Exploration of a Wiki

I found that when initially creating my wiki, I felt lost, and unsure of what to do and where t0 start. I think that this is because there are no guidelines on what to create our wiki's about. I find that I am the type of learner who needs directions, guidelines and boundaries in order to learn effectively and confidently. This tool forced me to go out of my comfort zone, which is why it is has taken me a while to blog about it.

You can access my wiki here Feel free to edit it.

The set up of my wiki was rather easy, apart from a few technical issues. The instructions are clear, although I think having a little previous experience with website and blog creation was helpful.

A wiki is a "piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser" http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
It is a space online where you are able to create a page which can be edited by yourself as well as guests. Information is able to be added and modified and can include links, movies and notes. Interaction and collaboration are key components. A wiki is different to a blog, as in a blog, the creator is only one who can add/edit the page, whereas in a wiki, others can come along and edit/change/modify the page, not just comment on it.

Before thinking about how I could use a wiki in the classroom, I have created a SWOT analysis to determine the effectiveness and limitations of a Wiki, trying to specifically focusing on my current context - the Prep environment.

Strengths

• Encourages collaboration and peer support
• Creativity is used in the creation of the Wiki space
• Enables more than one point of view to be considered

Weaknesses

• Learners with low ICT and literacy skills may struggle - although an opportunity to develop these skills :)
• Hard word can be deleted
• Is a Wiki too complicated for an early learner?

Opportunities

• Collaborative learning on a particular issue/topic
• Time saving - students receive different sections to research, then share findings on wiki

Threats

• Information shared by one person can be deleted by another - upsetting people who have worked hard to create something
• Rude, inappropriate modifications can occur - identifies the need for teaching of netiquette

After completing this SWOT analysis, I found that it was very difficult to imagine this tool in the early childhood environment, unless it was used by the learning manager for their own learning.
I cannot see any ways of using this tool to enhance the learning of this range of learners. Please comment with some ideas you might have to expand the use of this tool for me. I can see how it would be a great tool in the older years (5 - 7) as long as netiquette is taught, and learners understand the purpose and use of a Wiki.

Some suggestions on using a Wiki in the learning environment (mainly focusing on older year levels) are:

• Glossary: Get your class to create a glossary of terms they use and learn about in new units, adding definitions and images.
• Create exploratory projects: If you're teaching a new subject, ask your students to collect and share information in the wiki so that you can learn together.
• Peer review: Allow students to draft their papers in a wiki, then ask other students to comment it.
• School tour: Get your class to take photos of your school and write about their favourite spots on the wiki, then share it with the rest of your school and local community
• Teacher collaboration: Work with other teachers to create lesson plans and track students' success. As a lifelong learner, this key idea would be vital in the develop of my skills and knowledge, and be a great tool for professional development with colleagues.

Ideas have been retrieved from http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/50-ways-to-use-wikis-for-a-more-collaborative-and-interactive-classroom/

In relation to learning theory, a wiki can easily be used in all of the six stages of the Big6 model, as it is so versatile.

I wanted to add an image of my wiki here using the Prnt Scrn button, although do not know how to add it to my post. Does anyone know how to do this?
Also, I wanted to play around with adding to other peers wikis, although couldn't find one to edit as they are protected. Can someone please allow me to edit their wiki so I am able to explore its potential?

Thanks
Teagan