Group Project
Working together using this wiki
Think of this wiki as a shared online whiteboard which is world-wide. Anyone who has access to our class password can share information using this wiki, making the research accessible to everyone. Play around with this wiki: Notice how you can add comments to a page, see what people have changed, and edit all the text.
Group members
Individual Projects
Kelly Lacina
Definition of a wiki:
A wiki is a collaborative Website that contains a collection of work from multiple contributors/authors. Original posted material can be edited, modified, or deleted by anyone with permission to be a contributor. Contributors can edit not only their own work but also the work of others. Wikis are learning tools that allow a constructivism in the classroom.
For an article on constructivist technology tools go to: http://www.elearningguild.com/pdf/2/073106DES.pdf
Examples of wiki sites on the Internet: wikispaces.com
http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/
http://primaryextension.wikispaces.com/
http://www.wetpaint.com/
http://lacinafourthgrade.wetpaint.com/
Classroom Application:
Technology Equipment needed:
- projector and teacher computer to model how to use the wiki
- student computers with Firefox downloaded
My class wiki site can be found at http://lacina4thgrade.pbwiki.com/?pwd=qLHvKbmP22
How the wiki was used in my classroom:
- I have created a wiki for my fourth grade classroom and we have been currently using the wiki during the reading period.
- Students have been divided into reading groups, and each group has their own wiki where they add vocabulary words for chapters in their books.
- Each group has a homepage in which they describe the book (author, genre, setting) and add new major or minor characters as they appear in the readings.
- Each group also works on reading strategies such as questioning for their group on the "questioning" page.
- In order for students to use the wiki during the next class period, their homework had to be complete from last group meeting.
Reflection:
Successes
- I noticed that students were more motivated to do their reading vocabulary and reading homework because they would be able to use the wiki.
- From observation I could see that attitudes were improved because students were excited to choose their next "wiki word" when their groups met.
- Group discussions were better because more students were doing their reading assignments because of their motivation to use the computers.
- Homework percentage increased: students who normally didn't turn in homework had assignments completed.
- Yes, the wiki added to the value of my instruction; as I watched students work on their own on their wikis and collaborate with other group members, I could see democracy in the classroom at work. Students were taking control of their own learning as I facilitated. I think this was a great activity and would do it again.
- Students used the wiki with relative ease--group members helped each other with "how to" problems.
Challenges
- This is a project that I am doing throughout my realistic fiction unit during the reading period. Computers need to be available for students every day during this period. This was not an issue for me, but I could see this being a problem depending a teacher's situation. However, computers are not needed for the whole class--ideally one for each group so members can switch off working on the wiki.
- The tables were difficult to work with. Inserting pictures was challenging and writing text as the cells moved.
- Due to email accounts needed to sign in, students who didn't get permission slips signed were not able to work on the wiki as soon as the other students or at all until their slips were signed.
BEGIN - Leanne Koonce
Definition
A“wiki” is website that invites authorized persons to collaborate and share in the creating and/or editing of contributions to the evolving content of the site. A wiki website can include simple or complex organization and various types of uploaded files, i.e. text, images, sounds, video and movies, etc. A uique attribute of wikis is the "history" of versions/revisions of each and every page that allows comparison of evolving content and reverting to previous versions if necessary.
Examplary wiki sites on the Internet
Note: I had great difficulty finding any good elementary music wiki sites that I would be able to use in my classroom. There are many amazing and fun wiki pages and I have listed several that I find highly interesting and inspiring.
