Blog 2: Wikis
A wiki is a
website that allows community users to create and edit the content. It is edited via a web interface. Users can update the content without the
permission of a specialized web authoring software or advanced HTML coding skills. Wikis are strengthened by the involvement of
the community. They cannot thrive on low
community participation. Wikipedia
brought on the popularity of wikis when it was introduced in 2001. According to Wikipedia, it is the largest
reference website on the Internet.
Wikipedia was and still is scrutinized by the academic community. Academics are quite skeptical about the
validity of its resources. They have
recognized that it serves as a great example of wikis can be used to facilitate
communication and promote collaboration among users.
What are
your thoughts about using Wikis in the Media Center?
Wikis are an
excellent tool for Media Center. The
best uses for wikis in the Media Center are to make them relevant to research
and group assignments. One great example
for the use of wikis is research guides.
This would be especially useful for group assignments/projects. It’s a good place to post tips for getting
started with research. Templates for the
assignment could be placed on the wiki website to help students get started
(outlines, sample papers, etc…).
Students doing group projects could post/share what they’ve gathered
during the research process to ensure that there are no redundancies. Any member of the group can make additions to
the wiki and edit the wiki to remove items that are no longer of use to them.
How can they
be used most effectively?
Wikis are
most effectively used when they can be applied to an assignment or classroom activity. Wikis are an excellent way to make students
hold themselves accountable for their work.
It makes them proactive about completing their work in a timely manner. It always makes them proud to have a place of
their own to work with their classmates and document their progress as they
move forward with the assignment.
Are there
drawbacks to Wikis?
The thing
most people like about wikis is the idea that you add, edit and delete
materials freely. If authorization is
not required by the members, the site information can be placed in
jeopardy. If this is the case, some sort
of web manager will be needed. This
contradicts the idea of ease of use for wikis.
Managing a wiki could be time consuming.
Wikis are also collectively biased. User’s
opinions can become embedded in wiki.
When this occurs, unbiased perspectives are not considered in the issues
being discussed.
Thoughts on
Wiki Readings: Particularly strong or
particularly weak?
Decatur High
School Library wiki page was particularly weak.
There wasn’t any information there.
When I arrived at the site I felt like there was no direction. Where do
I go? What is the purpose of this wiki
page? Appalachee High School Media Center’s
wiki page was very strong. It was filled
with information. The links on the left
side of the page were relevant to the site.
The wiki page was welcoming. It
made me want to the explore more. The
more I explored the site, I noticed that there were too many item on the main
page.
What
elements need to be present to move them toward being active spaces for
collaboration?
Both wikis
are lacking the visibility of teachers input in the development of these wikis. There is no mention of classroom projects/assignments. There needs to be a link or a platform for assistance
with research.
Before I read your blog, I was stuck as to how I would use it with elementary students. I agree that using it as a resource guides students (such as in grades 3-5th) could go to when completing assignments. The first thing that came to mind was Science Fair projects. Many students and parents have difficulty knowing how to start and finish a project. This would be great tool to use to post tips, due dates, examples, list possible topics, and provide rubrics on how to complete it correctly. For younger students at our school, they are allowed to work in groups, pairs, and independently at home if they so choose. I believe by inviting parents for a workshop on how to use wikis, teaching wiki design and collaboration to the students themselves, and actively monitoring them would be a great asset to the library media center.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your drawbacks to using wikis, I can understand why many educators haven’t bought in to the idea of using it with their students. Educators are already boggled down with other things, being a web manager will just be an added stress. Like you said, this can be very time consuming. According to Smith (2011), there are other pros and cons of using wikis that include:
• Pros
• Encourages team work and collaborative learning.
• Wikis are an excellent way for students to work on team projects or independent studies
• Using wikis in class can be used as an opportunity to discuss Internet safety
• Technical skills and confidence: wikis are designed to be user friendly
Cons
• Technical expertise: in order to establish and effectively monitor the wiki, the teacher will need to invest in learning how wikis work.
• Teaching technical skills: If students have a low skill level with computers, the teacher may end up spending a great deal of time teaching technical skills rather than the subject matter of the course.
• Internet safety risks: Even with the best policies and education, it is still possible that students may engage in risky behavior using the wiki.
Resource
Smith, W. (2011, December 18). Have you tried using wikis in your classroom?. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-teaching-tips/112203-teachers-technology-guide-to-the-educational-uses-of-a-wiki/