Thing 7
Posted by Connie on March 18, 2008
Wiki’s, Wiki’s, Wiki’s Oh My! I love working with Wiki’s because they are so easy to edit and modify. As I was looking over the examples that were provided, I found several that I thought were well organized and easy to navigate. My favorite was the Math 12V Outcomes Portfolio Wiki because it was so detailed and informative. This type of resource can really help clarify important information for students. I also enjoyed the FHS Wolves Den Wiki which contained varied resources and amazing depth.
My impression of Wikipedia has certainly changed over time. A few weeks ago our school was banned from making edits on Wikipedia for the duration of one year. Apparently, some of our students were vandalizing the site by editing the site with inappropriate language. (The last edit involved the usage of the word “poopie head” in place of a famous singer) We were able to track down the 6th grade offender by using the reporting feature of our bandwidth monitoring program and it actually turned into a tremendous learning experience. The student was required to write an apology letter to Wikipedia, and everyone else was reminded that where you go and what you do does or can come back to you. I think I read somewhere that inaccurate information is usually corrected within seconds so the site is actually gaining validity. To be honest, it is the first place that I go to learn about a new topic and I imagine it is the first place our students go as well.
