Thing 21 and Thing 22 Wikis

I've been thinking about wikis for quite some time and have been unable to think of ways to personally implement the tool. I've discussed it with a colleague I'm mentoring and we decided a blog would work better for her purposes. Part of our discussion centered on the fact that it's hard to edit (read "criticize") one's peers as she has been asked to do in her grad classes, although we have no problem correcting students' work! By the same token, it's been my experience when I ask students for constructive criticism, all I get are positive comments which is not really helpful. I stress we can all do better to no avail.

I very much enjoyed looking at so many wikis; my head is spinning with ideas. I especially examined the Educational Wikis site and took note of a number of great one's which I plan to share with specific teachers or departments. Just directing them to the list is too much to ask. One suggestion I would have is to organize the page differently. Alphabetical is always good (although titles are not always descriptive) and abstracts are essential but I think it would be useful to sort by discipline and grade level, as well.

There were a couple of school web sites in a wiki format. I'm not sure this is the best format for that purpose. They seemed "messy" and unorganized to me. I prefer a more polished look.

The hurdles I foresee center around participation and time. When participation is voluntary, as it would be for me as I don't have students assigned to me, the wiki won't be successful. When there is accountability, the possibilities are limitless! I see my role as a mentor. Just today, the counseling department chair asked my advice about using a wiki for designing a powerpoint. I heartily agreed this would be the perfect tool. That department is really moving along in using technology and now web 2.0, as well! Last year they just asked me do it for them. The time issue is always a hurdle, time to explore and time to create. I seem to have more success at the middle school level where the teachers are more adventuresome and don't seem so rigid about the pacing guides.

I plan on promoting wikis and I'm looking forward to collaborating with a teacher on one in the very near future.

My Wiki
I've created a blog for my library CrestwoodHighSchoolLibrary. It's just a beginning, but I see a future with several pages and lots and lots of stuff related to independent reading. the headings include Purchase Suggestions, Reading Suggestion Portals, Book Related Podcasts, Author Sites, and Events. After I spruce it up a bit, I plan on having a link on my home page.

Obviously blogs and wikis have difference, but I'm not sure if one is better than the other for a specific purpose. I think it probably depends on personal preference for the task at hand. I tried using a blog with my book club with little success. I think the wiki might work better because I don't have any preconceived expectations. If students care to contribute, fine.