tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2050426472061774339.post6582365866437347449..comments2019-11-25T16:47:07.647-10:00Comments on WatsonCommon: After A 4-Month VacationC. Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03200932701219218725noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2050426472061774339.post-75356420726529801022008-07-19T07:53:00.000-10:002008-07-19T07:53:00.000-10:00douglas, I really like several things that the tea...douglas, I really like several things that the teacher you've described is doing. First, I love the use of a wiki for an encyclopedic purpose. Afterall, the ultimate wiki is wikipedia. I can an activity like that leading to those examples we've all heard about classes editing wikipedia pages when they find mistakes or something missing. Second, I love the meta piece and the handing over of the wiki once the kids themselves have identified it as helpful to their learning. It relates directly to our school's ongoing discussion of homework, and Alfie Kohn's argument about its design and worth.C. Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03200932701219218725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2050426472061774339.post-66450711997084904062008-07-19T06:17:00.000-10:002008-07-19T06:17:00.000-10:00At Alan November's BLC conference this week, my fo...At Alan November's BLC conference this week, my former colleague Tom Daccord explained how he used wikis with his history class. He had kids use it as a place to post notes and additional resources related to the units they were studying. He would mostly be adding useful bits of information, and the kids would jump on the bandwagon.<BR/><BR/>About six weeks into the semester, he would have an open discussion with them. Has anyone been visiting it? How often? (He already knew these stats from administering the page, but good to hear the students talk about their use.) Did they find it helpful when studying for tests? Preparing for papers?<BR/><BR/>If the kids say that yes, we find that it's useful, he would then tell them, I'm giving this blog to you. Now you're in charge of keeping it up, since it's useful to the class. Then he would step back and let the kids take ownership of it. Invariably the kids take it on, and the wiki becomes a vital part of the course materials, only without direct involvement on the part of the teacher. On some level it gains in value because it isn't administered by the teacher; contributions aren't graded, and everyone pitches in to make it better.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://nobilis.nobles.edu/tcl/doku.php?id=courses:history:us_history:us_history_daccord:us_history_daccord_06_07" REL="nofollow">You can see some examples of the wiki here.</A>douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13941793804112473507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2050426472061774339.post-31234837483225298962008-07-18T09:02:00.000-10:002008-07-18T09:02:00.000-10:00Louise, I've had similar experiences with wikis in...Louise, I've had similar experiences with wikis in my class. Although I'm not teaching summer school now, my wife is, and her class is using a wiki as a virtual class portfolio (more like a gallery, actually). Being in a lab school program, the students are able to get feedback from other teachers and consultants, and they love it. Within the feedback chain, there have been great teachable moments about digital footprints and productive use of commenting. I guess the issue I'm noticing is one of wiki ownership. I'm imagining a wiki as truly democratic, however, with my classmates in grad school and with my students, there's a sense that I own the wiki because I created it. I would love to know how you address and teach the collaborative "driving" of the wiki. I tried having two students in charge as their homework each day and rotating through all the class, and that kind of worked.C. Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03200932701219218725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2050426472061774339.post-71086869619002862642008-07-17T18:36:00.000-10:002008-07-17T18:36:00.000-10:00I have experience with a wiki as I used it practic...I have experience with a wiki as I used it practically to run my classes from simple assignments to collaborative projects. I spent time introducing skills, working together, etc., then specific wiki skills. My students loved the wiki and was their "tool" favorite. The wiki is <A HREF="http://mrsmaineswiki.wikispaces.com" REL="nofollow">here.</A>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06544468563054087057noreply@blogger.com