Getting to Know Wiki's!

I am fairly new when it comes to the subject of Wikis so while I was listening to the pod cast I wanted to research the advantages and disadvantages of Wiki’s. Here are my findings.

Advantages

• anyone can edit
• easy to use and learn
• Wikis are instantaneous so there is no need to wait for a publisher to create a new edition or update information
• people located in different parts of the world can work on the same document
• the wiki software keeps track of every edit made and it's a simple process to revert back to a previous version of an article
• widens access to the power of web publishing to non-technical users
• the wiki has no predetermined structure - consequently it is a flexible tool which can be used for a wide range of applications
• there are a wide range of open source software wiki's to choose from so licensing costs shouldn't be a barrier to installing an institutional wiki

Adam stated a lot of interesting advantages of Wikis such as; groups of people can edit each others work, students are very involved, collaborative environment and Wikis are good for incremental work.

Disadvantages

Advantages in one context, may be disadvantages in another.

• Anyone can edit so this may be too open for some applications, for example confidential documentation. However it is possible to regulate user access.
• Open to SPAM and Vandalism if not managed properly. There are easy ways to restore a page however, and on WikiEducator you must be logged in to edit pages so this reduces vandalism by automated spam bots.
• Requires Internet connectivity to collaborate, but technologies to produce print versions of articles are improving
• The flexibility of a wiki's structure can mean that information becomes disorganised. As a wiki grows, the community plans and administers the structure collaboratively.

Overall, I belive that incorporating a Wiki lesson in your classroom is a good idea especially for reading and writing classes. But it seem as if Wikis can be incorporated with in any subject. I think that the one advantage that is really important but was not stated is that it gives students and individuals ownership of the final product.

This information was found in a Wiki (http://www.wikieducator.org/Wikieducator_tutorial/What_is_a_wiki/Advantages_and_disadvantages).


Click on this think to watch "PB Wiki-Helping Educators Educate"
http://heyjude.vodpod.com/video/64404-pb-wikihelping-educators-educate

21st Century Learning: Learning with technology!

Sheryl Nassbaum interview was very interesting. It made me want to think about when I first got introduced to technology. I remember I was in the 5th grade and my father had brought home a computer. I still remember how it looked; it was big, bulky and took a long time to set up. Now I have an Imac G5 and it sleek and only has one cord that connects to the outlet.

Technology has changed so much around us but its seems as if the schools are getting left behind in the 21 century movement. Yes, there are so many benefits of 21st century learning such as self-driven students, blogging adaptable for all subjects, peer to peer education, promotes free writing on blogs and growth for being self-actualized. But we also have to look at the bigger teachers. I agree with the host when it comes to traditional teachers having a harder time adapting to the 21st century. They really don’t have the patience to all of a sudden change the way they teach. They are pretty much set in their ways.

As, for me I am a 21st century teacher I love having technology in my classroom I find it very easy to create lesson plans and students have so much hands on experiences with the lesson. But off course I have experienced the downfall of having to go through administration to approve the lessons but not having the equipment to conduct the activity.

I believe that teachers in the school systems really want to adapt to the 21st century but are held back with financial constraints from the school system. If the school system do not support the 21st century movement, the children of the island will not be prepared for the real world.