Wiki Confluence and a Brilliant Blog Concept

3/30/2005 01:39:00 am

I've come across mention of wikis all over the place. I've looked at a free wiki service. I've started furling stuff about wikis. I just can't seem to figure out how to use them in an educational setting. I was thinking about creating a wiki math dictionary for my students to create. I also want to use "wikipower" to get my students interacting with a larger community of learners/educators. I'm uncertain of how the technology works or how to orchestrate the pedagogy. Then came a confluence of three posts:

  • » I read a post over at Bud the Teacher where Bud is working out a way to use a wiki to support his work with blogs.
  • » Will Richards has an article over at ed-Tech Insider that has a link to an 8-minute movie on deconstructing a post at Wikipedia.
  • » In that same article he has another link to a fantastic idea: a multidisciplinary wiki textbook.

That would be a difference; get the students to write the textbook! What information is important to them? Which illustrative examples are most illustrative? What concepts, manipulations or applications are most difficult to assimilate? What makes them difficult? What helps make them clear? This could be a record for them and me. They become better educated; I become a better teacher. Win win!

Hmmmmm ..... this might work .... still thinking about it ....

An unrelated brilliant use of blogs: Anne Davis pointed me to this blog. An ESL class's topical blog on bullying. This teacher is making a difference.

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1 comments

  1. Having the students write their own textbook sounds like a wonderful idea, but how does one write the book on the subject they are there to learn about?
    Would that be like writing music not knowing how to read music?
    I'm by no means knocking the idea. As I said above it's a wonderful idea. I'd just like to know more on how it would be done and what would be done with the final product. How long would it take? If they have to learn the subject first, would that bog them down to the point where they would not be able to cover the necessary material in a school term?
    These may be questions that already have been answered so please point me in that direction.
    Great blog, by the way! Will be back often.

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