Wikis are interactive
websites that allow people to collaborate and share information on the
internet. The way it works is that
someone in a group would set up a wiki by either using special software or
going to a free wiki website such as wikispaces.com or pbwiki.com to name a
couple. It depends on the purpose of the
wiki, whether the group would want to pay for software or not. Some schools might want additional options
that can only be found through special software that would need to be
purchased.
The person that sets up
the wiki begins by opening up an account and setting it up. They would initially post information that
the group will read and share, edit, add to or delete according to their own
rules or ideas. The wiki would have a
purpose. For example, I made a wiki for my family reunion coming up in March. Our
parents are no longer alive, so my seven siblings and I meet in a different
city every year (we live in different cities across the country), so we have to
plan our reunions as well as we can. My family normally doesn’t communicate
very well, so I am hoping this will help us this year. I went to wikispaces.com and opened up a free
account. I named this wiki “Byers’
Family Reunion.” Then I started by
writing an introduction about why we were using a wiki – to help us plan and
co-ordinate our reunion. After that I listed categories and added my own
content to which I am hoping everyone will get with it and contribute. Then I sent everyone instructions on how to
access it and use the wiki. So far, only
my techy older sister has added to its content.
I am optimistic though. They can
do it!
My categories are:
·
When is everyone arriving and
departing? Does anyone need a ride from
the airport?
·
Activity ideas, sightseeing etc.
·
What equipment are people bringing such
as tennis racquets etc.
·
Games that people are bringing so that
we don’t have duplicates
·
For our cookout night, what foods and
beverages are people bringing?
·
Any other information that a family
member wants to add.
There are several
advantages of using a wiki. The content on a wiki can be accessed anywhere as
long as there is an internet connection.
Content can be searchable when information is added so it can be a
useful tool to use with students and teachers.
One example of this was explained in Library
2.0, in the chapter The Wonderful World of Wikis by Chad F. Boninger. The media center can use a wiki for a
research guide that can be updated often to reflect current information and
people can use the search option to find what they are looking for. Another advantage to using a wiki is that the
content can be updated as often as someone wants to update it, so content can be
very current. Another advantage to using
a wiki is that there doesn’t need to be a lot of special knowledge or skills
involved to using and maintaining one.
It is very user friendly.
Along with advantages,
there are some disadvantages. Since
content can be edited and deleted, there is a danger that information could be
lost, incorrect or inappropriate. If
using wikis with children, the teacher should monitor the use and content on an
ongoing basis.
There
are a few things to consider when using a wiki.
Make sure that there is a purpose for it. Then look for examples of
other wikis to see how they are used and to get ideas. There are many examples
of how teachers and media specialists are using wikis. Wikiindex.com is one place to start looking. When using a wiki with students in a
classroom, there needs to be some guidelines and rules for use. Students need to be taught how to use this
form of communication responsibly. If used well, wikis can be a good way for
students to use higher level thinking skills and enjoy a new way to work
together and contribute in their classrooms!
References
Boeninger,
C. F. (2007). The wonderful world of wikis: Applications for libraries.
Courtney, N. (Ed.), Library 2.0 and
beyond: Innovative technologies and tomorrow’s user. Westport, CT:
Libraries Unlimited.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on wikis. I have never created a wiki before, however your explanation and examples of use has really interested me. I like the fact that wikis can be created and edited by anyone with access,this factor allows much easier and fluent sharing of information. Although I have never contributed to a wiki before, I complete a lot of my information sharing using Google Drive application. It is very similar to a wiki where content can be created, shared and edited by various people.
I agree when you suggest for teachers and media specialist to be cautious when advising students to use wikis. While obtaining my MLS, I took a class where I was giving several fact finding assignments. These assignments were usually based on a list of "Facts" that we as students had to confirm and validate. For example, we were given the birth date and year of William Shakespear as a fact, however different dates various conflicting dates were listed on multiple websites. Oftentimes the information on the wiki page was incorrect. Wiki pages have since gotten better but it is best if teachers and media specialist are able to guide student researches in how to seek out correct information.
Overall I believe that Wikis are a great starting point to sharing knowledge and information.
You did a great job of explaining what a wiki is and what it can be used for. I have often shyed away from using information posted on a wiki because of one of the disadvantages you mentioned. Some content could not be correct and/or may be inappropriate for students. The examples that you shared did get me to thinking about how I could use wiki in my media center.
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