What is a Wiki?
A wiki is a collaborative tool that
allows users to contribute and modify material within the website. In short, a
wiki is a website created and edited by the contributors to the site. One of
the most popular wikis used by many is Wikipedia. Created in 2001, this free
encyclopedia is written and edited by people from all over the world. While the
reliability of the information in the Wikipedia is often challenged, it serves
as a great example of how wikis can be used by a community of collaborators.
Here are two helpful explanations of wikis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY
and http://www.podnetwork.org/publications/teachingexcellence/10-11/V22_N5_Eggleston.pdf
Why Use Wikis?
Wikis allow for the creation of
groups based on specific topics/interests. The ease of use makes wikis great
website spaces for anyone to become a publisher. In traditional classroom, the
teacher provides most of the course content. With wikis, students have an opportunity
to cooperatively create some of the course content. No longer is the teacher
the sage on the stage, she becomes the guide on the side. Wikis can shift the
role of students from recipients of knowledge to creators of knowledge. Students
can collaborate with peers which allow them to learn from one another as each
use critical thinking skills to engage in the learning process. See the example
of how a middle school chemistry teacher utilizes wikis at https://wiki.cites.illinois.edu/wiki/display/etchem/Middle+School+Chemistry.
I am a contributor to a Google Site for a course I collaboratively taught to elementary
school teachers earning a science endorsement (/site/k5endorsementneiketajohnson/).
“These collaborative projects help promote pride of authorship and ownership in
the team’s activities”. Not only are wikis good tools for collaboration but are
being used in classrooms for information collection and reflection. Here are
few sites to help you get started.
The use of wikis for collaboration
was first used by computer programmers. SLMS’s can use wikis for internal and external
communication. Internal communication, wikis can be used as a means to
collaborate with teachers and students at the school. SLM’s may share research
notes that teachers may contribute to based upon specific content research.
Sharing of events happening within the school may be placed into a wiki space.
For example, school events picture sharing can be placed on a SLMC wiki page.
Sharing how to use new technologies amongst teachers can be a wiki idea.
Professional development notes and information can be input on wiki spaces.
Lesson plan sharing wiki spaces for teachers I know would be a great resource
for classroom teachers. Externally, SLMS’s can use a wiki space as a means of
information sharing with other media specialist around the world.
Monitor, Monitor, Monitor
Remember wiki spaces are easily
modified by a group of users. Monitoring for validity and appropriate entries
is germane. The creator of the wiki must find time or resources to ensure that
all users are inputting unbiased accurate information in the wiki space.
Teachers and SLMS’s must closely monitor school wiki spaces that allow student
access to ensure the content offers age-appropriate information free of the explicit,
illegal and illicit. Although wikis are great spaces for sharing current
thoughts, these sites must be actively monitored for valid and appropriate information
presentation.
References:
Courtney, N. (2007). Library 2.0 and beyond.
Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.
Seven things you should know about wikis. (2005,
July). Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf
Wiki:vanderbilit university center for teaching.
(2014). Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/wikis/
I always tell my students that looking on Wikipedia is fun but they should always check the information they find on the site with a reliable site before they use that information in any of their assignments. The YouTube video and podcast you included were very helpful. As you mentioned, wikis are a great way to get the students involved and responsible for their learning. The teacher serving as the guide while the students are creating the content is a wonderful idea for using a wiki in the classroom. Your ideas of using wikis in the media center and between faculty members were great. If there was a week when teachers could not have team meetings or collaborate on lesson plans, they could put them on a wiki and everyone would have access to the ideas and information.
ReplyDeleteI think wikis provide a great opportunity for collaboration. Whether it is collaboration among a group of students, between teacher and class or between the LMS and students or teachers it allows for more engagement in classroom lessons and helps to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills in students. Moreover, wikis help all parties feel included in the development of the work
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