Until a few months ago, I had never been involved in
creating a wiki. I had looked at a few
as informational references, but I had never added any content to one. My first experience was creating a pathfinder
with a team of other soon-to-be media specialists. We were concerned with the presentation of
the wiki; so each of us was responsible for a page. However, we were all gathering resources to
add to the pathfinder, and those resources were often part of the content of
other team members’ pages. Instead of
uploading our information directly to the wiki, we posted to a chat board or
emailed other team members. We then
individually sorted the information for our respective pages and uploaded them
to the wiki. We were able to edit our
pages or others’ pages on our own time from different locations. We even simultaneously edited the content
while discussing our work through a chat room.
Pathfinders or research guides are one of the common uses
for wikis. A media specialist, in
collaboration with teachers, can establish a wiki for a particular subject area
or unit of instruction. One suggestion by Boeninger (2007, p. 32) is that the creator should add the initial content and establish the wiki’s
structure. Then other users can update and
edit the content as well as add new information. For pathfinders, the media specialist can begin
the wiki with collection resources and links to online resources. Teachers can continually add other lesson
ideas and resources and even use the wiki to request additional media
collection items.
The schedule for the media center can be posted on a wiki,
and teachers can sign up for times to bring their classes to the media
center. The wiki can allow them to
designate what their classes will be doing and enables the media specialist to
collaborate with each teacher. The
posted schedule lets administrators and patrons know the busiest times in the
media center. If volunteers are available,
they will be able to see when the most help is needed. The wiki can also contain basic procedures
for operating tasks, such as checking in and out of books. Teachers and volunteers will be able to
assist with these functions when the media specialist is occupied in teaching a
class of students.
A media center wiki is a great way to promote events. Teachers can share what they are doing in
their classes, especially those involving the media center. New books can be highlighted to promote
reading. Students and faculty can submit
book reviews. Students in Literature Circles can post
thoughts on a book they have read and comment on each other’s postings.
Wikis were originally designed as tools for
collaboration. Media specialists can
instruct students on creating wikis which they can use for group projects. Students can individually or collectively add
their input anywhere or anytime as long as they have an internet
connection. Special software is not
required. Students can also work with
other students who attend another school.
Wikis provide students the opportunity to collaborate with students from
another state or even another country.
With different time zones, students may not be able to meet at the same
time, but they can upload and edit information anytime. They can also submit video or other images
to share with their partners. The
technology department of Westwood Schools in Camilla, Georgia, has been
recognized internationally for student achievement, much of which has been
showcased through wikis. The school’s
wiki, http://westwood.wikispaces.com/,
provides links to a number of school programs, including student-created
wikis. The Digital Law Wiki, http://digiteen.wikispaces.com/Digital+Law,
was developed with students in Austria and Qatar to promote digital
citizenship.
Membership in a wiki
can be limited to a particular grade level or subject content area or extend to
others within the school district or community or even a broader range, such as
members throughout a region or state. Apalachee
High School in Barrow County, Georgia, has an excellent wiki for its media
center (http://ahsmedia.barrow.wikispaces.net/).
Students can request to join the wiki to
be a part of the collaboration. A Wiki
Charter details expected “wiki etiquette” for participation. This wiki contains much more information than
a typical media center website. Enabling
students and teachers to upload information directly saves the media
specialists’ time and provides more thorough coverage of the media programs.
Why should you use a wiki for your media center? Wikis can be organized by subject, category
or hierarchy and are usually searchable.
They provide flexibility, can be used for a variety of functions, and
can be edited by anyone at anytime from anywhere with an internet
connection. Find a group of patrons who
will contribute to your wiki and give it a try.
Good luck with your wiki!
References
Barrow County Schools. (2013). Apalachee High School Media
Center’s Wiki [wiki]. Retrieved from http://ahsmedia.barrow.wikispaces.net/
Boeninger, C. F. (2007). The wonderful world of wikis:
applications for libraries. In Courtney, N. (Ed.), Library 2.0 and beyond (pp.
25-33). Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.
Lamb, B. (2004, September/October). Wide open spaces: wikis
ready or not. Educause Review.
Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0452.pdf
Westwood School. (2013).
The online space for students of Westwood Schools [wiki]. Retrieved from
http://westwood.wikispaces.com/
WikEd. (2008). Wiki in a K-12 classroom [wiki]. Retrieved
from http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/articles/w/i/k/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom_6eb3.html
Dear Susan,
ReplyDeleteI am anxious to take the class that discusses Pathfinders. Using them within wikis seems like a no-brainer. Adding the initial content and establishing the wiki’s structure will be priority for the media committee. Then other users can update and edit the content as well as add new information.
Promoting events, especially media-related ones would be easy and fun to do on a wiki. Furthermore, perhaps listing accomplishments by class or grade level for reading goals would inspire more children to read for information and/or pleasure.
-ASD
I love the idea of getting the students involved more in the wiki by submitting book reviews and participating in literature circles. To expand on how students can be involved, for lower grades that aren't that familiar with technologies yet, the MC could create a paper version of the wiki on a bulletin board. Students could "edit" the paper wiki by filling out a "blog post" and adding it to the paper wiki bulletin board. Students from different classes and even different grades could collaborate on topics relative to what they are learning in class. For example, if they are learning about the discovery of America, students could "blog" about their favorite historical fiction titles that describe life as it was during that time in history. As the students become familiar with the paper wiki bulletin board and how they can contribute edits, they'll be more comfortable moving to the digital wiki later on.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of using a wiki as a place to schedule use of the media center. My schools media center purchased a software program to schedule use areas and labs on campus. Using wiki as a schedule tool is great for a new media center. Also this idea would be economical for a media center with a small budget.
ReplyDeleteWiki sites are great for collaboration. Many of my groups have implemented their use in projects. Great way to have information in one place. Having different tabs/pages allows you to have a edit area and a final post area. Each group member is assigned a font color to post, keeps all individual findings organized. I could also see wiki's being a great assets to student clubs, like you mentioned being able to promote events is a plus.
The idea of editing a wiki in real time was difficult for me. In the pathfinder class, my group had a difficult time getting the wiki to work. I have had an easier time using the wiki set up for this class. I think that you may need to have some skill on how to logically set up a wiki, which we did end up learning when making the pathfinder.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using the wiki to schedule the media center. We still do it the "old-fashioned" way with a binder inside the media center. This would be easier for teachers to sign up using a wiki and volunteers would know which times you need the most help. This seems very logical to me.
Also, you idea that teachers could post events is another good one. This way a parent can look at one page to find the major events in the school. Each teacher in my school has an individual blog, but a parent has to go through many steps to access it from the home page. One general site would be beneficial. Also, as a teacher I could see what other grades have planned.
I agree that wikis are very easy to use in schools and more schools should be taking advantage of this technology.