Keeping in mind that school not only teaches students the content of the curriculum but also a cultural literacy necessary for success in today’s society, it is of the utmost importance that I incorporate Internet resources into my classroom. Creating and maintaining an active Wiki is the best way to build a high-tech foundation upon which to build. A Wiki is easy to build and allows me to get important information to my students in a timely manner. I can use it to post homework, study guides, challenges for advanced students and help for slower students. By fostering good dialogue on the site I can increase the student-to-student teaching that is so important to deep understandings.
I was impressed by the videos on bullying (NCMEC, 2010). As mentioned in both of the videos I watched, the children who are victims of these bullying hide out on the Internet after class. Providing them with empowering, engaging material on my wiki could keep them from pursuing dangerous activity on other sites. It is also the perfect place to post warning videos like the ones I saw last night.
Prior to TCPCG I had only had experience with HuskyCT. The website is clunky and many professors did not like using it. It was constantly down for maintenance and was more hassle than help. By using a wiki I have complete creative control on what is posted. I can take the website in any direction I want. A personally created wiki is also better looking than a boring site created by the school for my use. I can put pictures relevant to class on the site to keep the creative aspect going.
In conclusion, I did not realize how necessary it is to engage my students electronically. I always knew I would like to check out the possibilities available on the web, but always as a resource for me, not as a tool for my children. In todays world I would be doing them a disservice by not requiring them to check my site for work, help, and fun.
(NCMEC) National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (2010) Real Life Stories Videos. retrieved from http://www.netsmartz.org/RealLifeStories.
(NCMEC) National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (2010) Real Life Stories Videos. retrieved from http://www.netsmartz.org/RealLifeStories.
I like that you would use a wiki "to post homework, study guides, challenges for advanced students and help for slower students." However - what is the collaborative component of your wiki? If you just use it to post information it still can be helpful and appropriate... but can you think of ways that students can collaborate on the wiki? Would they edit a page together? Converse on the discussion page? Would you have links to shared Google Documents?
ReplyDeleteIn your reference - include the acronym after you cite the entire organization, italicize the web site title, and make sure you use an upper case letter for the word Retrieved.
National Center for MIssing and Exploited Children [NCMEC]. (2010). .... Retrieved from http://www.....