- Create distance learning resources
- Plan a conference
- Build an online collaborative classroom
- Engage students outside of the classroom
- Faculty collaboration and communication
- Pathfinders for research projects
Although email is probably the tool most frequently used for communication, a wiki is much simplier. On a wiki, a group of people can edit and save informaton and share share links. Using a wiki for communication keeps the trail of emails to a minimum and simplifies the dissemination of information.
Another advantage of a wiki is that it is internet based and can be accessed from any computer with internet access so teachers and students can work with it at school and home. A wiki is a good place for students to store work so that they can collaborate on projects with classmates or continue their work on projects at any intenet linked computer.
The wiki that we are using for MEDT 6467 is my first experience with wikis. I like the ability it gives us to share our projects by posting them to the wiki.
To better understand how a wiki can be used , I explored the use of wikis by some of the media specialists and teachers in our school district. Here are links to a couple of them. I hope you'll check them out!
RRHS Lit/Comp and Journalism teacher who is also in the UWG media and technology program took 6467 last spring. This wiki that she uses with her journalism students is modeled after the one we are using.
Former TMS media specialist is still linked to the school's media center webpage and has a great wiki for her new school. Check it out the rules for using the wiki that she has posted.
Since the media specialist is often the "go to' person for new ideas and technologies, it is important that we know these new tools and are willing to provide training for teachers and to collaborate so that tools are being used with students. Wikis are one of the tools we need to know and the best way to know them is to use them!
I like the various uses of wikis that you have brought up. I also liked that you were able to provide local examples of how teachers are utilizing wikis in various ways currently. You last paragraph brings up an interesting point and a point that I feel with be recurrent with all of the blog posts this semester. It s important as emerging media specialists to not only become comfortable using this technology, but also be able to provide examples of how teachers can make it their own.
ReplyDeleteWiki has certainly opened communication in many areas for instructional technology. It has been mentioned the many educational significants for collaboration. The faculties and students can use it for projects and research. The student will find it useful for organization purposes as well. It can have a downfall that isn't mentioned from one of the articles I read. If not monitored appropriately, the content can be modified. This is why the user must have a required authorization webpage and the group members are only ones qualified to modify the content. There are schools that have already implemented the wiki on their webpage to view. After using the wiki, it is a useful tool to middle and high school students. I certainly agree that the media specialist must have insight into new technologies to collaborate effectively with teachers.
ReplyDeleteBy Cecilia:
ReplyDeleteWikis have proven to be a great collaboration tool. I have enjoyed learing how to use them. Personally, I have reservations about setting up Wikis that are open to the public at large. It just makes me nervous about sharing key, perhaps personal, indentifying information with, well, anybody. For example, should students' names be out there for all to see?
I know that there are ways to make the Wikis private and to limit those who have editing permission. This makes me feel safer about preserving the integrity of the content.
I will say that I've never had a problem with anyone editing content for nefarious purposes, and hope that those accessing would always be respectful.
A Wiki could be a tremendous collaboration tool. Having teachers come together and have the ability to post useful websites and videos could be very beneficial to teaching. Having a private Wiki for a classroom would be a great way for students to have a portfolio of the work that they have completed throughout the school year such as the daily log that was created by the RRHS Lit/Comp and Journalism teacher. I think that if you are going to create a Wiki, it is very important that you are able to monitor it daily. Since everyone is able to edit the content, it is very easy for items to be deleted or changed by accident because of this those involved with using the Wiki need to be trained properly on how to use it and there should be some type of plan or procedure in place of what to do if something is deleted or changed by accident.
ReplyDeleteI see the benefit of using a wiki for communication. As we saw as we were working on a project sometimes the documents get too big to send through an email. Even though we ended up shrinking the document it was useful to be able to use the class Wiki to get the work to all the member of the group.
ReplyDeleteIt would be necessary to monitor who is adding information. I do not think that a wiki that is being used for a class should be in too much danger of information being modified but things happen by accident sometimes. I think having security settings that limit who has access to the site would be a good idea. Everyone needs to be prepared for accidents though when people are learning to use the technology. The best advice, "Save it in more than one place." The motto of the UWG media program.
Like you, this is my first experience using a wiki. I have found it easy to access and use. I agree with you that it is essential for today's students to be in the know with today's technology. Surely wiki is used more than I am aware for business and industry. Having the ability to use a wide array of technology will certainly give students an advantage for post secondary education and/or the world of work.
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