Wednesdays are often filled with group activities and games aimed at building community, practicing research and presentation skills, and encouraging creative thinking. One day we did an internet research treasure hunt. The Nesters were asked to find the answers to questions like:
"How long it would take to drive from Hatfield to Chicago?"
"Who it the current governor of New Mexico?"
"Where is the statue of Paul Bunyon?"
Some of the things the Nesters discovered are that you need to check the dates on websites to make sure the information is accurate, that you can take a variety of routes to get to Chicago, and that there may be multiple answers/images to a single question. The kids got practice using new search engines, image finders, and mapping tools. This activity is a reminder to the kids that the internet is only a tool and that you must extrapolate the appropriate information, use your own knowledge base, skill sets and common sense in order to really understand and learn.
The kids are always eager to get the "right" answer but when they grasp the idea of multiple "right" answers and celebrate the complexity of learning it is truly inspiring to me. These Nesters inspire me every day.
