Fall_2_2009

Welcome!

Wikis are cool, but.... Do they have any educational value???? Say "yes" and why ( list some ways a wiki can be used). Or say "no" and tell us why.. Hello!

Yes, wikis have educational value. They are a clever and useful form of communication that also allows for collaboration among students. The ability to access wikis from any computer with internet access makes them a useful forum for both teachers and students. However, I think wikis are only appropriate at certain grade levels after students have become familiar with computers. For the benefits, wikis encourage students to apply concepts and share ideas with classmates to reach a common goal. For example, one of my undergraduate classes required each student to prepare a wiki page on an assigned topic. We also had to edit and add to classmates' pages. At the end of the semester, all of the wiki pages were combined to create a study guide for the final exam. This is just one example of the benefits of a shared communication platform, such as a wiki, can enhance education. -Holly Kirkland

Good idea!

This medium of communication is very interesting to me. It seems like a much less stressful way in which students can participate in class and every student has the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. Ideas can be shared and easily elaborated on through the use of a wikispace. Also, the student is allotted more time to respond to the instructor's questions; therefore, the student can think about his or her response for a longer period and provide a greater amount of insight. Also, the wikispaces allow for the students who are shy to ask questions in class to have their questions answered and presented for the whole class to add clarity to assignments or lectures.-Chris Sparks

Yes, I think wikis have educational value. Students can make a page if they have group work and then everyone can see what has been done and what they still need to do. It also helps if they all have different parts, especially if they need to use each others parts for their own. They can just access that information on the wiki page and it eliminates or at least reduces the amount of time they need to get together, especially if they all have different schedules. The teacher can also post things on a wiki for everyone to see like assignments or test dates. However, they should not allow students to join that page so they can't change the dates of things. But if used correctly, wikis can definately be a great tool, especially for communication. - Jessica

I am still learning about wiki, but I think a discussion board similar to the one we have on blackboard would serve the same purpose without allowing students to change things that other students write. That may cause problems. However, the concept of having students correspond outside of the classroom is a great idea for enhancing and enriching lessons in the classoom. -Jennifer

I think wikis can be used for a lot of educational purposes. Like Katie said, the pages could be used to post questions that the students might have and then the teacher can answer them for everyone to see. Another extension on this could be for the students to answer each other's questions, so they are working together outside of the classroom as well. Since these pages can be edited by anyone who is a member of the group, I think they can serve as a great communication tool or discussion board. ---Rob

Jacqueline: Yes, I think they are super cool. I would use it for an upper level class by putting them into groups and having them each create their own page. Then each group could keep their ideas and work together.

I think wikispaces are a great educational tool! One way I would use them would be to ask students to publish all their questions relating to a topic in class, homework problems, tests, etc. and that way I could answer them so the whole class can see! I would also have a wikispace for parents and teachers ideas/questions/comments for the classroom, unit topics, etc. or to collaborate about field trips, class partys, etc. I like Jackie's idea too of having students create group pages. They could have group pages for projects or even use it as a peer tutoring/help center online and I would be able to monitor and make sure everyone is staying on the right track and add/delete information for them. -- Katie

I am pro-wiki in the classroom setting. Depending on the grade level, I would use wikis for something as simple as communicating with the students outside of the classroom. For older students, I would break the class into smaller groups and have them plan and prepare a class project with a wiki being the only form of communication between the group members. -Greg

I think that wikispace is an effective tool to use in the classroom for communication. I think that these can be very helpful for students to help each other while not in the school itself. This is a positive way to monitor student interaction as well. Teachers can use this with their colleagues, students and parents. Davena

I wish I knew about Wiki's when I was doing my undergrad work, and even now in grad school. I've always had group projects with people that live nowhere near me! This would have been a great tool to use to communicate, proofread and edit each other's work, and decide on project topics and goals. I look forward to using this as an alternative to driving or talking on the phone for group projects!-- Ali :]

I believe wiki's are good tools for every classroom. Especially for people who dislike constant emails and telephone calls. Students can participate in conversation keeping information stored for future projects and can share information making assignments more acessible. KIP

Wikis are a good concept but there are some obstacles to using them in the classroom: students can easily delete what their classmates wrote, limited access to computers, the age range (wikis are too advanced for kindergarten). Kyle

I don't really care for the wikis. It is too easy to delete and/or edit items and I don't find it very user friendly. Although there is a push to utilize computers, there are still a lot of students that do not have access readily available to them. Until I have more experience with wikis, I really don't prefer to use it in the classroom. Tonia

Find your name below and hyperlink it to __**new page**u that you will create just for yourself__

Jennifer Andrelczyk Jessica Annand Katie Gunther Brittany Haberek Jacqueline Hollinger Jazmyn Holt Greg Huff Kyle Jakubowski Holly Kirkland Robert Levin Regina McAlonan Elkhannia Moultry Lauren Nash York "Kip" Poole Tiffany Pugh Jennifer Scarpati Gladys Shaub Timothy Snook Christopher Sparks Davena Stevenson Hillary Stribula Tonia Tussie Alison Vennell Christine Wieszala