Using Wikis in the Classroom

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Using Wikis in the Classroom
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• Why should you use a wiki in the classroom?
• According to the cognitive research covered in
  How People Learn How People Learn , environments
  that best promote learning have four
  interdependent aspects
• they focus on learners
• well-organized knowledge
• ongoing assessment for understanding
• community support and challenge.
• Sources http//coollessons.wikispaces.com/Communi
  cation_Learning_and_Connectivity
• http//www.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/ch6.html

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Community-centered environments model situations
for people to learn from one another, and support
continual improvement. In such a community,
students are encouraged to be active,
constructive participants. Further, they are
encouraged to makeand then learn frommistakes.
This type of collaboration fosters support,
challenge and teamwork. Sources
http//coollessons.wikispaces.com/Communication_Le
arning_and_Connectivity http//www.nap.edu/html/h
owpeople1/ch6.html
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There are many ways to get started using wikis in
the classroom. The following site is very
helpful http//www.teachersfirst.com/content/wik
i/wikiideas1.cfm
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Inspiration The 1000 Names Project My grade ones
and twos want to know what 1000 looks like. We
are collecting 1000 names. Can you help us by
adding your name to our wiki? Just click on edit
at the top of the page, add the next number and
your name at the bottom, then click save.
--Kathy Cassidy (http//1000names.wikispaces.com/
)
To see more of the amazing projects that Kathy
Cassidy has done with her grade one and grade two
students, visit her webpage at
http//news.mjsd1.ca/kcassidy/cassidyhome.html
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Wiki Introduction Project A mail carrier has 8
letters in his bag. He is delivering the letters
to an apartment building with 10 mailboxes. How
many different ways can the mail carrier place
the 8 letters in the 10 mailboxes?
Source http//mrs-kimmels-room.wikispaces.com/
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Weekly or Biweekly Math Problems Yesterday, I was
watering my tomato plants when I noticed there
were ladybugs on them. If the following ladybugs
represents 2/3 of the total number of ladybugs on
my plants, how many ladybugs were there on the
plants?
Source http//kimmelwiki.pbwiki.com/
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Other Ideas Textbook editing Take sections of
the textbook and have the students rewrite it in
their own words. The different sections can be
put on a wiki. Students prepare a presentation
for the class, explaining their reasoning behind
the changes. Students also create or find other
examples or pictures to help illustrate their
points.
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Other Ideas Lab Reports Most science labs are
done in groups. Rather than have each student
create a lab report, it can be done as a group on
a wiki.
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Guiding Principles When Using Technology in the
Classroom (1) What can I do now that I couldn't
do before? (2) Watch it. Do it. Teach it. (3)
How can I get them to make their thinking
transparent? Source http//adifference.blogspot
.com/2007/05/galleries-of-thought.html