Sites that educate about, promote, and offer training on web 2.0 tools, especially wikis
WikiEducator
http://www.wikieducator.org/Main_Page
all the wikis – website for online collaboration
http://allthewikis.com/wiki-faqs/best-wiki-classroom-education/
David Warlick’s “The Art and Technique of Wikis”
http://davidwarlick.com/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.TheArtAndTechniqueOfWikis
Langwitches - for elementary educators
http://www.langwitches.org/blog/2007/12/22/best-web-20-applications-for-elementary-school/
More - exemplary applications of wikis used in education
Salute to Seuss Project – online Wiki Project
http://salutetoseuss.wikispaces.com/
Welker’s Wikinomics
http://welkerswikinomics.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
Top of the Fold (Not exactly a wiki, but publishes an online collaoration of student/teacher works.)
http://www.grandviewlibrary.org/Fold/GrandviewNews.aspx
Classroom Application: Desert Cove General & Vocal Music
This wiki project was created for my three sections of sixth grade general music students who have been learning to play the baritone ukulele. The intent of the project is to motivate a deeper involvement on the part of all the students, to refine and reinforce the learning, to promote students as teachers of their peers, to provide a concrete and enduring demonstration and evaluation of their learning.
Equipment, hardware, software: ukuleles, computers, software applications, cameras, camcorders
Below are the three wiki page urls.
http://ukelessons6s.pbwiki.com/
http://ukelessons6m.pbwiki.com/
http://ukelessons6g.pbwiki.com/
Evaluation of application with students
Challenges
The application with my sixth grade students involved a steep and demanding learning curve for all of us. As a special area teacher I encountered unanticipated hurdles. I have learned that it will be so helpful to have, if at all possible, the principal and classroom teachers buy-in before beginning the process. This would facilitate a smoother and more expeditious acquisition of the student parent permissions , and if necessary, their online account IDs and passwords.
Another hurdle that has impacted the process was the interrupted teaching cycle that special areas are caught in. It is quite difficult to introduce and get the students engaged in a process that takes more than 35-40 minutes to introduce. Since the students and I had never done anything like this kind of a project, we struggled with many questions and problems that we could not tackle together in a continuous and connected learning process. I strongly believe that this definitely prolonged the launch of an engaged learning process and product.
Success
All this said, the students are now taking command of the ideas and process and are finally ejoying themselves as they design and produce the ideas and tecnological pieces that will meet the objectives of their collaborative online wiki project. They have been composing their scripts, using camers and camcorders, scanners, google and flickr images, and will edit using iMovie and GarageBand, PowerPoint, etc. and then upload these products to their wikipages. The problems have been transcended and the students are involved in this exciting learning opportunity. I am eager to see their final products.
END - Leanne Koonce
John Erwin
Definition of a wiki:Think of a wiki as a creative site where students can instantly create and share a web page. Through collaboration students work together
to produce or share projects. Students will use synthesis and evaluation skills as they work on their site. These are the higher level of thinking skills of
Bloom's taxonomy. A wiki will increase a student's engagement in their own learning. Students will learn to revise and rewrite their projects as they
realize a wider audience will be viewing their work.
Three examplary wiki sites on the Internet:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/wikiideas2.cfm
^a site for examing what can be done with a wiki
http://teacherlibrarianwiki.pbwiki.com/Booklist+for+elementary+students-24
^a site for checking our other sites for selecting books for kids-go to the home page.
http://pikiwiki.com/ews/index.jsp
^a site for starting a wiki with pictures and other technology.(a new site)
Classroom Application: I have used the wiki for creative writing with a second grade class. Students have been allowed to add their stanzs to a classroom poem. As they added their poetry they were invited to alter or enchance the general poem. The poem will then be shown to the whole class for a final critique before it is published. I have also added a photograph to enchance the poem. The students really enjoyed this!
http://mrerwinsclass.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
Evaluation of application with students: I found the site very easy to use. The students also found it very to use. They did have a little difficulty with the typing but they did reread their poems and made sure it was to their liking before they pushed the save button. Overall, it was a very positive experience.
Linda Seidler
Definition of a wiki:
A wiki is a "Shared online whiteboard." It is an internet address that can be editted by all who visit the site. The pbwiki or peanut butter wiki is an educational or business wiki where you can have more control over who is on the wiki. You can also edit what has been editted if you are the administrator of a pbwiki. Any page of a pbwiki and a general wiki can be editted ad infinitum. Wikis are fantastic internet tools to allow for collaborative writing and any other educational and business purpose you can think of or create. You can import logos, video presentations, podcasts and much more.
