Doug Martin:
This project gave me a good understanding on how to create wikis that could potentially have use in the classroom. It was frustrating at times, but I think it would be much easier to create one the second time, after having gone through the process once. I believe that a wiki could be useful to a teacher because it can be a place where students can easily access information regarding the class. However I think a course webpage on the school’s website would probably make more sense if the aim is purely informational things. However, a wiki could be a creative way to use technology to better the learning experience, especially if the students are allowed to edit it. This comes with drawbacks, because they could put whatever they wanted and could potentially put something inappropriate.
Rachel Molnar:
After this project, I have obtained a good understanding as to what a wiki is and how it can be a great teaching tool. I think it can benefit all parties involved in the school environment. Teachers can properly instruct their students using this method as well as update them on upcoming events and assignments. It can also be an opportunity to inform parents of topics being discussed in their child’s classroom. Wikis can be a great way for students to work collaboratively on an assignment and for the teacher to stay updated on their progress. I hope to often use wikis in my classroom as I find if to be informative, useful and further gives me a chance to be creative. ~Rachel Molnar
Kirstin Scardina:
Working on this project was very challenging at times, it was hard when it came to linking information and sometimes got confusing. I really enjoyed learning how to develop a wiki since they are constantly seen on the internet today. At times I thought it was hard to find information to my answer to all of the questions using credible sources and not other wikis. This made me wonder what other wikis do not have credible sources or accurate information. I thought this project was helpful, because if I ever wanted to make a wiki for my class I will know how to do so correctly. Wikis can be used within classrooms when students are looking up information, even those wikis are not credible sources because they are still on the internet and are open for students to use. This is something that as a teacher I will be cautious about using as a wiki source when it comes to teaching my classroom because anyone can access and create a wiki. Thus, making it not a credible source as well the information on the website may not be correct. This is something teachers need to be aware of when it comes to relying on wikis when teaching students.
There are also pros of using a wiki in a classroom would be to things such as creating presentations, or asking students to create a study guide through Wiki. More ideas that teachers could use wikis in their classrooms would be to organize ideas, to create exploratory projects, glossary's, to share ideas, and receive feedback. These are just to name a few, but all teachers need to be aware of the risks when using a wiki.Overall, this project was very helpful when it came to creating a wiki about a subject as well as determine what is correct and credible.
Rebecca Whiting:
By participating in this project, I have learned about multiple uses for wikis in the classroom. As a teacher, creating a wiki page with classroom and school information would be a simple way to communicate with parents, without requiring the knowledge to create an entire website. Wikis could also be a more modern way of allowing students to compile research projects. Rather than writing a conventional report on a topic, students or cooperative groups can create a wiki, as we have done. My only disappointment with this project is that I do not understand how to create a wiki for myself. I understand how to edit pages and insert hyperlinks, but I don't know how I would make a wiki as a teacher. I think that wikis could be very useful in the classroom, but I mostly felt that this project used rote direction, and I won't know how to apply it in the future.
