Wikis
September 30, 2008
As I was browsing through google reader, I found an interesting article at http://hickstro.org/2008/09/23/props-for-wikispaces/ that talks about wikispaces. In light of what we’re discussing in class, I found that article very relevant. Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. It supports hyperlinks and uses simple text syntax for creating new pages and cross-links between internal pages. Wikis are quite simple to maintain and edit, which makes it even more encouraging for those that are technologically challenged. The article references that wikis are increasingly becoming a tool used in K-12 classrooms. The author stated that their class only does their work through wikis.
I am personally not an advocate of technology in the classroom. I am of the opinion that it allows students to bypass certain challenges, essentially missing out on the point of many exercises. That said, though, I do think technology has to be used in the classroom. Students need their education to have meaning in their lives. If I ignored technology, I’d be ignoring a big part of their lives.
I think the wikispaces could be used in a way that could be very beneficial. Students would learn responsibility through the creation of their wikis. They’d also learn different methods of research. In turn, their application skills would develop in using the research data.
Lastly, wikispaces could be used in a variety of ways. Personally, I like the idea of students using their wikispace to create a portfolio-like project. They could post papers, articles and other things they’ve collected from class. They could also keep a memoir of sorts, describing their thought processes about the work that they’ve put into the class.
All in all, though I’m not caught up with this push towards the digital classroom, I do think it has its positives. So long as teachers don’t become too reliant upon technology, it could have a meaningful impact. Like the wikispace example above, such technology can be used to create a classroom that emphasizes areas relevant to students’ lives.
Thanks for your comments on my post. I appreciate your perspective on technology use, especially when you note that “So long as teachers don’t become too reliant upon technology, it could have a meaningful impact.”
I always (always!) have an “analog back up plan” to supplement what I am doing online with my students. In fact, I think that moving from good paper and pencil practices in the teaching of writing into the realm of digital tools is the smartest way to go. Students should know how to compose their thoughts, reply to the writing of their peers, and be able to effectively revise, no matter what media they are composing in, and that usually starts with paper and pencil.
So, yes, it is important that teachers remember the fundamentals of writing instruction, and rely on wikis and other technologies to enhance what they are already doing, not just as a gimmick or fancy writing tool.
Good luck with your teaching!
Troy
Thank you for the gereat article and blog. I had no idea what a wiki was. I guess I still don’t, really. I do agree that while necessary, technology has so many ways to shortcut processes in wiritng, for example, that it sometimes can become a crutch for students. Wiki’s as a portfolio style project would be useful as it does intergrate technology and serve as a journal style writing piece(s). Sometimes my gripe is that technology changes so fast that when you or your students get a grasp on it, a new gadget or piece of software comes out that then becomes the new standard.
As far as writing, wikis and blogging can give students practice in composing thoughts and fluency in the writing process. All in all wikis seem to be a useful tool in the writing process and it involves the technology that is available in today’s world.