First time using a wiki
As many of you will have read in previous posts, this has been a steep learning curve for me this year. I have been trying to allow my students to join in the challenge of using new aspects of Web 2.0 tools. I teach all grade 6/7 classes over the year in eight week blocks and one area of history we must teach is historical inquiry. I mentioned to the other grade 6/7 staff that I would be prepared to assess this aspect of history. How to do this using the newer technology?
I decided a wiki would be a great way of allowing students to present the information they found as part of their inquiry. I began the course teaching them the historical process:
- big question to answer
- smaller questions to help gather the information
- locating sources both primary and secondary
- gathering and organizing the information
- justifying and evaluating the information - does it answer the question?
- presentation of information to an audience
Students usually only have an audience of the teacher but I wanted to broaden this to other students, teachers and members of the community. Part of the curriculum is looking at the local community and I felt this would fit in perfectly with using a wiki to organize and present the information.
Students began by brainstorming what they knew about the history of their municipality. We then decided on the big question. Students worked in pairs and chose an aspect of the municipality they would like to find out about. Some discussed it with parents and relatives and chose their topic wisely because they knew they would be able to get some information from them. As a class, we then brainstormed where we might be able to find sources for information. We ended up with a list of about 15 primary and secondary sources.
I then set up the wiki with a basic page of our municipality and a link to a timeline of history in the area. Another wiki page included which students were researching which topics, then finally each pair of students had their own page on which to put their information. Students then had to get permission from parents to become a member of the wiki; I suggested at least one person from each pair be a member.
Students then began gathering their information. Emails were sent, phone calls made, visits down town to go to shops to run interviews, head to library to find books and of course using the internet. About two weeks before the end of the course, we discussed how we were going to assess the wiki work and students came up with a rubric that I then posted on the wiki.
The wiki is going to be an ongoing project with each grade 6/7 class adding to it throughout the year. Also towards the end of the year, I will advertise the wiki within the community and see if other members of the district can add to the information. There is though, a place where this can happen now, but as we know, unless something is advertised, then rarely does anyone else know about it on the net.
Already some of the first group of students added information to other pages on the wiki and gave clues as to other sources the students could be using for their research. Students have been emailing me to get help and ask questions and one day when I was ill at home, I actually got on the wiki and was emailing back to students about problems they were having. Students have also been working outside of school hours on their pages of the wiki. Those students who did not get permission to use the wiki, have had to hand in their work as a word document so they can still be assessed.
My next post will be about the challenge the students had in this first group. Two of the questions I asked them in their assessment lesson were:
- What did you find was a challenge in this assignment?
- Should Miss W teach the class about using a wiki or is it better for students to try things out for themselves? Give reasons.
That sounds like a fantastic approach, it will build to become a great resource. How are you finding teaching revolving groups? I imagine it would keep things fresh!
Miss W: You are doing an amazing job teaching with this new technology. Keep up the good work! Your students will be indebted to you for your efforts.
Thanks soulcradler and billgx. I am only just on the second revolving group and find I am teaching things slightly differently but accomplishing a bit more. By the time I get to my class on the last rotation, it should be easy.
Hello! I found your blog through the Commenting Challenge, when you left a comment on my blog. So, you’re helping me complete the second challenge!
If I were still in the classroom, I would lift your entire blog post about using wikis in the classroom and plop into my lesson plans. It sounds like you were really organized and that the kids got a lot out of it. I wonder if you would consider developing this post further, as a guide for other teachers, or doing a series of posts on the topic. I think a lot of people question the purpose of technology in the classroom, and grapple with the issue of whether we’re using technology for it’s own sake or if it really enhances the learning process for students. The way you’ve described your wiki project would sway people in the direction of technology as enhancement. This is really important in getting teachers on board the 21st Century train.
Very cool ideas here, both with the lesson itself and with the assessment questions for the students. It’s so great that you have created a project that is so motivating and engaging for students that they are working outside the school day.
It’s a little different with adult students, but I thought you might be interested in seeing the wiki for one of the courses I developed. It’s about online resources for primary sources, helping people find all the great stuff that’s out there. I see some places where this could be improved for this course. I think I’d use wikispaces instead of Wetpaint in the future, for one thing. Because the local history projects are all in PowerPoints, they aren’t as visible on the wiki as I’d like, so maybe I’d use Slideshare next time. Still, you’re welcome to check it out and see if it sparks any ideas for you. Lee Anne Morris, the instructor, did a fabulous job teaching this, and she’s a wiki pro!
http://plsonlineresources.wetpaint.com/
Enjoy!
@Nancy - thanks for your comment. I do need to do a follow up on the post so I can discuss the ideas which came from the students’ comments. But the comment challenge is certainly taking up a lot of time and in fact I am quite a few days behind. Glad the weekend is here to catch up.
@Christy - I had a look at the wiki you mentioned but as you say, it was hard to find tha actual finished projects. In fact I couldn’t even after clicking on virtually everything I could find that was a link.
The final local history projects are file attachments on this page: http://plsonlineresources.wetpaint.com/page/Local+History+Project. You have to scroll all the way down to the bottom and find them under the heading “Attachments.”
You can see why I’m not sure I’d use Wetpaint next time, at least for this course and in this way!