7477_wiki blog 2_csl
Christi Lenz
Wikis – From Conception to the School
Library Media Center
Although
wikis seem like new technology to those of us just re-entering the world of
higher education, wikis have been around since 1994, when Ward Cunningham invented the concept and gave
it its name. Cunningham created the first wiki in 1994, and released it in
1995, in order to facilitate communication between software developers. Wikipedia is probable the best know wiki project,
having more than 290,000 entries since 2004.
The
word wiki comes from the Hawaiian word for quick. Wikis are quick because they allow for a
combined process of reading and editing.
According to the article Wide Open
Spaces by Brian Lamb the fundamental principles of a wiki include;
·
anyone can change anything
·
wikis use simplified hyper text mark up
·
wiki page titles are mashed together
·
content is ego-less, time-less, and never
finished
Wikis
are great collaborative tools that are now making their way into the
educational forefront. Teachers are using
wikis to set up student portfolios, as organizational tools, as collaborative sketch
pads for students, and as collaborative spaces between teachers. My son’s 8th grade math teacher
has a wiki set up for her class so the students can reach her at any time for homework
help. Each student has a login and password
setting so she knows who is posting on the wiki and who she needs to help. The students can post questions about their homework
at anytime. She has the wiki set to her
email on her smart phone so students never have to wait long for a reply.
Some
of the drawbacks to a wiki include the fact that it uses simple text and is not
as attractive and flashy as a web page and more importantly the security is
seen as “soft security”. Since the
nature of a wiki is that anyone can edit and make changes to the page it does
pose some risks especially in a school setting.
Because of this wikis are often monitored to ensure that inappropriate
language, spam, and incorrect or inappropriate content are not allowed. This
can be very time-consuming. As a result, many wikis require authorization so
only group members can modify content.
Some media centers are using wiki spaces
as their web page or as a feature of the web pages. There are a lot of great tools that can be
accessed and easily used as part of the wiki.
It is very user friendly and allows for collaboration with patrons. The only drawback I can see to using the wiki
for you web page interface is the lack of aesthetic beauty, so to speak. In the lower grade a wiki would be a great
way to conduct literature circles or book clubs. As the students mature and learn to use the
technology a wiki is a great way to build a collaborative space for research
projects. It also could be a great way
for the school library media specialist to build and develop collaborative
lessons with/for the classroom teacher. Using
the wiki as a research guide brings together the needs for collaborative
lessons and providing research tools for the students. A great example of this is shown in Amy
Bowlan's School Library Journal article. In the article she describes how she
used a Wiki to bring many resources together for teachers and students as they
explored a particular book. You can check the article out at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6590061.html. Building
subject guides or pathfinders is also a great way to help both the teacher and students.
The Decatur High School Library has a great example of this located at http://dhs.wikispaces.com/.
Wikis
are a great way to get teachers and students thinking, creating, and
collaborating. It is also one more way
to show that as a school library media specialist we are not only relevant, but
also are leaders in the growing world of information technology.
I enjoyed reading your blog on wikis and you bring up a valid point that I had not thought about regarding the security of wikis. Since they are not strongly secured and anybody can make edits to a wiki...it can become a dangerous tool if not monitored appropriately. Yes it is great place for collaboration and for collecting information for research projects; however it must not be the sole resource that someone uses for information. Although wiki pages are less attractive, sometimes less is more because too much fanfare can definitely take away from the information that the author/contributor of the wiki is trying to provide.
ReplyDeleteI believe having a wiki is awesome idea for a classroom setting and giving authorization to a group is also a great way to monitor more closely the information posted by the students. Yet with respect to the Media Center, wikis can provide some limitations in regards to forming collaborative groups because you’re talking the potential for a large group of unauthorized users trying to gather information, leaving the doors open for information to become altered. However Media Specialist creating a collaborative wiki hub for a teacher’s research project is GREAT!
After reading several of the MEDT 7477 blog posts and comments about wikis, I'm deciding that there are definite positive and negatives. I guess the biggest negative I see in attracting students is the attention-grabbing slick look is not there. You handle that very well by saying that flashy is not always the best, and if the information is there, the wiki is good. Also, the security issues would require some monitoring it seems, but some schools are definitely finding good uses for the wiki in their programs.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed looking at the Decatur High Media Center wiki. There is good information available and I like the way lots of information is available in one quick look at the wiki. That is not always the case with a web page. The database format of the wiki lends itself to having good information that is not static, but is changing as the users provide edits to the pages. I like the thought of the media center serving as a collaborative hub. I think there is great potential for wikis and media centers.
