Chapter 4: Wikis: Easy Collaboration for All

Summary of chapter:

This chapter explained what a wiki was and how it can be used.  I found p. 57 bottom paragraph really interesting where it talks about how everyone can edit a wiki with, "no expectation that their contributions will be acknowledged..."  I was just having a conversation with a teacher in my building about how everyone used to keep all their lessons, labs, etc to themselves.  She said the attitude was "I might be able to publish this someday and make some money."  This is a huge shift for people that started teaching that way to share all their resources. 

The other part of the chapter I found useful was about Wikipedia.  Often in the past I have really harped on, "No Wikipedia".  However, I use it a ton to look up facts (how many miles to the sun, etc) that I don't have stuck in my brain, but always get asked.  I found it freeing to say that it's OK to use, if you explain to kids the downfalls and to be critically thinking about what they read on there. 


Use in classroom:

Two things really struck a chord in this chapter, Wikipedia and classroom textbooks.

I think I will allow my kids to use Wikipedia more if my goal is not research strategy, just finding the science info.  There are some projects I do that have info that is hard to find anywhere else!

Textbooks:  I have a class set for 8th graders and use it about 5 times a year (and usually for a diagram that could easily be found on the web).  I love the idea of putting up a "Mrs. Kramer's Textbook of Earth Science" and having kids edit what they need to know each year.  Putting in my powerpoints and other info so that kids that are gone or just don't get it have a place to go to.  I think this may take years to do, but would rather do this and have kids have a laptop (or something) rather than spending $$ on textbooks.

I found this site http://www.ischool.org/studentpages/web_design_07/Dianna/science_fun.htm that I think is a good starting point for me on how to arrange a wiki for my class.  I could have all the units on the side that we cover and run the same wiki for both my 7th and 8th grade classes.