Name: Jenn Deenihan  

Wiki Address: holyfamilyffld.pbwiki.com & ourwiki0808.pbwiki.com (both private)

What grade do you teach? K-8

Please upload a screenshot of your PBwiki:

 

---

 

What was your first experience setting up a wiki for your classroom, what did you learn?

 

The first time I set up a wiki for school was in creating the School Wiki almost a year ago. The wiki itself was intended to be a tool for our teachers to detail class details, homework assignments, club news, etc.  Following this, half way through the year, my 8th grade technology class was responsible for setting up their own class wiki, which each student was responsible for contributing to in part.

 

What lessons worked well with the wiki, which didn't?

 

I think all lessons worked well, actually, as with most collaborative work even those moments that didn't turn out the way I had intended were excellent 'teaching' moments. I did find that students developed a real-time sense of cyber-citizenship when held directly accountable for their contributions. This had the added benefit of really getting into the importance of internet safety. In fact the very first page the students created was a listing of safety tips for younger years. My own comments on each page throughout the wiki were used to shape contact and provide a Q&A for any questions the students themselves might have had with what they were doing.

 

Did you have a difficult time introducing PBwiki in your school?  If so, how did you convince your principal?

 

Not at all. Our principal is very supportive as regards technology. Many of our teachers on the other hand...need to have a baby steps programme, as technology still scares many of them. Even those that are quite au fait with using a pc for say notes, projects and grading--a departure from this can be a bit...disconcerting. Once introduced, though, to the concept, a few really made use of the wiki.

 

How did your students adapt to using a wiki in the classroom?

 

Our students for the most part really took to the creation of a wiki and the collaboration involved. That was very exciting to see: pages appearing that were not assignments but topics they felt useful for their own purposes, watching them explore new productivity and integration tools and more...!

 

What should first time wiki users be aware of?

I would most definitely take the time to 'play' and find your way around the wiki before introducing the concept to other educators or students. I also would point out the privacy issues from a school standpoint: our wikis are private and open only by invitiation. In addition, certain pages are locked and able only to be viewed--pay attention to your persmissions. And if you're using a wiki with students, you really must be checking in on a daily basis yourself--let them know you are an active member of their collaboration as well. Enjoy!

 

Jenn

jpdeenihan@holyfamilyffld.org