What
is a Wiki?
A wiki is similar to a
blog, but, instead of being written by one person, a wiki can be written by a
collaboration of multiple people each adding their own dynamic and unique
content. Wikis are free and easy to set
up and use. There is no need to learn a
new computer language in order to use a wiki. Wikis are flexible and
customizable. They can be public or
private and are always available from any computer. Wikis provide a history of all revisions and
offers a “discussion” tab where users can make comments. Wikis allow users to upload files, insert
images, videos, podcasts and a variety of other multimedia elements.
What
can wikis do in the classroom?
In the classroom, wikis promote
group collaboration, research, and group thinking. Wikis promote non-linear thinking. They can be easily changed and edited. They provide a public space for reading and
writing. Wikis can be fun!
What
are some wiki classroom integration ideas?
Here are just a few of the many ideas of how to integrate
wiki use into the classroom are:
- to publish a class newspaper
- to create or continue online reading circles or literature discussion groups
- to create digital portfolios
- to work on group projects
- to demonstrate learning across a wide variety of subjects
- to create a collaborative story
- to create book and film reviews
- to work collaboratively on math word problems
- to have a virtual class debate about a topic
What
are some ways that a wiki can be more successful?
David Foord
researched the reason why some educational wikis worked and what could be done
to increase the chances of a wiki being successful. The result of this work
lead to the creation of the STOLEN principle.
Specific
Overall Objective—The wiki needs to have a clear objective, understood by all.
Timely—The
wiki needs to have intermediate deadlines with reminders and a definite end
point.
Ownership—Students
need to feel that they all own the wiki and its contents.
Localized objective—Students
need educational wikis to have some structure of what is
expected with starting points for editing.
Engagement rules—Who
can edit and which parts they can edit should be obvious to all users.
There should be some rules to what is
acceptable and unacceptable use of
the wiki.
Navigation—There should
be a clear navigation structure so students will understand how to
navigate the wiki.
What are some of my personal thought
when it comes to the use of Wikis in the Media Center?
I think that the use of wikis in the
media center can have limitless possibilities. A school librarian could use a
wiki as an interactive website for their school media center. This type of wiki
could not only list pertinent information such as library hours and policies,
but also have a place where students could post their own personal book reviews
and ask the school media specialists and other students questions about
research information. The school media center wiki could also be a place for
the school librarian to gather information about what types of books the
students are wanting to see in their library media center. I think that some
possible drawbacks to using a wiki in this manner is that students could hijack
the site if the school librarian lacks control of what can be posted in the
wiki. I think the strongest use for a wiki would be for collaboration between
students and the sense of content ownership it can give the students but, the
weakest use, in my opinion, would be the potential for misuse especially if
there are not proper guidelines and expectations stated from the inception of
the wiki for the students. I think that there needs to be a clear navigation
structure for users of a wiki to know where to put their information. In a past
semester, I incorporated the use of a wiki for a collaborative assignment in
order for each member of the team to be able to see what part they were
responsible for as well as what their other team members’ responsibilities
were. I created a page for each team member and properly labeled their section
so that everyone was clear as to how to navigate the pages of the wiki. The
wiki was a powerful collaborative tool for that class project.
How have you used wikis?
Bibliography
FrontPage. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 9, 2015 from http://stolenprinciple.pbworks.com/w/page/18419565/FrontPage.
How To Use
Wiki In The Classroom - eLearning Industry. (2013, October 6). Retrieved
September 9, 2015 from http://elearningindustry.com/how-to-use-wiki-in-the-classroom.
School
Librarian's Role in Reading Toolkit. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/tools/toolkits/role-reading-web.
Wiki Primer.
(2007, October 2). Retrieved September 9, 2015 from https://edtechtoday.wordpress.com/2007/10/02/wiki-primer/.
Wikis in the Classroom. (n.d.).
Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://www.techforteachers.net/wikis-in-the-classroom.html.
