This week I have been exploring the concept of Wikis and their comparison to Blogs. I have created my first Wikispace, please click on the following link to view it. http://carlascoursewiki.wikispaces.com/
A Wiki has an open style which can be constructive for collaborative projects. A Blog mainly aids general discussion or brainstorming. With both in mind they can be used to appropriately suit educational purposes.
A Wiki limits which users can login and edit the content. The main difference between a Wiki and a Blog becomes the layout and organisation of content and resources posted. A Wiki is continually modifiable and an easy-access web page, while a Blog contains a more journalistic format which categorises dates of content so the views can see the expansion of ideas related to the Blog topic in question.
Both Wikis and Blogs range vastly in the area of educational usage. You can create a Wiki for class attendance sheets, information research tasks, discussions for class assessment material, etc. Although both Blogs and Wikis are extremely practical for schooling environments, the construction of a lesson needs to be engaging and some teachers can create a magnificent lesson with all students engaged in a positive learning experience without using any form of technology.
Please visit this excellent resource: 50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom, to enhance your understanding of the benefits Wikis can bring to education. http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/50-ways-to-use-wikis-for-a-more-collaborative-and-interactive-classroom/
Teaching.org, S. (2010). Smart Teaching. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from 50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom: http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/50-ways-to-use-wikis-for-a-more-collaborative-and-interactive-classroom/
The moment you say you will "compare and contrast" I know you are seeking to analyse. Great. You have discussed "You can create a wiki"... now extend yourself into new ideas about your students. Why would you ask your students to work in a wiki? How could you scaffold their learning in a wiki? In particular, think if thinking frameworks/thinking routines can support visible thinking in your students?
ReplyDeleteI think there is an exciting range of ideas for using a Wikispace within a classroom environment. Depending on the age group of you students, below is a list of ideas I personally would incorporate into my teaching.
ReplyDelete- Digital Story telling
- Field Trip Reports
- Creating Discussion tables
- Solving quizzes as a shared experience
- Group assessment – ideas, questions & contributions
As I posted, Wikis are more student involved - so as a teacher, I would provide an idea or task then monitor the student involvement and their contributions. To review students learning I could take certain ideas or postings of theirs and then discuss further during class time.