Hi everyone,
Well this week I tried to generate my own wiki and it was quite an experience. I was quite overwhelmed at first as there seemed to be so many tabs and editing options. But once I got in and gave it a go, I realized it was a fairly simple process. My wiki is called Embracing Technology in Schools and can be accessed here.
After reading the 50 ways to use a wiki website, I realized that there is so much potential in this technological tool. The website highlights that wikis can help students become more involved in the curriculum. Wikis can be used in the classroom for a number of purposes. For instance;
· Resource Creation (I particularly like the idea of a solving wiki that promotes collaboration on maths problems.)
· Student Participation (Peer feedback and peer editing of spelling, grammar and structure is quite an effective method to promote the use of these literacy skills.)
· Group Project ( Great for group organization and development of ideas)
· Student Interaction (I particularly like the idea of using a wiki to create a class short story.)
· Class Management (I like the idea of the class calendar as it keeps everyone on track and allows students to add anything they find significant to the yearly calendar).
· Community (The international sharing idea is fantastic as it promotes global interaction and gives students realistic learning opportunities.)
I conducted a brief PMI analysis of the wiki tool to evaluate its effectiveness in the classroom. Please don’t hesitate to add if you have any further observations.
Positives
-Promotes collaborative learning
-Allows for peer review and feedback
-Authentic tasks for students
-Gives students ownership and responsibility for their work as it is published on the web.
-Introduces students to a global audience
-Parents and caregivers can access it from home
Minus
-Task may hinder less technologically literate students and may be resistant to get involved (Appropriate scaffolding and mixed ability groups would be advisable)
-Inappropriate feedback could break students confidence ( Clear expectations and monitoring of feedback required)
-Time wasted on editing functions which in turn hinders the content collected and produced. (Scaffolding of tasks and time management plan required).
Interesting
-I particularly liked the “History” tab on the wiki because it allows the teacher to review the adjustments and steps taken to create the end product.
-I would never have considered using a wiki as a class management tool and think it is brilliant.
Overall I believe wikis are a great tool for the classroom and reflect Kearsley and Shneiderman’s Engagement Theory. The engagement theory promotes collaborative teamwork on ambitious projects that are meaningful outside of the classroom context. Wikis clearly address the three components within the engagement theory as this tool creates learning activities that occur in a group context, are project based and have an authentic (outside) focus. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999, p.1).
Let me know what you think about the wiki tool.
Cheers Pauline
Hi Pauline,
ReplyDeleteI like your PMI in regards to Wikis. It really puts everything into perspective. What are your thoughts on Wiki privacy? What do you think about the fact that Wikis can be accessible by almost anyone?
Hi Pauline,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a fantastic post! You've covered so much about Wiki's, fron a variety of perspectives. Personally, I think Wiki's are a great tool for learning in the classroom, however I agree with your statement of how it would be difficult for less technologically literate people/students to use this tool. I have attempted to make my own Wiki and have found it very difficult because I am not at all competent with the program and I find do not find it a user-friendly site. As a teacher, I do not think I could use it as an effective tool, simply because I would be unable to explain how to use it, to the students. However, you have successfully created your Wiki, and I think if you got an opportunity to implement Wiki's with your students, you should definitely ustilise the knowledge you've acquired on this tool!
Hi Jasmine and Kate,
ReplyDeleteJasmine, you have raised an interesting point about the privacy element of using a wiki. I totally agree with you and recognize the safety of our children is paramount. Luckily this great tool caters for the educational setting as different privacy options are available and can help restrict unwanted contributors to the wikis used within the classroom. Education Queensland’s Learning Place also offers a protected e-learning environment for teachers to set up wikis and blogs for children within their class. Wikis can Learning Place’s learning management system, Blackboard, which is password protected. This in turn reduces students’ exposure to inappropriate material on the internet and ensures the duty of care we have for our students. The Learning Place advertises and promotes the features of wikis and blogs.
Kate, I totally agree the site did pose some issues for me during the creation but I just persisted and “clicked away” to see what would happen. I believe this e-learning course demonstrates that our future career as learning managers will require us to be life long learners. Technology is constantly changing and increasing; therefore we must be prepared to constantly up skill and change with the times so that our students are not left behind. I know it all seems daunting but I keep telling myself in life we never stop learning. I think if the technology is new to both you (as the LM) and the students then you can use the opportunity to learn and discover the tool together.
Thanks ladies for your comments.