The information you provide for using the wiki was very interesting. In particular, I found the fact that anyone can edit the content on the wiki to be a little disturbing. Therefore, I see the need to have authorization to participate in the wiki content very necessary. Your son’s teacher is very dedicated to her students. I like the idea she has a wiki blog to assist with homework and general questions. Reading several articles and different blogs, has lead me to believe that the best way to use the wiki is collaboratively. For example, they are used for collaboration between teachers to help develop lesson plans, students can use them to share information for projects and they can also be used by teachers to share information with parents.
DeleteI liked the Brian Lamb article. His comment about the Pro being that a wiki is a great collaborative tool for teachers and students was right on target. Brian also espoused that it a Cons included it using simple text, isn't as "flashy" as a webpage, and is considered to have soft security capability. Since anyone with a pass code can make changes to the wiki, monitoring can become a time consuming job. The security is the biggest "pro and con issue" with the wiki. It provides the collaboration and the capability to harm. Just like the pro and con of our "Free society". Our biggest plus is also our achilles heel. He summed wikis up pretty well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the School library journal was a great example of a teachers use of a wiki to fill a need. I also liked the Decatur High School use of a wiki to provide pathfinders. That is a way to promote the Media Center as the center of information for the school.
When the Media Specialist is using Web 2.0 technology to provide information, it promotes the media center and provides Media specialists with the opportunity to train the teachers in the potential uses of the technology. Teachers who see the potential of the wiki could then link their wiki to the school Media Center website which Would continue to promote the Media Center and remove the Media Specialist from the everyday monitoring of their sites.
Thank you for providing the history of a Wiki. I did not know that they have been around since 1994! That's crazy considering that was right around the "birth" of the internet (at least for home use). That is very interesting for your son's teacher to put so much time and effort into running a classroom Wiki. I do see this though as being a serious commitment to both students and parents since you as the teacher are making your self available pretty much 24/7. I'm not sure I could make such a strong commitment during "family" time. :)
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your pointing out the negatives of Wiki use. To me, the security could be a huge issue since we are going to be using these in the school system. I know that many times you have to be invited into a Wiki so that would keep out strangers, but I do think this is a serious drawback to using Wikis in the classroom.
I, like Hannah, had no idea that wikis have been around since 1994! I wish it would have been a tool used by my teachers when I was in high school...would have made Trig a little easier to understand : )
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned in your response, there are both negatives and positives to using a wiki in education. But isn't there with everything in life? However, just as you mentioned there are ways to ensure that one rotten apple does not ruin it for the entire bunch. It may take a little more work, but in the end the results will enable students to gain invaluable skills that they will use throughout their life : )
I will admit that I have only been using Wiki's since starting my degree program at West GA. I had no idea that they have been around since 1994. Wikipedia was my only knowledge about wiki's. I always told the students that they shouldn't use it as a source because it can be edited by anyone and they are not sure if it is accurate.
ReplyDeleteAfter using them in class and reading more about them on the blogs, I can see how they could be very usedful in the classroom. They are excellent tools for collaboration between students and teachers.
I agree that students like the flash and awe factor of some sites and might not be as excited about the wiki. However, the usefulness of it will soon put aside their disappointment in its looks. I also agree that the fact that they can be edited required that they be monitored closely for inapporpriate materials.
I feel that the positives outweigh the negatives in terms of their usefullness in classrooms. They are a great way to get students and techers thinking, creating, and collaborating.
When I see and hear about wikis, one thought comes to mind and that is collaboration. I hear teachers from all grade levels talking about students working in groups. Most of the time this is only possible for about thirty minutes a day while in the classroom, computer lab, or media center. If you have students that have some sort of internet connection(computer, phone, etc.), the collaboration can be at any time of day, every day. This seems to be the best reason to use a wiki. I liked the idea the 8th grade teacher had toset it up where each student had a login and password. I am sure that kept students from mischief and misbehavior. It would also give the teacher the source of incorrect information.
ReplyDelete