Wikis for the Media Center
Wikis are becoming
increasingly popular as a tool used by today’s teachers and students. There are
no software or downloads needed to use a wiki and as long as everyone
understands how to edit and save documents there should be no technical issues
for students or staff.
What are Wikis?
Wikis are websites that can be easily updated and modified by a group of
individuals. They can be designated as public or private. Private Wikis are
commonly used in education as a collaborative tool for teachers and student
projects. It is a great way to grow and store information specific data because
with internet access and a web browser, all users can easily contribute to the
content 24/7 from anywhere in the world. As a collaborative tool, Wikis empower
students to develop creatively and become owners of the material that is
developed. The Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching describes how Wikis
promote student cooperation and active learning through prompt peer feedback
and support for individual talents. “Wikis shift your students from ‘consumer
of knowledge’ to ‘creators of knowledge,’ which is a great way to encourage
your students to develop critical thinking skills, to learn from one another,
and to improve their ability to work in groups” ("Wikis," 2014).
Wikis can
also be a great collaborative resource for school libraries and media centers. For
example, media specialist might design a Wiki to organize fiction genres by
creating pages dedicated to popular groups and sub-groups. Individual pages may
be designed for groups such as mystery, horror, science fiction, historical
fiction, romance, etc. Subgroup pages might include paranormal romance,
time-travel, vampires, etc. Having a Wiki such as this available to students
and teachers will compliment a school’s OPAC as an interactive tool where
students can contribute to the information. Users will experience a heightened connection
as they begin to add reviews, titles, recommendations, and other related
materials.
Another way
a media specialist might use a Wiki is to design one with pages specific to
individual subject areas. A resource such as this will become a treasure trove
of information as teachers contribute newly discovered links, lesson plans, and
other information. Teachers will appreciate an opportunity to collaborate
outside the constraints of school hours and the ability to access the
information from home as opposed to the intranet drives that are only
accessible from work.
The uses for
Wikis in schools and school media centers is limitless. As with Wikis
themselves, the uses are as creative as individuals. As the concept continues
to catch on, there will be more and more opportunities to learn and interact
collaboratively with others without geographic constraints. To see for
yourself, just type “media specialist wiki” into any search engine bar and
enjoy the plethora of information you receive.
References:
Wikis.
(2014). Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved
February 15, 2014, from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/online-education/wikis/.
Delinda,
ReplyDeleteI took your suggestions and did a Google search. I found a variety of information that I bookmarked for a later use!!
When looking at the resources we were provided, I found the use of wikis interesting. As the article, “Seven Things You Should Know About Wikis” on the Educause website suggests, wikis have implications for educators. Wikis make a great place for student e-portfolios. Students can share their work and reflections to show growth over the year. Teachers can take advantage of the format for collaboration. I found the Cobb County Media Specialists’ wiki very informative. In fact in the previously mentioned web search, I found other districts are doing this as well. In my district, the media specialists have a shared drive where information is stored and shared; however, you cannot access the information from home. I have wanted to review information that I knew was there, but had to wait until the next day when I was at school for access. Having a wiki to share information would allow access from home! I might just be an undertaking for me one day!!
Sheila
Delinda,
ReplyDeleteI did also conducted a search for media center wiki and loved it! Even though, I have little experience with wikis I believed I understand its power. I was so very wrong and can't wait to try out some of the ideas I got from conducting this search. Wow! The technology used with many of the wiki pages I found was remarkable. I did notice that there were not much student participating on many of the wiki pages. We have to figure out exciting ways to get the students to contribute to the wiki pages in the media center.The pages where great but students have yet to contribute to those great pages.