Week 3---Wiki



The above you-tube video is a simple explanation of what a wiki is.  I created a wiki so that math educators  at my school could collaborate with each other.  This wiki would not only allow for collaboration amongst grade level but it would also allow for vertical collaboration among the teachers.  This would begin to allow teachers to use a common math "language" across the grade levels.  It would allow teachers to see how what they are teaching in the lowers grades "feed" into what students are to learn and understand in the upper grades. It would assist teachers in planning learning and generating ideas.

One of the biggest advantage of utilizing a wiki is that teachers do not have to be in the same room to share ideas or plans.  They can be in the comfort of their home or at a workshop or in their classroom.  With editing privileges teachers can share in creating lesson plans and project in order to lighten a teachers workload.  I believe that a wiki could be use to unleashed even more creativity from teacher.  I believe this because they can take the ideas that are written on the wiki and add ideas and suggestion thereby creating an even greater project or lessons.  I have not begin to use this wiki but I plan to get it started at my school.

A disadvantage of using a wiki is if the information is not arranged in a manner that would allow it to be user friendly.  If the information is not arranged so that related information is located together and easier found user will soon tire of the wiki.  This would require extra work on the part of the person in charge of the wiki unless teachers rotate this responsibility.

Today's digital learner would benefit from the use of a class wiki.  It would help them keep up with assignments.  It would be a great place for them to share ideas of things they would like to do in class.  Students would benefit because they could collaborate with each other and the teacher. 

The web 2.0 tool that I would like to use in the classroom one day is the museum box.  This is the website: http://museumbox.e2bn.org/index.php.    Museum box allows the creator to put a number of items into a box that describes an event, person, or period in time by placing information in a virtual box.  Students could debate a topic or use the museum box as a description box.  It can be used in any class but mostly I see the benefits of using this tool in history and english.