Wikis / Solomon & Schrum ch. 8

Web 2.0 how-to for educators:

Web 2.0 how-to for educators Gwen Solomon Lynne Schrum

Chapter 8 Wikis :

Chapter 8 Wikis Book 2, Group 6: Naomi Chavez Lucinda Gant James Maston Keisha Parrish Raul Tellez

What is a wiki? :

What is a wiki? A web page written and edited by students and other contributors. Images, video and research can all be added to the site. Most well-known public wiki site, Wikipedia. An online collaborative encyclopedia. Edited by contributors and evaluators. Most popular wikis in education. Pbworks. Wikispaces.

A Useful Tool:

A Useful Tool Great for: Project-based learning. Collaborative work. Building on classmates’ work and synthesizing knowledge. Example from Solomon and Schrum (2010): “A team writing assignment in which students research a topic in the curriculum, analyze what they find, enter their syntheses into the wiki, and consult with one another to make sure the topic is covered thoroughly and accurately. They can use peer editing to make sure the writing is clear and concise” (p.136).

Teaching using Wikis:

Teaching using Wikis Can be used like the Blackboard discussion tab. Teachers post a question and students are able to respond. Great tool for a collaborative research project. History Math English Technology education and integration. Students learn new technology mediums and how to use them in everyday life.

Three Reasons to Use Wikis:

Three Reasons to Use Wikis Students are able to edit other students’ posts. Collaborative group work. Previous versions are saved and can be reverted back to. Prevents the loss of original work, enables referring back to original work, students learn to edit correctly. Teacher is able to see individual entries and edits. Track each student’s work from start to finish. (Solomon and Schrum, 2010, p.139)

Benefits for Students:

Benefits for Students Students take ownership and responsibility of their work. Because the work is seen by other students, it motivates students to post their best work. Students can monitor one another’s work, and peer editing fosters collaboration. Students will learn from their classmates. Spark creativity in each other. Become open minded to others’ view points.

Benefits for All:

Benefits for All Teachers. They are able to collaborate and share information. Learn to integrate technology into the classroom. Administrators. Wikis can be used to receive feedback from teachers. Professional developers. Wikis can be used in workshops; teachers can share classroom practices and notes.

Getting Started:

Getting Started 14 Tips from Solomon and Schrum (2010) Create a culture of trust. Establish goals for the project. Post clear instructions. Establish guidelines for all processes. Set deadlines (interim and final). Create and display assessment rubrics. Make sure project activities are meaningful. Define roles for team members and work with teams to assign them. Keep instructions simple for both the assignment and for the wiki pages. Provide examples and suggestions. Decide if the wikis should be open to the public or limited to the class. Remind students of copyright and licensing issues. Check work regularly. Provide encouragement.

Learning to Utilize Wiki :

Learning to Utilize Wiki Check with administrators before beginning. Advertisements are often found on wiki sites, check to make sure there is no policy against this. Will district internet firewalls block the wiki site? If so, what can you do to alleviate this problem. www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers/ . This tutorial site offers everything to start a wiki page. Solomon and Schrum (2010) have written step by step instructions on pg. 149.

Wiki users:

Wiki users Award winners, Lisa Parisi and Christine Southard from Denton Avenue Elementary and Brian Crosby from Agnes Risley Elementary used wiki geared toward students aged 9-12. Parisi, Southard and Crosby posted illustrations and one sentence from the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Students used the illustrations to create their own versions of the story and posted them on the wiki site. (Solomon and Schrum, 2010, pp.142-143)

Reference:

Reference Solomon, G. and Schrum, L. (2010). Web 2.0 how-to for educators . Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.