First of all, I apologize because I didn't blog last week. I really don't have any excuse other than I completely forgot! So, this will be my first of two blogs for this week!
After thinking about the different ways we discussed using Wikis in class, I remembered how I have used a Wiki before and decided that it just might work in a classroom. In a previous class that I took, we were put into groups for a project. Because we were all adult learners, with full time jobs and not much free time, one of our group members suggested we use a Wiki to complete out project. This was the first time I had used one, so I was skeptical at first. However, I was willing to give it a try in order to keep me from having to drive to Ames multiple times per week to work on a project (I live in Ankeny). So, we divided up the tasks and each wrote our different parts of the paper. We were then able to go in and edit each other's parts and also post discussions on why we made certain changes and/or asking each other's opinions on our parts. It ended up working really well, and I would definitely use it to complete projects in the future.
Therefore, I would like to see how this would work in the classroom. I can see it easily working with middle and high schoolers, but I'm still unsure at this point whether or not it would work in this certain way with elementary students. One reason I think it would be great for students to be able to work on collaborative projects in this way is because it allows for collaborative work outside the classroom without the students having to arrange times to meet face to face. This is not only easier on the students and their schedules, but also easier on the parents and their schedules. One of the things that teachers would have to think about quite a bit is how they would monitor each group's Wikis. Teachers would want to be sure and keep close tabs on the Wikis to be sure that the groups were staying on task and using the Wiki in appropriate manners.
I can really see this working and I think it's moving towards the type of learning that our students are looking for.
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I think tools like wikis show much potential for the classroom. But, like you said, it is just going to take creative teachers coming up with innovative uses for them. I think it is understanding the purpose and features of these tools - why do I use google docs vs. wiki vs. blog vs. ning vs. email etc. All meet different types of needs.
ReplyDeleteThe hard obstacle to deal with from my perspective is that other people can go in and change what is posted. I know that this is also a positive of using a Wiki, but how would you manage it? I would like to learn more about using google docs. I have never used it either, but I think that it also has potential for the same sort of usage.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing about Wikis is that you do have to be subscribed to be able to make changes to it. So, you could have small groups of students subscribe to each others' wikis and have those students only be able to make the changes. Also you can track what has been changed on a wiki, so if a student did not want to keep that change they could put it back the way it was. And of course the teacher would have to be subscribed to each wiki in order to manage and monitor it.
ReplyDeleteI also think the wiki is a greater benefit for older students becuase as you get older there is more work in group and collaborating. I do think that it would be used in Elementary schools more as a way to communicate with parents.
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