Wikis in Education

The idea of using wikis in education is relatively new and still in the trial and error stage of development. However, here are a few links related to use of wikis in the classroom that propose insightful and innovative means of using the conglomerates effectively.

First off, TeachersFirst provides a "Wiki Walk-Through" that informs teachers of what a wiki is, who uses them in the classroom, and further, suggests specific ways of using them in different courses.

Another helpful source is the WetPaint website, which proposes many ways of using wikis in education, for example by creating teacher-peer collaborations. This site allows teachers to bounce ideas off of other instructors around the world who teach the same subject to gain new perspectives.

Finally, there is an excellent presentation on SlideShare that discusses some of the many ways to use wikis in an educational environment. Ultimately, the presentation is claiming that in today's fast-paced society in which the internet is intricately woven into our daily lives, wikis are an obvious tool to be implemented in education.

I must admit, I was at first skeptical toward the idea of using wikis in education. With such freedom to post and edit information at will, it seems as though there is no way of separating fact from fiction. However, after researching the many beneficial uses for wikis in education, I feel as though, if used appropriately, the free-form collaborations can help students and teachers alike. Students across the world from one another can post to a common site just as easily as two classmates. Teachers in Florida can compare their lesson plans to those of teachers in Oregon. The possibilities are endless and I think it's safe to say that wikis in education are here to stay.