As a new graduate student I've been thrust into a new world of writing, numerous assignments, and constantly meeting deadlines a little different from my experience in undergrad. After only a couple of weeks I've had the pleasure of knowing that I will have the opportunity to create a wiki project. These projects can either be done alone or in groups. So I've decided to dedicate me first blog entry to research and find out exactly what is a wiki.
A wikis is a type of server software that allows users to freely create and edit web page content using any web browser. Wiki's allow the information on the web page to be constantly edited by numerous people. The term wiki can also refers to the collaborative software itself that facilitates the operation of this type of website. Interestingly enough the most famous wiki that is commonly know is Wikipedia which is an encyclopedia created by users around the world.
Wikis can be a great addition in the classroom for high school students and beyond because it allows the users to share their knowledge with individuals all over the world yet it still implements the importance of researching, siting sources, and making sure your sources are reliable. Last by not least it allows students to explore their talents on the computer and let them know the positive things and endless possibilities that you can accomplish while using the computer.
For those students who are like me and have never created a wiki there is an interactive course on blackboard and it discusses in detail how to create, edit, and complete a wiki project in addition to learning how to use all of the other aspects of blackboard. To assist you in obtaining this information I have included the directions below:
Sign into your blackboard account
Go to Courses
Browse Course Catalog
In search box type Bb9 Student Orientation
Click Enroll
Next page user will click submit
In box on right you will click on the link that says "Collaborating"
Scroll down and you will see "Building a Wiki"
Open the link and you will find help information to use for this class
and for future reference.
Reference: Nkonge, B, & Lewis, T. (2011). Blackboard 9.1 student orientation. Unpublished manuscript, System Admin NCAT, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro , North Carolina. Retrieved from (http://blackboard.ncat.edu)
I am convinced now that you can't do post secondary education in the U.S. without at least an intermediate level of computer skills. I am not a techy and I just created my first Wikki page, did a voice over thread, created a blog and a PowerPoint presenation with sound, graphics and narration; all of this and we've been in school less than a month. Talk about a small learning curve! I think technology is wonderful but could all this be discouraging to adults returning to school who know only pen, paper and manual research?
ReplyDeleteGreat instruction! This technology thing is getting scarier and scarier. I thought I was pretty savvy, but I think I may have to rethink that. Thank you to my classmates and professors who keep enlightening me.
ReplyDeleteWIKIPEDIA. This is awesome! Technology continues to create innovative
ReplyDeleteavenues to make learning interesting. I have not heard of schools
locally introducing this to students. If could be a great resource
for class projects and even senior projects. Students can create
their schools newspaper via a Wiki. Wiki essentially, is an open blog
forum, would you agree?
It is evident, as a teacher of technology; we must stay a breasted
with the ever changing technology.
This was very resourceful and I will definitely test out!
If you get a chance check out Blogs vs. Wikis on YouTube.
I’m ashamed to say this... my husband is a computer system administrator and I didn't have a clue what a wiki was. I don't see any other way to connect with our students unless we are technology savvy. Yesterday my 5 year old asked for a Facebook page...staying only abreast will keep us behind. Needless to say I’m going to check out Blogs v. Wikis on Youtube.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, we have to keep abreast of the various technologies and find ways to use them for classroom instruction. Just seeing how much I have learned in my computers in education class already has inspired to me to investigate other technologies thanks to Dr. M.
ReplyDelete