WebQuests (ICT Integration)

Local Leaders, Tomorrow's Heroes

Many revered national heroes, Nobel Prize winners, and other admired leaders started on their path to fame in their own backyards, by looking at what was happening around them and deciding to tackle an issue or help solve a problem they saw there, or by following a path that started with small successes which grew bigger and gained larger audiences. By taking a leadership role in your own community, you can take a step on the path toward becoming tomorrow’s hero.

Task

As part of an International Community Improvement Expo, your community has selected your team to examine problems in your school and community and suggest a plan to correct these problems. As a part of your work, you will need to contact key role players like officials, community leaders, teachers and respected members of your community who can help you determine what problems your community and school is experiencing now, and what challenges they may face in the coming years. After identifying several issues and considering the information you receive, you will select the one issue that you think is most important. Then you will develop an action plan that outlines how this problem can be solved within the next three years.

Process

Your team must accomplish the following tasks to complete this assignment:

Investigate current and developing problems in your school and community.
Get input from key role players to help you determine what the most important problems are.
Identify the problem you want to solve.
Clearly state the problem and the issues that surround it.
Develop an action plan that shows how this problem can be solved in the next three years or less.
Provide descriptions of the types of leaders who will be needed to solve this problem and develop job descriptions for these leadership positions.
Estimate costs for the project.
Design a multimedia presentation for community leaders that highlights your ideas and recommendations.

For this assignment, you will work in teams of four and you will divide your task into roles as follows (click on each role for more information):

Reseacher

It is your task to research the community problems. You will be the team's main liaison person, although the team members will help you with research. This is a team effort, but you are responsible for the research and liaison. Some of this activity could include interviewing members of the community in person or by phone.

A survey of members of the school and community will also help to identify the most pressing problems. You could conduct this survey verbally, by email or on paper. You decide which method will be easiest and most reliable.

Once your team have agreed on a problem to tackle, make sure you understand the real cause of the problem. In order to do this you will have to interview selected members of the community. Bring this information to the strategy meeting.

Strategist

Your task is to assist with the research and interviews, but your real responsibility is to lead the problem-solving process. Follow the known successful problem-solving routines and ensure that each step is thoroughly followed. You will assist the public relations person with writing the script for the final presentation.

Public Relations Officer

Your task is to assist with the research and the problem-solving discussion. Your real responsibility will be in compiling all the relevant evidence and creating a presentation that analyses the problem and presents the best possible solution. During the final presentation you will be the person who provides continuity in the presentation, although your team members should also participate in the presentation.

Accountant

Your task is to assist with the research and the problem solving discussion, but your perspective must be on the costs. Once your team reaches a conclusion about a posssible solution you will have to take responsibility for researching the costs and doing the costing, producing spreadsheets and graphs to illustrate the costs during the presentation.

Resource

» http://oldsegundo.com/webquests/voices_from_past/student-process-c1.htm
Arranging an interview: This Web site is useful for those who need preparation for interviewing local leaders

» http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_10.htm
A Powerful Integrated Problem-Solving Process: Advice on a problem solving process

» http://www.mapnp.org/library/prsn_prd/prb_bsc.htm
Basic guidelines to problem solving and decision making

» Worksheet on interview skills
» Guidelines on phone interviews

Conclusion

By completing this activity you and your team will have become deeply involved in a real life community issue. The proof of this activity's value will depend on whether you remain involved with the issue or just forget about it after this project. The decision is yours.

» Download the Presentation Assessment

Related Scenarios

» World Heroes Hall of Fame
» A Great Book of Great Thinkers