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WIKIS IN EDUCATIONtoc

Wikis 101: The Basics

Wikis in education are becoming a powerful resource in the classroom. Students throughout the world are using wiki sites to research topics and collaborate with each other. Since wikis can be edited by everyone, a wiki site can be updated frequently and provide up-to-date information about any given topic. Since anyone has access to wiki sites, they are also a great tool for students to work with each other when conducting projects or class discussions. Although many people in the education field are skeptical of wikis since they can be edited so easily, that actually makes it a more valuable tool. Since students are able to play an integral role in the development and maintenance of the site, they put more ownership into their learning. Wikis in education is becoming more and more prominent as the web 2.0 grows. The more aware educators, parents and the community are about wiki sites, the more useful these sites can become in education.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING USING WIKIS
Wikis have changed the way teachers and students conceptualize group work. Whereas traditional classroom lessons include students huddling together verbally to work out a solution to a problem or brainstorm project ideas, wikis extend this process outside of the classroom to virtually anywhere.

Teachers can post prompts and questions or simply assign the students a project and let them explore on their own by creating and editing a wiki page. Wiki collaboration often works best when students are given the freedom to complete assignments, pages and literary pieces without an adult hovering over or directing the project. Collaboration is often seen as less invasive with wikis, too, because students can openly submit material without the risk of peer pressure in the classroom. In return, students become ‘Collaborative Collectors’ by engaging in mutual participation. See more about Wiki-Based Collaborative Learning ([]). Researchers have found, though, that if students do not fully utilize a wiki’s potential through active discussions, collaboration is not as effective, as shown in a study published in the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology ( [|www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet26/judd.pdf] )

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES WHEN USING WIKIS
Although educators may be hesitant to use a wiki site in their classrooms, once they see the benefits of using this interactive learning tool, the arguments for using the sites far outweigh the negatives. Below are some examples of how wikis are changing the world of education. The youtube link Using Wikis in the Classroom by corwinpress examines an English class using a wiki page to discuss short stories. A teacher who is afraid of students having the power of editing will be amazed at how easy it is for the students to actively contribute to the class discussion. Students are also interviewed during this video and it is easy to see their excitement about the assignment.

media type="youtube" key="1pR5yogCmkA" height="390" width="480"

Below is a first hand account of a teacher who was not successful with using wiki in her classroom. When she reflected on what went wrong, she realized she needed to change her teaching practices to use a wiki page effectively. This is one of the hardest steps for educators to do when introducing new technology. Teachers are used to teaching a certain way and for many years, that worked. However, a wiki allows students to play an active role in learning. Teachers need to give up some of their control in order for true collaboration and learning to take place in the classroom. This idea is highlighted in the article. [|A teacher explaining why wiki failed in her classroom]

WIKIS IN THE CLASSROOM
Many teachers today utilize the web and are especially attracted to using wikis. Because of the benefits of using this website for collaboration or demonstration or display of student's work or knowledge in a subject area, the use in the classroom has grown tremendously in the last few years.

An example of a high school classroom wiki featuring a teacher's physics course is:

[|Mr. Peroni's Physics Site]

This wiki, created by a teacher in North Shore HS in New York is extensive with complete information for all course work for the entire year. It is a great tool for the student and an easy way for the teacher to find the information that his student's submit. A wiki can be a place to display student work for the public to view, such as Mrs. Meulink's wiki here:

[|Mrs. Meulnik's Art Room Wiki]

This teacher shares her elementary art work on her wiki Still some teachers use the wiki site not only for student work but also for parents. Mrs. Atwood developed her page to use as a teaching tool for her students but also a way of communicating with parents. That can be found here:

http://mrsatwood.pbworks.com/w/page/21730766/FrontPage

As you can see, teachers have different methods of using a classroom wiki, which makes a wiki fun and versatile. Other sites to visit for classroom wikis: [] [] []