Collaborative Learning, the Wiki Way

So, how can a wiki be useful in a classroom, you might be asking yourself. If you think of a wiki as a collaborative website where many people can add information and edit the information that is already there, then it does have value in an educational setting. Out of need to find online research sites which are "kid-friendly" for young students, Denise Duffy at the Village Elementary School in Hilton, NY, began a school-wide wiki, The Village Elementary Wiki. A 3rd Grader class added the first content as they researched the Arctic region. This has led to some wonderful learning! The class who began the wiki has spent extra class time going back to the wiki over and over again to reread, edit, revise, and improve upon the content they first entered. Try getting young students to do this on paper! Trust me, it doesn't happen! Secondly, another class has begun their research and is using the wiki as their starting place. It gives them information in "3rd grade-friendly" text (because it was written by their peers, with references cited) and it is getting them excited about their research. They are identifying what is "missing" or what they would like to know more about, and that is guiding the research they are doing. They are looking forward to being able to add the the wiki! Their teachers and I are getting "goose-bumps" as we are observing this! We are looking forward to watching this wiki grow as more and more classes begin to add content on a variety of subjects. And PB Wiki is a wonderful tool to use. Not only does it provide some free space for hosting the wiki, but it has very WYSIWYG text editing, which makes it very easy for young students to use and really take ownership of. If you would like more information on PB Wiki, you can visit their website or contact Lori Burch.