Wikis are a new, modern way of sharing information between people, and are becoming increasingly popular in the classroom. They are easy to use, and allow people to publish their thoughts and ideas, along with information, usually free of charge. In the article I read, the author outlined briefly the main components of a wiki, and how to use and edit their own wiki. The author also explored the educational benefits of using wikis. The main point they made, is that they allow students to contribute their thoughts at a conveneint time, and from wherever they want. As a student who takes online classes, I can completely appreciate the benefits of being able to work when and where I want and at my own pace.
As a teacher, I would consider using wikis in my classroom, especially if I were teaching middle or high school. I would be concerned however, that they could be misused, or that the specific student was not doing his/her own work. It would be very easy to have someone else write for them, which would hinder their learning experience. More research needs to be done on this topic before I would actually implement wikis into my classroom
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/wikis/
2 comments:
Yea, I think that a lot of the time students might misuse the wiki, especially in middle school. I didn't even think about someone else doing the work for them, that could be bad.
Bethany, you bring up a stark reality that some students may be tempted to enlist the help of another person to write or research for them using wikis. I agree that the temptation could be present in some students, but this is an actuality we already are combating in traditional classrooms. Unfortunately, if there is a way to cheat some students will find it. I don’t believe this has to hinder the progression of wikis into education, however. If a teacher were concerned with a student misusing a wiki or cheating, the same technology that has aided to the education of the students can also armor the teacher with a safeguard against fraudulent efforts. There are many common programs available, especially for wikis and forums, which actually tell an administrator of a particular website where any information added was coming from through IP addresses of computers. These additional security measures could one day, if they haven’t already, be optimized for a teacher conducting a wiki classroom. Another one of our classmates, Brittany Spisak, found an article talking about a wiki that is being used as a platform for teachers to discuss their lesson plans and successes/failures they have encountered to help the teaching community adapt to the new field of wikis in the classroom. Such a specifically designed wiki would be a perfect place to uncover additional information on security concerns for the students.
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