Cool Cat Teacher has done it again! I saw Vicki Davis present at NECC in Atlanta last summer. Her effervescence is truly contagious! Reading her post reminds me how excited I am every time I discover a new tool and share it with my students.
Some cool stuff I found on educational wikis:
- At the Wolves Den Wiki, I was delighted with all the wonderful resources posted for the English and History students. What excited me more was the link to oodles of Web 2.0 tools. I can’t wait to explore this site, Go To Web20. I have to remember my first idea about life-long learning–play!
- At Kindergarten Counting Book I was pleasantly surprised with the creative use of digital photography and counting to post a class-created counting book for kindergarten students. I can totally see my own 5 year old being engrossed in this class creation. What a wonderful way to use a meaningful project where all students can contribute, learn, and then later view their accomplishments from home with their families.
- Jennifer Dorman’s wiki, Grazing for Digital Natives, is a wonderful compilation of resources for all things digital. I look forward to checking out her information on digital storytelling! I also wonder how she has time to post all that stuff!
What resonates with me after surfing a few educational wikis is that the more I know, the more I realize I don’t know. It overwhelms me to see how much information is really out there, and it also energizes me. The trick is to find the balance between burning time surfing and exploring and really creating something that will work for me professionally.
I already know that the next time I use a wiki with my students, which will be this spring, I plan on using RSS to track the student pages. I’m also going to loosen the reigns a bit and let the kids really own it.
What was missing in the wikis I browsed? Well, each one has its own style. I think a wiki is very similar to an essay. If it addresses its purpose, uses appropriate and meaningful content, and appeals to the intended audience, then it is viable. And like writing, a real-time audience that can collaborate, edit, post, and comment, is the most valuable piece of the whole environment.
I totally understand how you can get caught up in all the tools and want to use all of them. Remember that less is more. Take small steps and focus on one or two new tools before diving into another. I know how much fun you have playing which is awesome, but be careful not to get lost in cyberspace. I love your voki. I want to learn how you created that. I am going to leave a comment when I have a microphone at school. I may need help!