The downside is inextricably linked with the upside. Even though it could be wonderful to collaboratively work on a project, there are always students who can't handle the responsibility, especially in elementary school. I know we can all think of the one, two, or in my case, three students who think it's funny to write inappropriate comments or change work without permission. The teacher just needs to be actively monitoring and have consequences in place.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Thing 16
Before this experience, I would have never thought of using a wiki in a classroom. I didn't have any particularly positive experience with wikis; just thought they were unattractive and became frustrated when classmates "corrected mistakes" I made on collaborative papers. However, after viewing the examples from schools and libraries, I can see how they can be used for the better. Students can have a place to share work that they can all sign in and add comments, as well as add on to a class project. Wikis can also be designed to be something other than a large expanse of white.
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Our school librarians recently used a wiki to have students, teachers, and other staff post comments about our Read-It-Forward book, Unwind by Neal Schusterman. They created a wiki and advertised the site. After people read the novel, they accessed the wiki and posted comments about the book. This is a great way to offer discussion for those who do not have time to attend book clubs. I can only imagine how different using a wiki in elementary would be, but maybe an alteration of what is expected would work.
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