I had no idea what a wiki was until I read this chapter.  I didn’t even know that just about anyone could edit wikipedia.  Now I understand why teachers and professors are always saying that wikipedia is not an acceptable reference site for a research paper.  It is cool though that it tends to be very accurate because the people who care greatly outnumber the people who want to sabotage it. 

     I  could see that using wikis in the classroom could be beneficial for collaborative projects.  I think it could develop a real sense of community in the classroom as well as serve as a learning tool.  The Wetpaint tool that Richardson mentioned on page 65 that allows teachers to track the participation of their students seemed very valuable for the classroom.  This tool would ensure that everyone is contributing to the project. 

     I also was fascinated by the example of Shelley Paul from GA whose class created a wiki based on the book Turn Homeward, Hannalee.  She said, “Collaborating on the Hannalee project was one of the most rewarding teaching experiences I have ever had.  Students instinctively invested in the idea that the project was an evolution–that it could always be made better….”  This sounded like a memorable learning experience for the whole class.

     Just for fun (did I really say that?) I decided to google a wiki on a subject that interests me-ballet.  I found the wiki very interesting and dynamic.  Maybe I have really been missing out on great stuff by remaining computer illiterate.

Advertisement