internet has created a torrent on information, some free, some commercial, that is daily being added to. Our RSS aggregators bulge under the weight of this information. We have sophistication. We have the ability to sort, process, analyse and assimilate.

What about our students? What are they to do with the masses of information that are rushing past them at such a rate?

• Firstly, don't underestimate their power to deal with this issue. Students are techno-natives. Their teacher are the techno-immigrants. We wandered into this world, so different to our own, and are still trying to come to grips with it.  
• Secondly, providing students have a structure, they can navigate their way around these rapids efficiently and effectively. A small map and compass is all that is needed, except, perhaps, for the presence of a guide to ensure students stay on the right roads and don't pursue dead ends!

One excellent tool for this purpose is the WebQuest. WebQuests are a structured research project designed to be completed via the Internet. The stimulus is a question or statement which encapsulates a topic of research and gives students some scope for response. WebQuests are usually of one, or more, of the following:

1. Centering a 'real world' problem in the classroom, eg, global warming.
2. Reviewing and analysing the past, eg, ideas about atomic structure.
3. Creating and/or marketing a new product, eg GM food.
4. Paralleling a life process, eg, a day in the life of a biochemist
5. Fact and fantasy, eg. the real Jurassic Park.

WebQuests can be done by individuals but best results have been obtained from groups. The web makes collaborative learning an easier process as different group members can be assigned different tasks. The WebQuest itself has different components. Students receive the general scenario, followed by a detailed breakdown of the components required to complete the task and a list of websites to assist in this process. Students can take on different roles as they seek information from a variety of sources in order to produce a final product. The WebQuest is both the map and the compass. It provides a clear direction on what students are to do as well as specific ways of getting there. A rubric shows students how they will be assessed and what is required to succeed.

Too much time can be wasted chasing endless, pointless websites in search of information that student may not even see as relevant to their project. The WebQuest scaffolds the learning, ensuring students have a clear path to follow. 

Every adventurer benefits from a clear-minded, experienced guide. The guide helps anticipate possible pitfalls and can guide the adventurers back to the path if they have strayed.

Teachers will still be around for a little while yet, though our roles are certainly going to change.