I have created two wikis in previous courses that I am very excited to use in my classroom. The first was a digital story kit covering women during WWII and the second was a class wiki for an exchange student project. I love the fact that wikis require no special software or programs to operate and can be accessed and participated in from any computer (or smart phone!). This is important to me because it means that students can work on the projects and collaborate with each other at any time and from anywhere - the project is not limited to the classroom or library like they can be with many other projects that require special software. Wikis have been used at my school, but not to a great extent, so I do understand why the text classifies them as "emerging technologies" -- the big thing the past year or so has been Moodle, but I am hoping they will catch on!
I found a wiki related to teen literacy that I really like. The wiki titled "Literacy in the Classroom - 21st Century Style" is essentially a wiki comprised of book reviews that students can post, add to, and edit. The wiki is password protected, which I feel gives it a little more of a sense of reliability because not just any person off the street can add or edit. One commenter stated, "I am glad you posted this where I can leave my booktalks, and I won't feel stupid about loving to read." This is another thing I find appealing about wikis in general - people with similar interests can come together and work together on something they like and are passionate about! The wiki is not that thrilling visually and does not appear to have been updated for a while, however, it is well organized and the information is still relevant and useful to those looking for book recommendations. As co-sponsor of my school's book club, I would like to try to start a very similar wiki for our library! Such a great idea!
I also discovered a wiki that appears to be part of a secondary english or literature class. The wiki is extremely attractive, organized, and well laid out. There are pages and links for different novels the students are reading and each page then links to projects, discussions, etc. for the students to use. There appears to be good collaboration between the students and there is evidence or revisions and reworking of the student work based upon comments from classmates. The wiki does have so much information and so many pages that I did find myself getting a little lost at times. I am sure, however, that the layout and information makes much better sense to the students in the classes.
I think that, as far as curriculum is concerned, the second
wiki would be the most effective. It
contains specific activities and content directed towards specific content goals. The first wiki is geared towards getting
students to actively participate in reading and writing, however it appears
that it is used as an optional activity and not a required part or a class as
the second wiki is. The second wiki also
appears to require much higher-level thinking and more in-depth, guided work
than the first does. Both wikis,
however, appear to be effective when it comes to literacy in the classroom.
I found a site called Wikitionary in my searches that I thought was pretty neat - I have a hard time keeping up with some of the "lingo" of the students and this site allows them to add and edit word definitions that may not be in my Webster's dictionary just yet :) I would not allow it to be used as an academic resource, but it is fun and can be useful for everyday use :)
click HERE for a wiki on the pros and cons of wikis :)
(http://teachbytes.com/category/cartoons/page/2/)
Resources:
Hi Jennifer. I definitely agree with the fact that people confuse wikis and blogs. I created a blog for our summer reading program to promote and to share information and photos from our program.
ReplyDeletehttp://powellsummer.blogspot.com/
I've been looking for opportunities for students to be able to actively participate in the creation of a website but haven't really been satisfied with any of my ideas so far. I love the book club wiki idea! What a great opportunity to create and share ideas about books and stories in a safe environment.
I have also given some thought to using a wiki for student led conferences. Students could create a page with samples of the web 2.0 tools they have used in the classroom, the lab and the library. They could take and post digital pictures of art projects and create podcasts of things they do in music. The opportunities to incorporate all aspects of their school life are endless really. Leading parents through their projects and allowing them and others to provide feedback is a learning experience all in itself. Making those connections all in one place would also be a valuable tool in educating the whole child.
I can see how a wiki would work for a book club, especially if you wanted to include links that related to the title. This seems more of a social collaboration than a regular classroom activity. I think it could be expanded to include ideas for creating comic timelines through websites like http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/ for classroom activities.
ReplyDeleteJennifer-
ReplyDeleteI also like that creating and maintaining a wiki does not require any special software. I think this would take away the "fear factor" that some teachers might have in taking on this type of project. There are several different wiki hosting sites, and once you find one that you like you can create a really effective collaborative space. My favorite is wikispaces. It is very easy to add wikis to your account and manage projects.
I love the quote about the student not feeling stupid about loving to read. That truly brings home the concept of engagement across the curriculum when technology is used effectively. I’ve bookmarked the “Literacy in the Classroom- 21st Century Style” to share with my teachers. I agree that perhaps the second wiki is more effective, as it is obviously tied to goals, however, both promote reading and writing. Perhaps the second is more collaborative, however, which is what wikis are designed for. Excellent job providing your resources at the end of your blog post.
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