Structuring online research

After working through the case, I really saw a lot of possibilities for the models. Three of the models really interested me. I kind of wanted to do the history ones myself. The articles were not as engaging for me as the examples. In high school, I saw a lot of the problems mentioned in the articles, although I realize some teachers have not had as much experience using this technology on a regular basis. The examples were very good, and I think for teachers who want to become more adept, very helpful. The webquest model has a great structure, and I love that students have the ability to role-play. For the web inquiry model, I see a lot of benefits coming from the narrow scope of the topic. Tools are provided for the students so that they do not become overwhelmed. The historical scene investigation can be done online or offline, perhaps both, so that students without regular internet access can also work on such products. It also capitalizes on the secret longing of pretty much everybody to be a detective or CSI investigator. The Big6 model helps students foster skills for research later on, following perhaps the principle, "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish, he eats for a lifetime." I do think that there should be a little bit more freedom in the resources used, that was my main concern in all of the models.
I did get new insights from the discussion with Melissa, Aleah and David. David pointed out how visually appealing the historical scene models are, as well as how they can be a very good motivator for students to learn. Aleah talked about how she really enjoyed the web inquiry model, and saw the potential for mixing in the historical scene model as well. We discussed how easy it was to follow the webquest. Aleah also mentioned that one way to deal with students finding their own sources is to explain to them they must be prepared to defend these sources. This discussion effected how I would structure my own online research.
My favorite type of research model was the webquest. I would use this to help students do an interactive role-playing project in which they learn both facts and perspectives on a certain period, event, or historical figure. After setting up the structure, I would talk to my students about why I picked the websites that I did so that later on we could do more of the open-ended topics such as the historical scene investigation. Students would be able to research in school, and after assessing the internet connectivity, I would decide if it's viable for students to continue such research at home. When I assessed the product, I would look for the knowledge students gained and how it fit into the SOL's. Like Aleah suggested, I would also make sure students could defend why they used information they had. After doing a webquest in this manner, I would later structure research with the historical scene investigation, still allowing for students to contact me with any questions.