Week 8: Wikis - Example from My Classroom Wiki

I began a class Wiki because I needed time and space for students to engage in reflective thought and discussion – outside of class. The project included researching a person that influenced the 20th Century, writing a script, and creating a performance. Assignments were posted to to the home page, and I gave class grades for the responses.

The reward for me as a teacher, was the chance to share in their ideas as decisions were being made, and I found it really easy to grade/score the assignments. The is a series of posts from a 6th grade group using Wiki posts to make their final decision about whom to study.

Assignment 2: Group Discussion

• Find your Group's Page listed by one of the member's user names.
• Create a discussion regarding the individual of your choice. See instructions on the Group Page.
• After your team agrees on the individual, add to the History Day Discussion (Assignment #3)

(Names have been removed)
re: Choosing a Person
Yeah...I guess there's no Jinx Olsen, a mix-up, I believe. We are looking for someone new....*sigh*....this is bad...

re: Choosing a Person
What if our person is Mahatma Ghandi? I think he's really cool, and changed the world most definitely.

re: Choosing a Person
I know you want a girl...but I really can't find anybody! :(

re: Choosing a Person
I KNOW!!! We should do The Beatles! That fits into the category of Artist, right? The Beatles are really awesome...and I bet that nobody has ever done The Beatles before.. :)

re: Choosing a Person
(to non group member), please keep out of this, thank you. We can handle this on our own.

re: Choosing a Person
Yeah...I guess there's no Jinx Olsen, a mix-up, I believe. We are looking for someone new....*sigh*....this is bad...

re: Choosing a Person
Umm.. can we find a woman lawyer? That would be cool.

re: Choosing a Person
how exactly would she have changed America, though? Unless she was the first..

re: Choosing a Person
Look at Sandra Day O'Connor! She sounds like a good person. She was the first woman lawyer in the supreme court.

The final decision was to study Sandra Day O'Connor. Other wiki uses included script writing, and negotiating decisions about costumes and sets.

The students' first post was a response to a survey question about their previous knowledge of Web 2.0 tools.
re: Web 2.0 - Have you used it before?

• Yes, I think so.
• Yes, I have used web 2.0, and I have used nings and blogs.
• No I have never used one and I have never experienced this but I think this is very cool and I think it will help me connect with the other members in my group.
• i haven't used the web 2.0 thingymabb but it sounds awesome
• Yes, I think so.
• I have never used wiki spaces before, but I have used a ning which is similar to this.
• No, I have never used wiki space before.
• I have never heard of nings and Web 2.0.
• I have never used wiki spaces before, but I have used a ning which is similar to this.

The best part about this project has been to see how readily the students learned and applied this technology.