Monday, June 18, 2012
Wikis Are(n't?) For Me
Although I have always loved technology and I think that it has the power to transform our teaching in amazing ways I have never really gotten excited about wikis. It is true that Wikipedia tends to be one of the first sources I consult for a quick dose of information when researching a new topic. However, when it comes to using wikis in the classroom (either my own or in graduate school) I have always had to force myself to participate. I don't really know why. I can see the great possibilities. I guess my hang-up just comes from turning ideas into action. In trying to overcome this adversity I enjoyed checking out some of the "best of" wikis mentioned in chapter 4 of the Richardson text. I also appreciate the quote that states, "The collaborative environment that wikis facilitate can teach students much about how to work with others, how to create community, and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and information is more and more becoming a group effort" (2010, p. 69). I also like the fact that introducing wikis to your students also gives you an excellent resource for teaching them how to evaluate resources for inclusion in research. I am definately willing to put more effort into finding best practices and concrete ways to integrate them into my class.
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Emily, I want to say I appreciate your honesty in sharing about your experiences with wikis. The blog created for this class was my first one. I have viewed blogs and wikis for my own information purposes but never had gotten too excited about being an author of my own. However, I too see the possibilities for wikis in the classroom. I found this website especially helpful in shifting the way I viewed wikis (http://suite101.com/article/5-strategies-for-using-wikis-in-the-classroom-a124331). I like the idea of using a wiki as a "filing cabinet" or for sharing documents. I hadn't thought of this use before but this could be a pratical and easy way to use a wiki. I can see how uploading documents could help in sharing information with colleagues and increase accessibility to resources desipte what computer you are on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the website link. A couple of ideas I like: Using a wiki to create a timeline. I like that students can add to it without necessarily re-writing what other have done. I also though it would be cool to use a wiki to have students create and share class notes. There could be a different page for each day with students adding to the notes so that everyone has good notes for the day.
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