Thank you for your information on wikis and their use. You did an excellent job of evaluating and summarizing their pros and cons for both the classroom and the media center. You bring up an excellent point in suggesting that there are rules that should be implemented from a wiki’s very inception and inaugural run. When dealing with students and allowing them free reign, it is paramount to make sure that they are versed in digital citizenship and understand its important before setting them free to work in such a collaborative, electronic environment. I love the idea of the media center having its very own wiki that would allow students to make suggestions of materials that they would like to see made available. This idea alone allowed me to consider setting up a wiki for my students so that they could ask questions and make suggestions for improvements in my classroom as well as contribute to a class blog. I even contemplated giving each period their own page within the wiki to be responsible for throughout the year. You give great idea also for using the wiki in the classroom beyond just a sounding board for students. While I have not made use of wikis with my classroom at the current moment, I am intrigued by many of the ideas you have given as a suggestion. I teach ELA and, in addition, to your suggestions, I would love to use the wiki as a research vehicle and a place to create visual essays tied to their readings and research. Great ideas and thank you again!!!
ReplyDeleteThe inclusion of David Foord’s STOLEN principle in your post was a good idea because teachers can use it to effectively set up parameters for group assignments they give to students. As you mentioned wikis work well when individuals know what their part of a group assignment is. Flexibility and ease of use make them so appealing because students can work on their part of a project at any time, from any place as long as they have a device with internet access (just like many of us did for our Pathfinders projects for 7474). You are right that wikis could be used well as media pages; it is hard for me however to get past the thought of someone accidentally or intentionally changing or deleting important elements from a school’s media site. When I view the AHS media site that Dr. Cooper linked to our assignment, it was striking to me how obvious the EDIT button was on the top right of the page. I’d be more comfortable linking in pages that allowed for student and teacher contributions. Perhaps the button could be made less prominent or moved.... I don't know the answer to that though based on my prior use. Despite my worry as mentioned, I found use of a wiki for group projects easy and enjoyable so I will continue to recommend them to teachers.
ReplyDeleteYour overview on wikis was very precise and informational. I think it would be a great way to inform students about them and what they can be used for. As yourself and Carrie both mentioned, knowing the proper procedure to create online will be key in helping students utilize technology. We are in the midst of doing internet safety classes with grades 1-5 currently in our media center. We also teach lessons on how to properly research and use the internet for educational purposes. This will help students realize the enormity of options available to them by using technology. We could even make a wiki about that!
ReplyDeleteI really like all the information you provided on wikis. I especially like all of the ways you listed that wikis can be utilized in the classroom. I usually use Edmodo in my classroom as a way to connect with students via the internet. Personally, I think wikis would be a better way for students to collaborate. I am currently beginning a social studies unit on the Civil War. I was thinking about using wikis to present a debate on slavery. In addition, I think it would be extremely useful to create a Civil War wiki from the point of view of a Northern soldier and a Southern soldier. Students could add content to the wiki as they explore different stages of the Civil War. Like Linda mentioned, I think Foord's "Stolen Principle" is an excellent resource to guide a wiki. Students would need clear objectives to guide the wiki, otherwise, I believe that they could get easily sidetracked. I also like the idea of having a single editor, lest students start editing content that may change the objectives of the wiki. I do have some hesitations about wikis. First, I would prefer that only students be allowed to access the wiki. I wouldn’t want the wiki open to the public for reasons of security. Second, I think some parents may be hesitant of the wiki because it is on the internet. In addition, not all of my students have internet access at home and would require time at school to work on the wiki. Overall, I think wikis can be a wonderful learning experience as long as students have clear expectations and guidelines. Once again, great job presenting the advantages and disadvantages of a wiki.
ReplyDeleteYour blog about wiki spaces actually help me to feel more comfortable about using them. You gave a lot of clear information that describes how and to what extent you can get the most out of a wiki space. Being that I have not had a lot of experience using a wiki some of the fears I had about losing information were calmed, that was really one of my biggest hesitations in choosing a wiki as an educational tool. I was concerned that teachers and or students would have put time and effort into a project only for it to be edited away. When I read in your blog that Wiki provides a history of all revisions my confidence began to build in the use of a wiki. I was already on board with the fact that it could be a wonderful collaboration tool. It was also a great idea for you to list the ideas about how wikis could be used in the classroom along with giving us tips on how we can make our wikis more successful. Thanks for your insight on the subject!
ReplyDelete