Thing #15 - Wikis

After spending a few hours reading all of the linked items on the Wiki assignment page, my understanding of this tool was greatly enhanced! Along the way, I found invaluable links and added them to my iGoogle Notebook (I love that tool). I had no idea there were so many wikis around, so what I found interesting is the number of people willing and able to work together, trusting each other to create the best possible product. It's very difficult to let someone edit your work without feeling a bit defensive.

I loved the idea of allowing users to post book reviews and ratings in the library catalog. I frequently check Amazon for that very reason. In addition, if librarians could edit the catalog, removing those broken cataloged web site links would be a snap and save Debbie a lot of trouble. I can just picture the library services staff cringing as they think of all the terrible things we could do to the catalog should we gain access!

Concerning student use of wikis, it would be difficult for one adult to monitor a large student wiki, but individual classes, clubs, groups, etc. could use this tool very effectively. I'm considering offering a Mockingbird wiki so K-2 teachers can post their reactions to the books on the list. Comments by the students (entered by their teachers) could be interesting and enlightning. Librarians and teachers could offer book suggestions for future lists, then everyone involved could add comments and see books up for consideration.

Along the same lines, I posted earlier that I thought a blog would be a great place to chat about Bluebonnet books. I still do, but perhaps a wiki would be an even better idea, because students could supplement each other's entries. I need to play around with both to see which tool would be more suitable. Maybe a combination (like many sites seem to use) is a good idea.

Another application is to use a wiki for MISD librarians (and others?) to collaborate lists of suggested books for any number of different purposes, i.e. reluctant readers, boys, boys who aren't interested in sports, book club titles, and on and on . . . While lists of this type exist in many places, it would be great to hear from our MISD peers about what works for them.

And then, there are those research units! We could REALLY use a wiki for that. Talk about saving time and sanity, what an effective way to help each other out.

Okay, this wasn't my best writing. It's probably an English teacher's nightmare with all of the tense changing and stuff (good descriptive word). This will show I posted at 7:00 p.m., but it's really 10:00. I think that's a lot of my problem. Would that I could use would and could a few more times, but I really should get some sleep!