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= = = = = = = = = = =__**Wiki on Wiki**__= Group 4

__**What is a Wiki?**__ A wiki is a combination website and word processor that allows multiple authors to add and edit content. This is one of many emerging technologies beginning to be utilized in the education world, and is one way for educators and students to share and expand their ideas. This page will explore the uses and benefits of wikis for instructional use.

__**Introduction and Contributors**__
Mickel, a junior at SUU majoring in Physical Education. Tom, a senior at SUU double majoring in Physical Education and History Education Angela, a senior at SUU majoring in Family Life and Human Development

(Anick Jesdanun, 2009). In 1995 he launched the first wiki which would be followed by thousands more including the very popular Wikipedia in 2001. =__Research__= In the article Wiki As a Collaborative Learning Tool in a Language Arts Methods Class, the author's found that "Student's reflections indicate that contributing to the class wiki led to a deeper processing of the course content and was personally beneficial to the student's, in spite of its persistent technology challenges." Matthew, K., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. (2009) The article went on to say that as the participants in wikis are the authors and editors of these constantly changing websites they learn to create knowledge rather than just take knowledge. When these websites are used in the classroom setting, students must step up to the challenge of being an active learner and share their knowledge with fellow students. With each revision of the combined students' work, the answers or knowledge of the group become more advanced than just the individual response. The authors research found that the learning did not have to end when class time was over. By using an online project, such as wiki, students could continue to develop ideas and continue working on their group projects to increase classroom understanding and knowledge from many different locations and the members of the group did not have to be in the same location to contribute. The research also found that when students hear, read, and then write or share their knowledge the students have a better understanding of the material with better retention of the subject matter. The article also stated that this type of collaborative learning helps the teacher, as well by allowing them to become a moderator in the project rather than a supervisor. Wiki provides the teacher an opportunity to evaluate the students progress through contributions, revisions, and the teacher is able to see which students were still learning rather than understanding as they simply browsed the wiki instead of contributing to the wiki. As with all technology, the wiki program has its concerns. The wiki is very easy to use with limited prerequisite technical knowledge. However, users must always be aware that there is the chance of accidental revisions or deletions that may occur. The program also only allows one person to edit the page at a time, so it is very important not to wait until the last minute to update the page or make additions to the group project. In conclusion, the article pointed out that students participating in the wiki experiment found that contributing to a class wiki project required a great amount of time, but they also found that it was worth it. The authors stated that when students used the wiki program they found that, "collective knowledge (was) greater than their individual knowledge, and that by working together they (were) creating new knowledge." Matthew, K., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. (2009)
 * "Wikis** are based on the Hawaiian word "wiki wiki" for "quick," and grew out of programmer Ward Cunningham's desire for a new way to discuss software design"

In Turning Lemons to Lemonade, authors Oliver Dreon, Jr. and Nanette I. Dietrich likened the educational opportunities with wiki to the work of Vygotsky and Dewey, very well known Sociocultural Theorists. These theorists believe that learning is more effective when knowledge is acquired within a learning community with many people working together to acquire new knowledge. This article stated that as teachers apply this sociocultural perspective when having their students use wiki in the classroom, they are creating a collaborative online community where multiple students can learn from each other and increase their knowledge. Several of the lessons that were learned as they had preservice teachers utilize the wiki program for their study was: 1) technology becomes secondary and knowledge is able to be the main focus, as the preservice teachers were able to personalize the information on the wiki; 2) wiki technology can provide an "eyes-on" look at new information when a "hands-on" experience is not available for all students; and 3) when preservice teachers were unable to get into the technology lad in a certain area, the wiki program is able to be accessed from many locations making it possible for easy access and endless possibilities for information review.

This article talks about how technology in the classroom helps. It talks about a teacher in Arizona that uses a wikispace for his English class and how it helps. He has his class on a wikispace and they use it for research projects and other things. One thing it talks about in particular is a research project where they all add their research to the class page and learn from each of their classmates research, as well as their own research. (Royal, 2008)

In the article entitled "Science 2.0" it discussed the use of wikis in a science setting and made some very good points. It talked about the value of being open during the process of a body of work rather than simply displaying the results. In this way the collaborators can not only see what worked, but what didn't and even perhaps why. For education this clarity can be invaluable, because it can greatly improve the efficiency of trial and error type approaches by providing more detailed instruction from not only the instructor but also the students as they progress.

Wikis may also be a way of surpassing email in a collaborative setting. Where email, discussion boards, and other such ways of online collaboration require back and forth posting and lots of added attachments, the wiki allows permanent changes directly to a page. This is ideal when additions are desired but one does not want to lose the information already presented. In the past the author of an email would have to send the new email with the attached old email and after a little back and forth there was an extensive trail of redundant information. Wikis offer a remedy in that they do not have to restate what was written but rather edit what was written.

However, the questions arise as to whether or not a wiki is a reliable way to learn. The old analogy the blind leading the blind comes to mind, if the technology is not properly monitored by an expert. Popular wiki sites have been largely dismissed in the academic world as an unreliable source of information (ie: wikipedia) and if this is the case, is it wise to have students learning from them? But along the lines of imperfect education, wikis still provide some benefits even though their credibility may be some what suspect. Such as using wikis as a repository for a students understanding. By having students post what they "think" they know in a wiki the instructor is able to evaluate that students level of understanding. It also provides other students with a valuable, if not entirely consistent way of reflecting on what they know or don't know. Therefore wiki's can be effective teaching/learning tools but must be carefully used lest the users get lost.

