A blog is like an on-line diary/journal and is operated and added to by the author. The owner of the blog can determine the audience and followers of the blog can post comments. A wiki is an online space where users and guests can edit, modify, add, remove information with editing tools.
Both a blog and wiki contain text, images, hyperlinks, video and audio which allow a number of ways for students to choose what they would like to incorporate into their blog or wiki. Both ICT resources are free and anyone can have one making them a great resource for teachers to use within their classrooms. Both tools encourage project collaboration; can be used at school and outside of school. Provide flexible learning spaces for students to collaborate on a particular topic and are not secure resources as anyone can add and change information.
The collaboration aspect of a Wiki is probably the most important in relation to teaching. Giving student's a group activity that is posted online gives them a sense of responsibility. Mike Eisenberg (2001) created the Big6 Skills for solving an information problem. Creating a Wiki with a specific focus allows for ample experiences using the first 3 skills: Task Definition, Information Seeking Strategies and Locate and Access.
In the classroom context wikis could be used to:
- Communicate and collate information for a group work task.
- Collaboration of whole class research.
- Individual assessment task.
- Word walls.
- Virtual field trips.
- Communication tool to a different class though of the same year level or to a class of a different country.
- Teacher instructions.
- Displaying students work.
The list goes on as the main feature of this tool is to teach students how to collate and edit information. As students can’t copy and paste information found on a specific topic that the whole class may be working on as they have to scan to ensure their work does not double up. This tool allows students to edit sections of texts, paraphrase and dot points to summarise information. Students using wiki space are able to choose how to research and display their work through the use of pictures, videos, URL’s and hyperlinks.
If you would like to have a look, here is my Wiki URL...
http://nataliekane02.wikispaces.com/
Hey Nat,
ReplyDeleteI like your WIKI page.. it would be a great learning journey for students to go on.. learning how to collect information, then refine, edit, synthesize and summarize it and lastly to be able see the final display which shows their learning achievement.
Have you thought about the link with the dimensions of learning? The WIKI is a really great tool to use when implementing that framework.
Thanks Jess,
ReplyDeleteGreat points about wiki it would be a great learning tool as it allows students to see their learning journey. I then researched how the dimensions of learning links with using this tool it links within the D.O.L extending and refining phase. As students are extending their knowledge through research and from peer collaboration. Students then refine their knowledge reserached to what it most relevant to their task. This phase in the D.O.L also links well within the locating and accessing in the Big 6 Framewrok. Thanks jess for allowing me to look further into relevant frameworks that link with the use of a WIKI.