Wikis Continued....

Last time, I gave an example of a how a wiki was used in 5 kindergarten classrooms across the United States. A wiki was used to collect and analyze information about bird feeders. Additionally, a wiki was used as a way to communicate about the data collected on bird feeders in each of the seasons.

Here is a link to the Bird Feeder Wiki.

Below is what the main page of the wiki looks like. On the main page, there are side links to seasonal graphs, pictures of bird feeders, and link to questions that students from each kindergarten class came up with to ask students from other kindergarten classes.



I was trying to find more information about how wikis are used in primary classrooms, specifically first grade, since I am a first grade teacher. I found a cool wiki that was created by a first grade class that is very much relevent to me. It is called "The Tooth Tally Project." It is an international learning project that compares tooth data from different classrooms throughout the year. There is even an incentive for winning. Your class gets a tooth certificate. However, the only problem is that it looks like this collaborative projected has ended for the year. But it's a great idea for a project that seems simple. A wiki site is used to keep a track of the tallies, to communicate with different classrooms, to upload photos, and to submit work samples. Here is a link to this site.

This is what the site looks like:



In both, the bird feeding and tooth projects, it seems as though wikis were used to collect and analyze data among different classrooms. I think this is a great way to compare your class data with that of another class. However, I think my only problem would be time. Specifically, having the time to update and make posts.

Some other concrete examples of how wikis can be used in the classroom are:

1. Science Fair Projects- A wiki could be set up for upper elementary, middle, and high school students. A wiki could be set up so students can brainstorm and post ideas about projects. Small groups can then be formed to work on individual projects or be used to contribute ideas to other projects. Additionally, a wiki can be used to record and organtize data and plan presentations.

2. A literature circle could be set up between elementary schools using a wiki. All the elementary schools would read the same piece of literature. Then, all schools would be required to answer questions about the book and pose questions. Using a wiki would be a great way to integrate technology into literature circles. A wiki would be a tools utilized to share thoughts on books and to respond to questions.


Here is a simple tutorial on using and creating wikis. Additionally, check out Wiki-Teacher. Wiki-Teacher is a forum for teachers. Here you will find sample lesson plans and units and demonstration videos. However, you do you have register and create an account, but registration is free.