Wikis….What are they and how do they relate to education and
being a Media Specialist? A wiki is a flexible web application that is used to
promote internal communication, provide a virtual space for group
collaboration, or create dynamic content for the user population (Courtney,
2007) .
As a teacher and a Media Specialist I have seen the advantages of a wiki in the
classroom and in the media center. As a
teacher wikis can be used to serve e-portfolios of student work, framework of
course content, and as a collaboration tool within the classroom.
In many of today’s school systems e-portfolios are being
considered nonnegotiable. Teachers must keep evidence of student work and how
they show mastery of the standards being taught. Many teachers in my school use
the “old school” system of a file folder with the student’s name on a tab. Yet,
I have converted some to using technology for this purpose. A hand full of
teachers use Evernote and there are a few that use a Wiki. Wikis are accessible
through connection to the Internet, allowing access from any place where there
is a connection. Having a Wiki is a great way to show the work in parent
conferences and it allows the parent to see what the evidence of student
learning. Teachers have found that using
a wiki as an e-portfolio to be a way to organize the students work by standard
and it makes the students accountable for their own documentation allows them
to verbally reflect on what they have learned. Having this reflection process
allows the student to move the knowledge from short-term to long-term memory.
Another advantage of using a Wiki in the classroom is by
having a framework of the content that will be taught. A fellow teacher created
a Wiki for his social studies classes. He has divided his Wiki up by grade and
by his A.P. history class. Under each category are the names of the units and
when you click on them the student is able to read the standards that are
aligned to that unit. For each unit there are detailed instructions to activities
that the students will complete and the date they are due. I found this to be
an excellent differentiation tool that allows the students to work at their own
pace, yet working together to mastery the standards. This type of teaching tool
allows the students to collaborate with one another that helps foster a
relationship of trust and learning in the classroom. I believe this type of
usage of a Wiki is an active space for collaboration.
As a media special I have found Wikis to be an excellent
tool in promoting resources and services to the teachers. In Courtney’s Library 2.0 text Courtney states that
Wikis are “a great way to create and manage dynamic content in order to meet
the needs of the teachers” (Courtney, 2007) . Media Specialists do this through
subject guides or pathfinders. As a Media Specialist I have found that creating
a pathfinder for my teachers is a way to take some of the load off of them in
researching different media sources to use in the classroom. I have created a
pathfinder for all four content areas for each grade level (6th, 7th,
and 8th grade). I have media resources, print resources, and online
resources for the teachers to use in their classrooms.
Although the teachers find this to be extremely useful, it
does have its disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages is that I have found
it difficult to maintain current with what the teacher is teaching. With all
the other duties in the media center, finding time to keep the pathfinders up-to-date
is difficult. One way to keep this up-to-date and be a truly collaborative
resource is allowing the teachers access to edit the Wiki. One of the main
purposes of a Wiki is being a collaborative tool and having access to edit and
add material hits the mark of being collaborative.
Wikis can be used in many ways in education. Wikis should
empower educators to create technological communities where the students,
teachers, and Media Specialists are able to communicate more effectively and
collaborate with one another. Wikis allow the users to be creative and allows
them to evaluate the work. As a Media Specialist I recommend the use of Wikis
in the classroom and in the media center. They are great tools to inspire
teachers and students to get involved and interact online.
Courtney. (2007). 2.0 Library and Beyond.
Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Hi Julie!
ReplyDeleteAs you may remember, we worked together on a group Wiki last semester. Up to that class, I hadn't had much involvement with creating Wikis, only reading or viewing them. Overall, I think these are a great tool for collaborative learning; however, as we experienced, it is a bit difficult to have a cohesive format due to various users changing and adding material. I could see where a single user, such as a media specialist, would have an easier time making sure the content is accurate since they would be the only one adding material.
I also like your suggestion of using a Wiki as an e-portfolio!
Julie,
ReplyDeleteJust as with a website, I think maintaining a wiki for a media center would be very time-consuming. In looking at the Apalachee High School Media Center’s wiki, I saw that many of the areas hadn’t been updated in a few years. I love the READ mini-posters that the students created!
As I was reading about wikis and viewing them, I began to wonder why they are needed when many media centers have designed websites that often share the same information. My conclusion is that while they present similar information, a wiki opens up the possibilities for shared ownership. Most school websites are very restricted in their access, and the wiki would allow a collective group to participate. While allowing students to edit and contribute would promote collaboration, there are the risks about what is added may not be appropriate. The wiki must be monitored very closely. I noticed on the Apalachee High School Media Center’s wiki that the students submitted info to be added on the wiki. This would give the material a chance to be evaluated before posting it for all to see; however, someone has to be in charge in reviewing the material.
In Amy Bowlan’s School Library Journal article, she provides us with an excellent example of collaboration. The wiki is a great way for teachers to share ideas and resources. I have been inspired to make one for my third grade team. We are always sharing ideas verbally and often repeating what we discussed. Our wiki would save us time and give us a chance to share our ideas!
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ReplyDeleteI love the use of Wikis to create Pathfinders, a way to share and collaborate with teachers. I was first introduced to this idea in a previous class by Dr. Cooper. I have talked to several educators, including my own Principal, who had no idea what I was talking about. My wiki/pathfinder was on animal habitats, a topic that a 3rd grade teacher suggested to me. I shared my link with her and later asked if she had found the site helpful, and did she find herself using it as a resource to which she replied with a resounding "yes!" And, I remember stumbling on a school media center website and was amazed at the number of pathfinders that were created at that school and listed on the media center website. Not only is that a great resource for teachers, but for parents and students, too, as they work on class projects or simply to enrich an area of interest. However, I had not thought of the idea that they might need maintaining. I can see where that could be time consuming, and might fall by the wayside. I loved your idea of allowing teachers permission to "edit" them. They could delete links that are no longer active and might even add resources that they find. Truly, wikis (pathfinders, in particular) to supplement teachers' largest subject units,are one of the first things on my goal list that I want to create.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using a wiki as an e-portfolio of students’ work! It is not one that has crossed my mind before. A class wiki of portfolios does serve multiple purposes though –it not only shows evidence of student learning, but by allowing the students themselves to edit their information, they are encouraged to build their Web 2.0 skills and improve their digital citizenship. A great cross-curriculum project!
ReplyDelete