A wiki is a "peer to peer machine", Ben Tremblay. A wiki is a "public blog", Chris Quirke.
A man named Ward Cunningham launched the first wiki. If you go to "Wiki, what is a wiki?" on Google you will find an almost endless dialog on whether or not Ward should be the administrator of the wiki. He refused to do so as he felt this would be counter the spirit of a wiki. This spirit was to create a site with as much freedom as possible on an interactive internet site. However, individuals pressed so much that there are now people called WardsWikiStewards who will help anyone with questions concerning wikis.
Three exemplary wiki sites on the Internet: http://pbwiki.com
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki? (New User Questions)
http://waytowiki.pbwiki.com
Classroom Application: Larkspur Elementary SEI Classes 3,4,5,6 grades
My students will start out with a story teaser or story starter. Then they will visit at least 3 Wikis per session to add and/or correct the wikis from other students. The last day, they will go back into their Wiki to make sure it all makes sense as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Then they will come up to me for spelling and sentence corrections.
Dianne Andersen
A. Research topic: Wikis
1.Definition-A Wiki is a webpage that people can log in to and add information or edit exisiting information.
2.Exemplary sites: http://teachdigital.pbwiki.com/cyberbullying This is a good site for lessons on bullying.
http://villagewiki.pbwiki.com http://arborheights.wikispaces.com These are whole school wiki sites.
B. Classroom application- The students used this site to post their reports on desert animals they had researched. Each student had his/her own page link. After typing the report, students went to Google and found a picture of the animal to insert on their page. Students are very proud of their accomplishment and cheered when the page was completed; however, about a quarter of my students cried from frustration during parts of this project. We had several problems caused by having everyone on the site at the same time. Some children couldn’t get the password to work. I’m hoping to use this site for other projects during the year with small group projects.
http://www.dt600.pbwiki.com
Gerald Alfieri
jalfieri@pvschools.net
1. Definition of Wiki- I brought a newspaper article to our class, Monday December 10th. It had an interesting take on Wiki's.- A Written journey without ending. I would add- The journey is open to all; past, present and future. A strange statement. But, let me explain.... My sister found a picture of my great grandfather (The past). The picture begged her for a Wiki. (The present) My sister visits Italy, the land of my greatgrandfather. She enjoys gathering information and inputing data. Both of us share the Wiki with our children. We hope that they will visit Italy one day and continue the Wiki (The future).
2. Exemplary sights
http://www.holidayzone.com An excellent Oral Language sight. It is full of songs, poems and other oral language ideas. I use it all the time to introduce holiday themes.
http://www.alphabet-soup.net An excellent kinder sight. It offers letter ideas.
http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org This is not a wiki. But it is part of a program we hope to get up and running at Larkspur. An Adult Education Rosetta Stone Lab. Students will click into learning tools and learn English via Rosetta Stone. Parents will than comment on our Larkspur Adult Education Wiki. Comments will be in many different languages.
Classroom Application- My kindergarten students practice letter names. We listed words that begin with the "letter of the week." We listed names and English words. Students also drew pictures of their responses.
My first grade students studied Thanksgiving; a very American holiday. We wrote Thanksgiving ideas. We made a book. I listed a few of our favorite Wiki Thanksgiving topics. We also listed "My favorite holiday is" and why.
We do not have an Adult Education class. But I have bookmarked Rosetta Stone on our laptops. We also set up accounts for children. Any ideas....?
Evaluation of application with students; Wikis are not for kinders. I have used the media cart and Wikis with them. I found computers helpful with first graders. But work must be done on a one child one adult one computer model. Many of my ELL students have never used a computer before. There is the fear factor for both teachers and children...
Please visit us at http://larkspurell.pbwiki.com
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