Imagine this, a tool in which students can collaborate in real time, altogether on one platform. A tool in which they can all see what each other are doing. A digital platform where each student can contribute, edit, design and publish altogether. We can stop imagining. That tool is here. It is called a “wiki.”
I think wikis will hold a place in the future of education. I will definitely be looking for ways to use one in my classroom. I have looked at several ways that educators have used wikis to get my creative juices flowing. I saw some ideas I liked, and some that I did not.
The first wiki I looked at was The Thousands Project wiki. I like the idea of open collaboration from people all around the world. I like that the creator, Mr. Monson, opened the responses up to students and educators alike. I also liked the statement at the top of the page, it reminds the collaborators to be responsible, respectful, and safe when you respond. I did click on most of the links and I found out this is a fairly old wiki. The last update I could find was in 2012. I think this could also use a little work in the visual department. I would love to see this site spruced up and reimagined. I could see many people collaborating and sharing thoughts from around the world on a monthly basis.
I also looked at a wiki called Greetings From The World. This wiki was very inspiring. it has won many awards such as Best Educational Wiki in 2010 (see more recent winners here), Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Education Forum Finalist 2010 (learn more here), and Microsoft Innovative Teacher Award to name a few. This wiki had lots of great things to offer. I like how you can look at the glogsters (if you do not know what a glogster is watch the embedded video below). I like that the creator put a place to meet the teachers that are helping students around the world collaborate on this project. It is very user friendly. The only downfall I really have is that it could be better organized in certain places.
I think wikis will hold a place in the future of education. I will definitely be looking for ways to use one in my classroom. I have looked at several ways that educators have used wikis to get my creative juices flowing. I saw some ideas I liked, and some that I did not.
The first wiki I looked at was The Thousands Project wiki. I like the idea of open collaboration from people all around the world. I like that the creator, Mr. Monson, opened the responses up to students and educators alike. I also liked the statement at the top of the page, it reminds the collaborators to be responsible, respectful, and safe when you respond. I did click on most of the links and I found out this is a fairly old wiki. The last update I could find was in 2012. I think this could also use a little work in the visual department. I would love to see this site spruced up and reimagined. I could see many people collaborating and sharing thoughts from around the world on a monthly basis.
I also looked at a wiki called Greetings From The World. This wiki was very inspiring. it has won many awards such as Best Educational Wiki in 2010 (see more recent winners here), Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Education Forum Finalist 2010 (learn more here), and Microsoft Innovative Teacher Award to name a few. This wiki had lots of great things to offer. I like how you can look at the glogsters (if you do not know what a glogster is watch the embedded video below). I like that the creator put a place to meet the teachers that are helping students around the world collaborate on this project. It is very user friendly. The only downfall I really have is that it could be better organized in certain places.
Then I investigated The FHS Wolves Den wiki. This is no longer an active wikispace according to the statement at the top of the of the home page. I did go ahead and continue to look at it and see what it had to offer. It was organized very well and had many great features. The creator incorporates many different uses and functions for students. From Facebook to class links, there are many ways to communicate with the teacher and submit work. I do not see very much, if any student collaboration of this. Wikis are great tools for collaboration and this one is seems to be missing that element. Some of the information on this page such as tab labeled Election 2008, is out of date. I think this wiki could be very helpful to students but I would add a workspace for students to be able to collaborate in.
After looking at each of these wikis I have been trying to think of ways I can use a wiki in my own classroom. The main thing I can see using it for is collaboration. I do think wikis are great for classroom collaboration and use however, I do not see them being as widely used to collaborate outside of the classroom as they once had been. I will use them within my classroom, school and even my district. Wikis can be used in any content area, for many applications and on many platforms. They are very versatile and user friendly. I will be using them for Project Based Learning (PBL), assessing students, and letting students have an online platform to share ideas. The article EDUCASE: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis, had some great tips to get me started and a few downfalls I need to be aware of. With those I feel better prepared. As the article suggests, I will monitor my wiki to ensure that appropriate language and content are used and that nothing inappropriate is taken down immediately. Knowing the downfalls definitely prompted some questions about my own wiki I will have to answer before I can present it to my class to use.
After looking at each of these wikis I have been trying to think of ways I can use a wiki in my own classroom. The main thing I can see using it for is collaboration. I do think wikis are great for classroom collaboration and use however, I do not see them being as widely used to collaborate outside of the classroom as they once had been. I will use them within my classroom, school and even my district. Wikis can be used in any content area, for many applications and on many platforms. They are very versatile and user friendly. I will be using them for Project Based Learning (PBL), assessing students, and letting students have an online platform to share ideas. The article EDUCASE: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis, had some great tips to get me started and a few downfalls I need to be aware of. With those I feel better prepared. As the article suggests, I will monitor my wiki to ensure that appropriate language and content are used and that nothing inappropriate is taken down immediately. Knowing the downfalls definitely prompted some questions about my own wiki I will have to answer before I can present it to my class to use.