There are a number of ways you can use wikis. Wikispaces.com offers many suggestions such as keeping a family scrapbook, organizing group activities, sharing passions and “energizing” the classroom.
I was interested in learning more about wikis because I was starting to hear the term used frequently in my county. One goal of the instructional technology department in my county is to have wikis approved and in use by students by the end of the school year. I think this is great because after experimenting with wikis I realize they can be very beneficial in the classroom setting. Wikis provide a great place for students to post their work so that their classmates can edit and discuss their work. This would be very beneficial when working in groups. Check out the wiki I created. This wiki is a culminating group activity for our first Social Studies unit.
Not only do wikis encourage collaboration among students due to the fact that they can post and edit each others work, but they also encourage collaboration between teachers and students. A student can post their work and the teacher can immediately give feedback to that student.
I think we are going to be hearing and seeing alot more about wikis in our school systems! The possibilities are endless. My school currently does an art exchange with a school in China. After experimenting with wikis, I have talked to the art teacher about possibly setting up a wiki where the students could post photographs of their art work. By posting their artwork on a wiki it would allow for more frequent exchanges. Additionally, the students could discuss the artwork. I am very excited for this possibility!
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