I'm half way to the finish line!
From what I understand, wikis are a simple way to gather, store and share information. What a great way for kids to share and celebrate their learning. If I were teaching a new unit, I would ask students to write down what they already know about the topic. As the unit develops, kids would add new learning, thoughts and reflections on the wiki. It would be so neat as a teacher to see what different things students took from the same lesson!
Children's Book Reviews was a great wiki to help teachers choose/preview books. But also suggests the creation of a wiki for kids BY kids. In other words, students in your classroom can write book reviews on a wiki and as other students read the same book, one of a similar genre or a new book, they can edit and add their personal thoughts.
I can see students as early as first grade using a wiki to brainstorm writing ideas. Students in the intermediate grades can use wikis to do group research projects on numerous topics: animals, habitats, Texas or American hero, etc.
Similar to Google Docs, teachers will benefit from a wiki when planning school events, field trips or just planning for the week. In addition, it's a great tool to quickly gather input from your peers, or do a poll or survey without having to email back and forth, or chase people down.
Sounds like you already have lots of ideas for integrating Wikis into your curriculum! I liked the one you found about Children's Book Reviews. What a great source for finding just the right book!
ReplyDeleteMillie