What+is+a+Wiki

Nicholas Provenzano CMU EDU709 Title: What Is “Wiki”? 1. Introduction Most people have heard of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that any person can edit. It is supposed to be more accurate than hardcover encyclopedias. The debate rages amongst teachers on the value of Wikipedia, but the tool Wikipedia uses to collect all of this wonderful information is a very simple one. The wiki is an amazing tool that allows people from all over the world or in the same building to collaborate on anything they wish. Like most tools in education, it was not specifically designed for teachers, but there has been great work done on using this tool in the classroom. Some people might fear the open nature of wikis and how that impacts the nature of a classroom, but with proper training and guidance, using wikis in classrooms can benefit today’s students.

2. Impact on Education When evaluating tools and their impact on education, it can be tough to nail down concrete data since many of the tools are so new to the scene. However, there are some interesting studies being done on the importance of wikis in the classroom. One study by Sarah Guth from the University of Padua states that, “ Today’s economy has changed from an industrial economy to a global knowledge-based, networked economy” (2). This “global knowledge-based, networked economy” will require students to work collaboratively with people from all over the world. Wikis are on of the tools that students need to work with in order to develop these important skills.

Guth goes on to write, “When contributing to a wiki project, students are not just writing for the teacher, as is the case in traditional classroom environments, but for and //with// their peers. As such, they promote collective authoring which inherently entails peer review” (2). The idea that students will no longer be writing just for their teacher is a novel one. The traditional classroom has the teacher assign work, students complete the work, students submit it to the teacher and the teacher grades it. The audience for the student consists only of one person, the teacher. By using a wiki, the teacher can increase the audience from one, to hundreds. The audience is no longer confined to the classroom or even the school. By connecting to other schools all over the world, a teacher can have students work with anyone they want. Time zones are no longer a boundary when it comes to collaborative work.

As a writing tool, wikis are amazing at helping students practice this important skill. Guth writes that a Wiki, “facilitates writing as a process rather than a product” (2). Many states focus heavily on writing for their state tests. Wikis could help students see the process of writing and sharing information. Most students see writing as a chore. Many think it is something done so teachers can have something to grade. Writing is about communication. Wikis allow students and teachers to communicate on a collective page with a large audience. Many students need help strengthening their writing and wikis can be used to help them grow in that vital area of their education. 3. Issues and Implications

With every new tool that enters the educational world, there are concerns. One of the biggest concerns with wikis is a privacy issue. Many parents are concerned about their child using a tool that can be seen by anyone at anytime. While these are understandable concerns, there are many different precautions that can be taken to ensure the safety of the student user.

One of the easiest ways to deal with privacy concerns is to educate parents. The National Center for Missing and exploited Children hosts a website called NetSmartz.org that breaks down the different types of computer use by children. It provides guides for parents to show them the potential dangers of using sites like blogs and wikis and how they can educate their children to protect themselves. There are many sites out there that can help educate parents on how to monitor their children in an online world. The site also provides information for teachers. Teachers can access the site and help the students in the classroom that might not have the parent support at home. It is key that parents and teachers work together to create a safe and educational environment for students to learn in because there are some amazing things that can be done using Wikis.

Using Wikis can have a positive impact on any teacher’s classroom. That might seem like a bold statement, but the versatility of a Wiki allows any teacher to use it how it best suits their classroom. According to Smartteaching.org’s article, “ [|50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom] ”, there are many amazing and innovative ways to uses Wikis in the classroom. The site suggests that group work can be recorded on wikis for students to keep track of the work completed by individual students. Peer editing and sharing notes can help students who have missed school or need help with their work. Vocabulary lists and student feedback can be shared on Wikis for each classroom. The uses truly are limitless. That is why Wikis are so valuable in education.

4. The future

Most pieces of technology tend to come and go. It is important for teachers not to get too attached to a particular site or tool because they might not be there from one day to the next. Wikis are flexible enough to allow any creative teacher the means to mold it into whatever they want/need for their classroom. As teachers strive to find more way to increase the knowledge base of the students in the classroom, it is important to look at the available tools and see where they fit in the educational setting. As the technology continues to change, it is key for the educators to stay on par with those changes and think of innovative ways to incorporate them in the classroom.

5. Report three web resources or journal sources that you used for this assignment.

1. "50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom | Smart Teaching." //SmartTeaching.org - Online Teacher Certificates - Become a Teacher//. Smart Teaching, 4 Aug. 2008. Web. 09 Mar. 2011. . 2. Guth, Sarah. "Wikis in Education." //ACM Digital Library//. 2007. Web. 09 Mar. 2011. . 3. //Parents & Guardians//. Web. 09 Mar. 2011. .