Thing #8

I believe there is definite potential for a wiki in my near future. A wiki can definitely get my students involved and enthused about a project that they can do on their own with minimal supervision. They can learn about assignments, communicate with others, and have questions answered by their peers and myself. It is a great resource for students, teachers, and parents alike.

I really liked the idea of http://kcountingbook.wetpaint.com/ because it engaged the minds of kindergarteners and their ability to count various objects. I don’t think the creator of this particular wiki kept up with the project as they should have. The pictures were all posted but that was it. There was no follow-up to the progress of the project nor were questions answered to those few who did leave comments.

Based on the title alone, I was looking forward to reading the wiki entitled http://salutetoseuss.wikispaces.com/ as Dr. Seuss books are a favorite of mine. However, after I looked at the wiki, I was not impressed. I liked the fact that it engaged PK through 6th grade students and that the project was completed, but it shows none of the completed work. The format of the wiki was great and the pictures that were posted were fitting for the project, but I was still disappointed with overall wiki.

Another wiki with a great idea was the http://schoolsthen.wikispaces.com/project. Students interviewed their grandparents to learn about changes from the way schools were in the past compared to the way they are now. It was a wonderful way to fill a generational gap. Though every thing about the project that they discussed was posted and kept current, there was no organization. All the answers were cluttered making it difficult to read and get easily bored with.

My idea of a wiki in my classroom would start basic and eventually become larger as my students became more familiar with it. I would like to start with posting the assignments for the week and allowing the students and teachers to post comments about them. If a student had a question on an assignment, I would want them to post their question in hopes that a peer would be able to help them out. If a teacher saw an assignment and they new they could assist a student with it, I would want them to leave a comment so the students new that if they needed extra help, they could turn to them for it.