Wiki Research

I have used wikis for what I think is a considerable amount of time when it comes to new technology. I have leaned on wikis to obtain new ideas for lessons and also have used Wikipedia for research. It has come to my attention recently that Wikipedia articles seem to always be at the top of the list when searching for a particular topic. My students' first reaction is always "We can't use Wikipedia because anyone can edit the site!" While I am thrilled that they are already aware of this fact, I am realizing that they have been exposed to a number of teachers who are afraid to use this site because of just that reason. But perhaps they haven't done enough research themselves to truly understand the truth behind a wiki space. For teachers, wiki spaces can be a great place to collaborate with other teachers for lessons and ideas. Teachers can post their lessons to a certain space where other teachers could search and find their topic and then present. We have taken collaboration to a new level! And I find it is very exciting! If used properly, teachers could benefit from this tool in so many ways. Teachers could connect with teachers all over the world and share links, lessons, and ideas. For students, a wiki could be a great place to share what they are learning as well. Perhaps they are studying the Civil War and the teacher asks them to find links that would be age appropriate to share with the class, students could then post their links to the wiki so that other student could benefit from their find. I do think that relying completely on a Wikipedia entry for research is not a great idea, I always tell my students to find their information from more than one source (which is really what they should do when they are involved in a research project). This way, they can be sure that their information is accurate. But a Wikipedia article can always be a great starting point!

*I wanted to mention that I could not get into the Holocaust Wiki but I was thinking about all of the people who were affected by this horrific event and creating a space where they can all come together to tell about their story, is an amazing thing. It is a place where people with commonalities can connect for better or worse and share their thoughts/memories with us. One book, with a single author would not be able to convey all of the meaning behind a Holocaust Wiki space. It then becomes a very powerful space, a place where I could go to learn from so many people, from their point of view. This is when a wiki can have such an advantage over a single textbook.