In the article A Wiki for Classroom Writing, authors Brian Morgan and Richard Smith suggested that wikispaces offers teachers access and control of each students' wiki site and allows them to participate at various levels, as either a collaborator, guide, editor, or site administrator. They outlined the idea that classroom wikis, report wikis, school wiki sites, and large-scale interschool projects were possible with using the wiki in the educational system. The Article stated that wikis were easy to set up and teachers could set simple guidelines and instructions for their students, access for students was personal with the use of individual usernames and passwords, and collaboration on projects allow students to be more engaged in the writing process with the use of a wiki. Morgan and Smith also offered these five helpful hints when using a wiki in the classroom:
 * 1) Wikis are nearly bulletproof--any mistake can be fixed.
 * 2) Wikis are structured as a group of linked pages so teachers might want to create a play ground page to help users experiment and become familiar with how wiki works.
 * 3) Look at other wikis for ideas and information that teachers might like to incorporate into their wiki pages.
 * 4) Put planning into how the wiki pages should be structured.
 * 5) Remember the core principle of the wiki is collaboration. The limitations for wiki use are only within your own imagination.

In the article //Taking the Digital Plunge// it talks about how wikis can be used to connect cultures and prepare students for the future. By connecting cultures you are gaining a better knowledge of the things you are reading. You will be able to look at things with a better understanding and from a different point of view. "The key to becoming an effective 21st century instructor is to become an efficient 21st century learner." (Ferriter, 09) When you as a teacher learn through technology you can show your students how you can gain a better knowledge on a wiki space.

__Educational Application__

One of the current practices in the early grades of elementary schools is for students to learn about writing skills through letters to students in another part of Utah, in the form of pen pals. With recent budget cuts that have been made the Iron County School District, I thought that teaching the students to use the wiki with another school district as collaborators would be a very useful way to utilize the wiki in the school system while still being cost effective and staying true to ICSD's goal to cut costs and be a near paperless school district.

One of the articles I read, talked about using upper grades to help lower grades learn about the writing process. As the younger students wrote their letters on wiki the older students learned about editing as they critiqued and edited the younger students work. Both upper and lower grade students would have an opportunity to learn from each others participation in a wiki.

In one of the articles I read, it suggested having students submit their work to wikipedia. I thought that was a good idea, because it is kind of like having them publish their work with out having to actually publish it. It also puts them in a position where what they do in class can translate into the wider world and even facilitate on going learning if they so choose.

When using a wiki in a classroom it can be very helpful especially if it is set up productively. When it is setup so that you can monitor each students work you can use a wiki for many research projects and to help your students learn from their peers. It is a good idea for when using a wiki for a class project to let the students experiment with one first. As a teacher it would be a good idea to sep up a test one first to let the students get the hang of a wiki before assigning anything. Wiki's can help to engage your students minds and be and intersting fun way fro

__Links to Wiki Ideas__ __http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/__ This is a wiki for School Library Media Specialists with many great ideas on how a wiki can be used in the school to utilize technology in the school system. When teachers collaborate with the Library Media Specialist in their school they can improve student interaction and instruction.

[] made by teachers this site gives examples of emerging technology and how it is being used in the classroom.

[] Hosted by San Diego State University, with beginners in mind, this website defines the term wiki, gives reasons for using such a tool, and suggests educational applications for this new technology.

__Citations__ FLIERL, R., & FOWLER, H. (2007). Educational Uses of Blogs and Wikis. //Phi Delta Kappan//, //89//(3), C3. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Matthew, K., Felvegi, E., & Callaway, R. (2009). Wiki as a Collaborative Learning Tool in a Language Arts Methods Class. //Journal of Research on Technology in Education//, //42//(1), 51-72. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Dreon Jr., O., & Dietrich, N. (2009). Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Teaching Assistive Technology through Wikis and Embedded Video. //TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning//, //53//(1), 78-80. doi:10.1007/s11528-009-0241-6.

(2009). WHERE TO LEARN MORE about Web 2.0 Tools Online. //Knowledge Quest//, //37//(4), 18-19. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Royal, K. (2008). Creating technology literate educators. //District Administration//, 44(5), Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database

Camihort, K. (2009). Students as Creators of Knowledge: When Wikipedia Is the Assignment. //Athletic Therapy Today//, //14//(2), 30-34. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Mitchell, W.M. (may 2008). Science 2.0. //Scientific American//, Vol. 298(No. 5 ), 68-73. SIRS Researcher. Web.

Anick, Jesdanun. (sept 2004). 'wikis' offer knowledge-sharing online. //Columbian (Vancouver, WA)//

Morgan, B., & Smith, R. (2008). A Wiki for Classroom Writing. //Reading Teacher//, //62//(1), 80-82. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Ferriter, B. (2009). Taking the digital plunge. //Educational Leadership//, 67(1), Retrieved from EBSCO

Ruth, A, & Haughton, L. (2009). The Wiki way of learing. //Australasian Journal of Educational Technology//, 25(2), Retrieved from EBSCO