A wiki makes an easy shell for electronic portfolios where students can display and discuss their work with others. It would also be an excellent forum for peer editing and peer feedback to help students improve their writing skills.
A wiki could be set up for middle or high school students to brainstorm ideas for and plan science fair projects. Initially it would mostly be brainstorming, posting ideas and information to back them up. As they begin to flesh out the ideas that they are interested in, small groups might form to work on individual projects, but could still contribute ideas to other projects. The teacher can act as a facilitator by offering suggestions and asking probing questions to get students to consider particular aspects in the planning of their projects. The wiki could also be used to record and organize data, and plan eventual papers/presentations.
Elementary students could answer questions about the material and pose questions within their literacy circles. A Wiki would be a perfect way to integrate technology into thier Lit Cirles. Instead of sharing their thoughts on paper, they could post them to the wiki, respond to their peers thoughts or questions and best of all perserve this work for the next class to review at sometime during ther exploration of the same novel.
Showing posts with label wikis in the classroom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wikis in the classroom. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Using Wikis in the Classroom
I recently read an article entitled Five Strategies for Using Wikis in the Classroom:
Engaging Students in Technology Projects that Support Learning. David Wetzel(2009) speaks on how and why Wikis are becoming very popular. Maybe Wikis are becoming so popular because they are free and require no downloading, not to mention one of the easiest web applications to use and it helps to engage students that perhaps do not meet in the regular classroom but meet via the world wide web.
Students can work on collaborative projects within the wiki. Students can log in to the wiki at anytime from anywhere to share information\projects. This allows the students to work as a team without having to make schedules perfect which is more ideal in today's world with so many students working full time and raising families.
Students can also demonstrate their knowledge on the wiki. The can make submit their work to the wiki, and cite sources. The nice thing about this aspect is the organization factor, instead of having a million papers sitting around that you are trying to collaborate, the wiki will do it instead. A time saving application, yet a valuable one for educational purposes, the Wiki allows the students to spend more time learning than searching.
Teachers can use the wiki to connect with students submit them with a list of resources that they can benefit from through the year. The website allows you to insert new information and delete old information at any time. This option gives students the benefit of easily locating resources that are acceptable for their work.
The wiki can work as a classroom news page or daily event planner. The teacher can put all the class information into the wiki site and keep everything for the class easy to locate. A teacher could add a (homework) calender, new letter, homework assignments, notes, classroom rules, and many other things. Then the students are the parents or care givers of the students can easy locate everything they need and stay informed.
One of my favorite features is the idea of using the wiki as a filling cabinet. The wiki can store files, images, videos, student artifact, and almost anything you can think of. It is a controlled area where only the teacher can access it, meaning it's safe.
As the popularity of the wiki grows so does the demand of finding new way to improve the wiki and its uses. Although, just by having a wiki does not mean that you are engaging the students it needs to be a two way street. The students have to be willing to use the wiki and share information. When the wiki is used appropriately and each person is using the site then it becomes very engaging for all students. The wiki is a great way to help engage our new 21st century learners.
Wetzel, D. (2009). Suite101. 5 strategies for using wikis int he classroom. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/5_strategies_for_using_wikis_in_the_classroom
Engaging Students in Technology Projects that Support Learning. David Wetzel(2009) speaks on how and why Wikis are becoming very popular. Maybe Wikis are becoming so popular because they are free and require no downloading, not to mention one of the easiest web applications to use and it helps to engage students that perhaps do not meet in the regular classroom but meet via the world wide web.
Students can work on collaborative projects within the wiki. Students can log in to the wiki at anytime from anywhere to share information\projects. This allows the students to work as a team without having to make schedules perfect which is more ideal in today's world with so many students working full time and raising families.
Students can also demonstrate their knowledge on the wiki. The can make submit their work to the wiki, and cite sources. The nice thing about this aspect is the organization factor, instead of having a million papers sitting around that you are trying to collaborate, the wiki will do it instead. A time saving application, yet a valuable one for educational purposes, the Wiki allows the students to spend more time learning than searching.
Teachers can use the wiki to connect with students submit them with a list of resources that they can benefit from through the year. The website allows you to insert new information and delete old information at any time. This option gives students the benefit of easily locating resources that are acceptable for their work.
The wiki can work as a classroom news page or daily event planner. The teacher can put all the class information into the wiki site and keep everything for the class easy to locate. A teacher could add a (homework) calender, new letter, homework assignments, notes, classroom rules, and many other things. Then the students are the parents or care givers of the students can easy locate everything they need and stay informed.
One of my favorite features is the idea of using the wiki as a filling cabinet. The wiki can store files, images, videos, student artifact, and almost anything you can think of. It is a controlled area where only the teacher can access it, meaning it's safe.
As the popularity of the wiki grows so does the demand of finding new way to improve the wiki and its uses. Although, just by having a wiki does not mean that you are engaging the students it needs to be a two way street. The students have to be willing to use the wiki and share information. When the wiki is used appropriately and each person is using the site then it becomes very engaging for all students. The wiki is a great way to help engage our new 21st century learners.
Wetzel, D. (2009). Suite101. 5 strategies for using wikis int he classroom. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from http://teachingtechnology.suite101.com/article.cfm/5_strategies_for_using_wikis_in_the_classroom
