7477_blog1_klh.pdf

Wikis
There are many new and innovative ideas floating around the internet.  The list goes on and on with little chance of slowing down any time soon.  Wikis are one of these new ideas.  The wiki came into existence in the mid-1990s.  The main use of the wiki is to allow multiple people to collaborate in a common space without the need to meet face to face to accomplish a common goal.  When using a wiki the group must understand that all material posted is accessible to anyone who has been granted access.  The wiki is most appropriate for any material that does not need to be protected from editing which has not approved by the contributing members.
As you begin to think about the possible uses of a wiki you might be surprised to find that they can be used in all disciplines and areas.  There are no limits on the ways in which this tool can be used.  When considering use of a wiki in the Media Center of a school the collaboration between teachers and students offers great opportunities.  It offers an innovative venue for sharing news updates as they happen in the Media Center and around the school.  It allows students to make responses to the latest posts and correction any material previously submitted .  Students can post reviews of books which they have read and feel might be interesting to other students.
While there are any positive uses for a wiki you must keep in mind that there is a possibility for spam and inappropriate language to be posted. There must be provisions in place to check for these violations on a regular basis. The teacher will find that the wiki can serve as a good form of communication ,satisfying one of the requirements for teacher evaluations.  The availability of lesson plans which correlate to books found in the media center can also prove to be an effective caviat to getting teachers to use the wiki.  When there is greater teacher buy in there will be more use of  the wiki.  There will be more reviews of books and lessons along with suggestions of other books that can be added to cover certain standards.
With the introduction of using a wiki to the teachers and the students in the media center the school environment will begin to change.  Students will begin to feel more comfortable using the Internet and its various tools.  They will begin to raise their expectations to match the availability and possibilities of the Internet.  Project-based learning will begin to be used more in the classroom and assignments turned in electronically will begin to increase.
Wiki spaces have a definite place in the Media Center.  As we move into a new era of education we must give the wiki some serious consideration in our Media Center programs.

Wikis – What’s Not To Love?

Wikis – What’s Not To Love?

I have seen Wikis. I have read about Wikis. I have talked about Wikis. I have used Wikipedia. I have never created a Wiki. After review of all of the reading resources, I really want to create a Wiki. The site Educause.edu describes Wikis as a web page that can be viewed and modified by anybody with a web browser and access to the Internet. This means that any visitor to the wiki can change its content if they desire.

I believe that Wikis are a great resource. The advantages of a Wiki are:

·         anyone can edit

·         easy to use and learn

·         Wikis are instantaneous so there is no need to wait for a publisher to create a new edition or update information

·         people located in different parts of the world can work on the same document

·         the wiki software keeps track of every edit made and it's a simple process to revert back to a previous version of an article

·         widens access to the power of web publishing to non-technical users

·         the wiki has no predetermined structure - consequently it is a flexible tool which can be used for a wide range of applications

·         there are a wide range of open source software wiki's to choose from so licensing costs shouldn't be a barrier to installing an institutional wiki

(www.wikieducator.org)

I think utilizing a Wiki in the Media center is a great way to collaborate with students and faculty about books, lesson plans, available resources, and events and promotions. It is a way to allow more access to the Media Center with ideas and input from the school community. A Wiki provides 24/7 availability for those interested to work in partnership on discussing topics that many can benefit. I think a Wiki can be effectively utilized in a Media Center as it was in the article “A Wiki Gives a Worthy Book New Life,"  Amy Bowlan's School Library Journal article. In the article she describes how she used a Wiki to bring many resources together for teachers and students as they explored the book. After she could not find any available online resources  or lessons for the book, she decided to create a Wiki and use it in her lesson plan. Students can use the wiki to research, outline, draft, and edit a collaborative project on the book. They could also organize articles, site links, video, and other resources there for students locally and in other countries. Users can discuss the book, share papers for peer feedback, all using the wiki. Links and pictures can be added about some of the details in the book such as country and cultural information. I believe this is a highly effective way for students to review a book. Utilizing these type of activities brings higher level thinking as presented by Bloom’s higher order skills – things like creating and evaluating. 

Wiki Drawbacks – What’s Not To Love?

While Wikis are great, they do have some disadvantages:

·         Anyone can edit so this may be too open for some applications, for example confidential documentation. However it is possible to regulate user access.

·         Open to SPAM and Vandalism if not managed properly. There are easy ways to restore a page however, and on many you must be logged in to edit pages so this reduces vandalism by automated spam bots.

·         Requires Internet connectivity to collaborate, but technologies to produce print versions of articles are improving

·         The flexibility of a wiki's structure can mean that information becomes disorganized. As a wiki grows, the community plans and administers the structure collaboratively.

(www.wikieducator.org)

As I reviewed the Wikis in the readings I found that all had some validity to creating an additional opportunity for students and those in the organizational environment to be able to express themselves on topics and provide input. Some students and faculty actually respond better in an online environment. Some feel their voices are heard louder. Some ideas that stood out were Chris Paris, lecturer at Vanderbilt Divinity, used a wiki in his “Bible in American Culture” class as a way to have students share pop culture references to the Bible, creating a shared class resource. Another idea - Compiling a manual or glossary of useful terms or concepts related to the course, or even a guide to a major course concept.

While I think that Wikis are great, they can become passive “storage cabinets” if allowed. I think the elements necessary to move them toward being active spaces for collaboration and not fall into the black hole of the internet are to 1. Create interesting topics the user community can respond. Have you ever heard…it’s all in the way you say it? Present resources and ideas in a creative manner and people will respond. We are in a technology world that seeks to grab our attention all day. Putting a spin on a topic creates value and enthusiasm. 2. Require users to post questions or ideas on the Wiki. Got a question, the creator should not answer it unless it was asked on the Wiki for all to review. 3. The creator must keep abreast with areas that have become passive. Remove it and refresh the idea when an old one dies. 

I have not created a Wiki, but plan to after completing this assignment. I am a first year Media Specialist at a high school and see many areas for improvement in relation to technology use by students and faculty. I am currently reworking the Media Center website. A Wiki would be a great addition to get the school community involved. I have not seen a school in the area using Wikis either, but mine will probably spark interest. I believe faculty would be very receptive to a new way for students to collaborate. I also think many students will be open to the idea of discussing topics online. I am in a Title 1 school and critical thinking skills need further development. Students can have issues writing effectively and solving problems. This is a way to require higher level thinking all while incorporating current technology, and giving them ownership into their Media Center.