The Wiki Walk-Through was a helpful source to explain wikis and ways they can be used in the classroom. Prior to these explanations, I was really confused about several things regarding wikis. Interestingly enough, wiki means “quick” or “fast” in Hawaiian. In addition, when using a wiki, there is no need for any additional software or much background knowledge, making it user-friendly and every teacher’s favorite word: FREE!!
Many teachers use wikis to pass along information to parents and students or to post assignments for students to complete. However, my favorite concept that teachers use for wikis, is the idea of posting teacher wikis to share ideas and successes. The Wiki Walk-Through also explained wiki ideas for math, science, social studies and more. One of my favorite ideas for social studies was to create a “Where’s Wanda” project where the class has a Flat Stanley-type figure and each student gets to take it home. They then take it everywhere with them during their time and take pictures of Wanda at different places. These pictures and descriptions would be posted on the Wiki! Another great idea was for students to post about favorite family traditions or recipes that they have over the holidays. This creates a unique atmosphere and can help other students understand new cultures.
All in all, wikis seem like a neat way to encourage students to use technology. It also promotes healthy internet habits and can be used to create classroom rules regarding the internet. There were several suggestions the walk-through had that I didn’t quite agree with, like the use of wikis for study guides. Personally, I am more comfortable and prefer the idea of Google Docs so kids don’t have to worry about getting booted off if two kids try to edit the same page. It can be very time-consuming in a lesson-plan if that occurs and it would always be a good idea to have a backup plan or test the wiki out beforehand.
