Blog 2: Wiki wiki what?
by: Casie Jones
Before deciding to pursue a Masters in school media, my knowledge of wikis did not go too far beyond wikipedia and the criminal mishaps of Julian Assange with wikileaks. Teachers and professors of mine had often cringed if any word about wikipedia holding any sort of merit was brought up in class, and the idea of any person young, old, smart, and not so seasoned having the ability to edit something in the public domain was very much so frowned upon.
Now, I can happily say that I am quickly realizing the many possibilities of wikis when instated properly and maintained thoroughly.
Wikis in media centers can be both a great idea and a lousy one. After looking at the AHS and DHS wiki sites, I think that wikis are best used as sub pages for the media center simply because of a wikis design. A media center has loads and loads of information to distribute, and the layout of a wiki (at least on wikispaces) can be a little crowded or a bit overwhelming. I definitely believe in the concept of "less is more", so the cleaner the main page, and the more condensed yet concise a webpage can be, I say the better. Since wikis are most well acclaimed for their collaboration abilities, I think that wikis would be best utilized on media center webpages as sub-sites. There could be one on books that includes book reviews and commentary, and provide a great way for students to thoughtfully discuss their opinions and suggestions on popular teen fiction and graphic novels. Within the book wiki there could be pages on manga, action, sci fi, etc. so any student looking for a good book under a particular subject could go and peruse the opinions of his/her peers without taking away from the appeal of the main media center webpage. Separate wikis could be thrown into practically any area of the media center website (favorite research links with opinions and current events, best new websites for student projects with examples, etc.) and if teachers had wikis the media center could keep links of theirs as well.
My apprehensions with wikis lie within the use of them for any length of time, or at least with compounding information. The fifth point stated in the "7 things you should know about wikis" article mentioned that wikis are not the best option when trying to build a somewhat credible platform for ideas on fairly new or evolving ideas. I think this is true, but that maybe the remedy, or at least for a media center, would be to purge or archive all of the information at the end of every school year. Some things will obviously remain the same, seeing that Galileo has continued to be a trusted research link for decades, but if the wiki says that myspace is the best social networking site, then that statement should probably be deleted.
As far as collaboration, wikis are wonderful for group work. As stated above, I believe the "storage cabinet" analogy can be dissolved by simple cleaning and maintenance (although this would definitely become a daunting task if the website had multiple wikis), and that teachers should actively be encouraging students to collaborate using wikis. Sharing options like google drive are great if there is only one presentation being created, or if a final product needs to be viewed by all members, but wikis allow all stages of collaboration to be present. Brainstorming can take place all the way to the actual creation of the project, and can be done so effectively and efficiently. So long as students and teachers are aware of the proper wiki etiquette of saving and drafts, I believe wikis are great tools.
Educause Learning Initiative. (2005, July). 7 things you should know about wikis. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf
Like yourself, previously whenever I heard the word wiki, I automatically thought that wasn’t a credible source. I value people’s opinions wholeheartedly, but I don’t believe in all of them. I am more of a factual person. If you want to persuade me to think a certain way or do something, show me research and facts. I cringe sometimes at what people edit on Wikipedia or a lot of wiki sites.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I decide to implement a certain tool in my classroom or eventually in the media center, I automatically think how effective and easy will it be for the students to use it. I want something that is visually appealing but also easy to navigate for elementary school students, since that is the age group that I work with currently. I agree with what you said about wiki design being crucial and that less is more. At my age, I wouldn’t want to go to a site and it be loaded down with information and become time consuming for me to look for certain things.
Another thing I enjoyed about your blog is that you listed pros and cons. I am a firm believer that before adopting a resource, make sure the pros outweigh the cons. I found an interesting site that provides a list of advantages and disadvantages to using wikis at http://meblog.pbworks.com/w/page/11074182/Blog%20Pros%20and%20Cons. For example, I never thought of blogs being a disadvantage in the sense that writing may be more casual than assignments turned in by traditional methods. May encourage sloppy writing habits similar to email and instant messaging.
Thanks for the website, Carmen! I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteWiki is not a credible source, is what I immediately think when I hear it as well. I have read some miss information on Wikipedia. Which confirmed what I was about the site. Some information may be accurate most educators frown on using Wikipedias for research purposes.
ReplyDeleteI agree that media centers use of wiki sites can be limited to layouts that are provided. Using wiki site for group work is definitely a great tool. Casie you and I have successfully used Wiki's within our groups projects. Virtual use of this tool makes communication and collaboration easier. A central place where all group members have access to the project information. At times the invite link to join a group wiki page do not work properly.
Carmen, I do agree that blogs promote a casual writing style.
In regards to our debate on internet filtering, Wikipedia is a blocked site in our district. We had many students using it for research and a little too much copying and pasting was happening. I do believe there is a lot of valuable information on Wikipedia, but the one thing our students and even many adults fail to do is check out your sources.
ReplyDeleteAs for creating and using wikis in classes and the media center, I think they can be very useful and meaningful to learning. I'm considering using a wiki for my classes to turn in article summaries in the future. I think if there is a teacher or media specialist willing to check the wiki and operate as an administrator of it, they can be very effective learning tools.
Casie -
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the concept of wikis serving in a lesser role as sub-pages, I agree that wikis often shouldn't serve as main pages for media center websites, specifically for the reasons that you mentioned for maintaining a concise webpage. Wikis, oftentimes become cluttered in the generic web designs. A main page would provide a more suitable and succinct manner.
The pages need to be restricted to particular sections, as you said maybe a section for sci-fi, a section for book reviews, research links, current events, and a section for adventure. You could also utilize a specific wiki section for teachers.
I do believe "that wikis are not the best option when trying to build a somewhat credible platform for ideas on fairly new or evolving ideas. I think this is true, but that maybe the remedy, or at least for a media center, would be to purge or archive all of the information at the end of every school year." Because, I feel as if a group of students gather some really meaningful information, then it should necessarily be cast aside for space reasons. As you suggested, it should be archived in some shape or form.
I really like your suggestions about different ways to use wikis. Your idea about having a wiki space for different students to review books is an excellent idea, especially for middle and high school students. When I am volunteering in the middle school media center, many students come in and do not know where to find a good book. While the media specialist I work with knows of excellent books, I think that middle school students might take recommendations better from their peers. If I could say, "Go look on the media website for recommendations." They might take you up on that offer. In addition, as a media specialist you could also add your own to the wiki.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can see where the maintenance of a wiki might be daunting. I think that you could keep the reviews up for a given number of months. Then archive them so the page does not get overwhelming. Also, you could keep reviews up for the most popular books in the media center or new materials. In a high school, you might be able to teach different students how to manage a wiki and they could perform some of the jobs for you. As always, you would have to monitor the comments and make sure your internet filter supported the use of wikis.