Technology Learning Curve

After editing and playing around with my Blog a bit more, I can't believe I was feeling so apprehensive about creating, viewing and using it. And how about that WIKI technology...I am amazed and bewildered at the same time. I just keep trying to remember what Scott said, something about how we can't 'break' the technology. When using this technology, it just requires adoption of most of Dimension 5 - Habits of Mind. For me personally, the habits of mind required are: maintain an open mind, restrain impulsivity, persevere, push the limits of knowledge and abilities and identify and use necessary resources.

After examining the WIKI technology, it is easy to see how the technology can be used to successfully harness student ideas and motivate them to work collegially. With this type of technology, you can't help but become 'engaged' with it. Kearsley & Shneiderman, "...believe that technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise." How true! This technology means that there can be a whole lot more learning going on immediately and instantaneously. I think it would particularly benefit those students who may suffer shyness within group situations and not feel comfortable verbalizing their ideas. Whilst they aren't anonymous using a WIKI, it means that they can contribute on a level playing field with their community.

The Smith reading in week 1 talked about the fact that teachers are no longer the gatekeepers of knowledge and the fact that there is a move towards self managed learning and student autonomy. This technology certainly confirms those assumptions. A WIKI by its very context motivates you to seek - you want others to collaborate with you.
Wikis can be used to facilitate computer-supported collaborative learning, i.e., the development of collaboration by means of technology to augment education and research (Augar, Raitman, & Zhou, 2004). This enhances peer interaction and group work, and facilitates sharing and distributing knowledge and expertise among a community of learners (Lipponen, 2002). Wikis enhance asynchronous communication and cooperative learning among students, and promote cooperation rather than competition (De Pedro et al., 2006).


Engagement Theory comprises the Relate-Create-Donate components. I can see this technology being suitable for even lower grade learners in this context. Eg. Relate - A Grade 1 class could identify healthy food choices using a class WIKI, use their tuckshop as a starting point and then find examples of healthy food at home, Create - updating their WIKI as per their findings. Donate - This could culminate in them sending a healthy menu (via email) to parents. Hmmm, would this be a learning curve for the parents? At any rate, a project such as this would complete Kearsley & Shneiderman's theory: (1) an emphasis on collaborative efforts, (2) project-based assignments and (3) non-academic focus.

Barton (2004) lists some innovative uses for wikis in composition:
1. Any class project with a reference or encyclopedic format, such as instructions, user manuals, glossaries, etc.
2. A class or group project with a bibliographic format that requires students to locate websites related to a topic, and then annotate, rank, and organize them.
3. A handbook or textbook. For example, students could build a guide to correct punctuation, which could be compiled and evaluated as a class, giving every student a stake in the project and benefiting each from the authoring process.
4. Any project that does not require individual authorship or protected documents.

Duffy and Bruns (2006) list several possible educational uses of wikis:
1. Students can use a wiki to develop research projects, with the wiki serving as ongoing documentation of their work.
2. Students can add summaries of their thoughts from the prescribed readings, building a collaborative annotated bibliography on a wiki.
3. A wiki can be used for publishing course resources like syllabi and handouts, and students can edit and comment on these directly for all to see.
4. Teachers can use wikis as a knowledge base, enabling them to share reflections and
thoughts regarding teaching practices, and allowing for versioning and documentation.
5. Wikis can be used to map concepts. They are useful for brainstorming, and editing a given wiki topic can produce a linked network of resources.
6. A wiki can be used as a presentation tool in place of conventional software, and students are able to directly comment on and revise the presentation content.

As long as the teacher can provide the appropriate level of guidance and facilitation, this technology is exciting and begs for student involvement and creativity.

Now, just hope the technology doesn't break me...