Wikis

= W ikis in the classroom = = What //is// a Wiki? =

A wiki, as defined by [|Wikipedia,] is "software that allows registered users or anyone to collaboratively create, edit, link, and organize the content of a website, usually for reference material". My (Kim) first experience with a wiki was fairly typical- it involved explaining to my students why Wikipedia was not the most reliable source to use for research papers and that they had to verify any information they found. That was always met with groans and complaints and the ubiquitous "but why?" Students wanted to use the information since it was usually clearly written, using their language, broken into manageable sections and, in many cases, properly cited. I, their evil teacher, was just making life difficult. While I still stand by the assertion that the information garnered on Wikipedia must be verified before inclusion in a research paper, I have learned to see beyond this simple idea of what a wiki is and to embrace the idea of a wiki as both a learning and teaching tool.

So, what have I learned about wikis that led to this change of heart? First, Wikipedia needs to revise their definition. They could drop the last four words, "usually for reference material" or change the "usually" to "sometimes". I would venture to say, and the wikis below will support my claim, that wikis are more often used for work other than reference material. In fact, I could just log on to Wikipedia and change that myself now couldn't I? This leads me to my second point; now that all of my students contribute to at least one wiki (mine) they don't question why they need to verify the information. They are constantly revising each other's contributions and have thought long and hard about how to phrase ideas so that the information is not misleading, or worse, inaccurate. This makes them aware of the fact that //anyone// can edit Wikipedia, even someone who is not an expert. Additionally, the overall success of any wiki is determined by the mutual contributions of all of its members. Collaboration has been proven to be one of the most successful tools in the education of young women. The idea of a written forum for group projects is particularly appealing because it gives those students who need to think through their ideas before being able to express them an opportunity to truly get their ideas across. It gives an equal voice to every member of a project and provides each student with the opportunity to contribute in her own way, in her own time. Finally, I have come to terms with the idea that a wiki is a blank canvas that can be used for just about anything- creating a club project, writing a critical essay, organizing notes, or planning meetings. It is so much more than just a reference source. Both the creative and more traditional uses of wikis are demonstrated by the sites below.

Now you are wondering how to get your own wiki and begin planning the next family reunion, collaborative poetry project, club meeting, or progress report on the strategic plan. There are several free sites available to you, but I prefer Wikispaces. Not only is it free, but educators can request to have the ads removed as well. In fact, it is the program used to create the very wiki you are viewing as well as all of the examples provided here.

What do students say about wikis?
 "I just found the Wiki to be a great place to organize my notes and gather information from other people in our class. I found it was also a great way to organize information other than just schoolwork"

"I really like our wiki because if someone is sick one day, they can still get the notes from someone in the same class who put them on the wiki. I also like how it combines everyone's notes together, so there's a better chance that nothing will be left out. Finally, I really like that our class can personalize our own wiki and format the notes whatever way helps study and makes the most sense to us"

Harpeth Hall Student Work:
Teenangels wiki: This site is used for our Teenangels group for planning their annual chapter project

Group essay wikis: Freshman English students wrote group essays on the //Joy Luck Club// using Wiki Spaces.

Ancient Civilizations wiki: Each section of Ancient Civilizations was given access to a wiki. As a class they decided how to use it to help them succeed in history. Their goal was to create a resource for students who were absent as well as for all students to refer to during preparation for the final exam. The layout and formatting was left up to the students. Additionally, they were only taught how to access the space and basic information about editing and adding content. They helped each other learn to use the other more advanced features.

Other wikis:
STEM for Girls: A wiki used for the STEM for Girls Think Tank sponsored by Harpeth Hall. Everyone who attended used it to save notes and resources for future reference.

Classroom of the Future: Karen was a member of the group who planned the Classroom of the Future for the NAIS annual conference in March. The group used a wiki for planning all of the course offerings and adventure stations in that area.