Wiki's

I find Wiki's to be fascinating. I originally felt as many do, that Wiki's are not reliable sources of information. The most well-known Wiki--Wikipedia--was my first exposure. I was very leary of using or citing information obtained from this site because God only knows who has been editing, or worse, sabotaging the information. With experience and knowledge, I have learned that much of the information posted is quite reliable and there are often a variety of resources cited to cross-check facts. As noted in our conference of this past week, in some cases unreliable information stayed posted for quite awhile, while other information was quickly corrected. I think this speaks more to the subject. How many people are searching Wikipedia for info on a specific relatively unknown person? Probably not many, therefore the information remains in obscurity until somebody discovers it and removes it. On the other hand, subjects that are searched regularly are quickly corrected. In some cases, very popular information is actually locked from editing unless you are a registered, verified editor. So, I do use Wikipedia on a regular basis both for myself and with my students. We often talk about reliability and cross-checking, but for the most part I am confident that the information my students find on Wikipedia will provide a solid foundation in facts, and a reliable list of resources to continue their research. I do not allow Wikipedia, or any other source for that matter, to be the sole resource used as the basis for reporting on a topic.

Of course, Wiki's can also be useful for collaborative research. In WebTycho we have a Collaborative Document in which to post our group work. In essence this is a Wiki. Each group member has the ability to add, delete, or alter information. When completing research as a group, it is helpful to post resources in the collaborative doc section in order to create a bibliography or works cited list. This avoids duplication of resources, allows each group member to properly alphabetize the list, and simplifies the work for the editor. If you still have questions, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

Blogs vs Wikis

Thus far in the course, we have been exploring the wonderful world of blogging as well as the ever changing phenomena of wikis. Since, this wonderful world of collaboration is new to me, I decided to find a wiki that would give me some tips about using blogs and wiki for educational purposes. One of the things that I have found interesting is the differences between the two. According to this wiki, a wiki is a web page that is easily accessible and continually modifiable. This is similar to the collaborative document function in the study group conference area of Web Tycho. Blogs are not modifiable but are similar to a diary in nature. Bloggers are able to log on and post statements, comments, viewpoints, etc. about a topic. So, as it relates to education, it seems that blogs are good for encouraging the development of writing skills, encouraging discussion and the further development of topics, and ideas. Wikis are good for collaborative efforts.

http://www.opencontent.org/wiki/index.php?title=Using_Blogs_and_Wikis_in_Education

Blogging Experiences

I’m not sure if I am supposed to comment on all of the topics for one blog…but I want to be safe.

Experience Blogging
I do not have experience blogging. I have had college roommates set up blogs and I’ve read them, but I have never created one.

Blog Setup
Our group member, Altovese Spivey, established our blog site and I’ve signed in; it looks fairly easy to navigate.

Pros/Cons
I can already imagine some of the pros and cons of using this collaborative tool in the classroom. One positive reason, (pro) to use this tool is being able to reach many people at once. Posting information for your class would allow them and their parents the access anytime…any day. A concern, or con, may be that you cannot control what is posted: pictures and conversations.

Reflection on 625
To comment and reflect on blogging for international student collaboration, I would have to address the same positive point as I stated earlier…it would allow access to the information anytime of the day; being flexible with time differences.

Personal Learning
As far as the course learning…I have already learned how to blog and conference with classmates on WebTycho; both first time experiences for me.