Reflection Week 3 - Wiki Week

A wiki is a website whose users can add, modify, or delete its content by means of a web browser.     Wikis are powered by wiki software and can be used by multiply users to share and collaborate.  Wikis may perform many different purposes.  Some wikis allow control over different functions (levels of access). For example, editing rights may permit changing, adding or removing material.  Others may allow access without enforcing access control. Additional rules may also be imposed for organizing content.  I feel I have a better understanding of wikis after watching the video “Wikis in Plain English”.   I think using the planning of a camping trip was a good analogy to use to explain the uses of a wiki and the overload of the use of email.  http://www.commoncraft.com/video/wikis     In the article, “7 things you should know about Wikis” answered many questions I had about wiki including after you hit the “Save” button your text is sent back to the wiki server and the web page is changed (interesting tidbit).  Wikis allow group collaboration and asynchronous communication by way of the Internet.  The most frequently used wikis are Wikipedia.  There are endless possibilities for faculty to use wikis.  http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf     

The wiki I created this week is for librarians to share ideas for opening a new library in a new elementary school.  I chose this topic because I opened a new library this year.  I would have liked to have had a guide to help me. I did refer to the Information Power Building Partnerships for Learning prepared by the American Association of School Librarians.  These are guidelines to foster improvement in library programs, but this did not tell me what to do day by day duties of opening the library on time. With this wiki, I hope to help other librarians when opening a library, new or not.  Please check it out and add any ideas you might have at http://librarybeginnings.pbworks.com/w/page/50429741/FrontPage .

There are many advantages for a librarian to use this wiki. It is a starting place filled with particular ideas for preparing to open a new library.  Experienced librarians have a wealth of knowledge that can be shared.  The task of opening a new library can be quite overwhelming and this wiki can help make it easier.  There is so much to do before opening day; this wiki will help prompt ideas of things that need to be done.

There are many disadvantages as well.  As stated in the article “7 things you should know about Wikis” allowing manipulation of the site’s information carries some risks and a wiki can show bias as the users opinions can become embedded in a wiki.  School districts work on very different timelines.  As the collaboration begins, contributors need to be mindful of this. I was not officially informed of my position as librarian until six weeks before opening day.  Also, many times a librarian is not consulted through the design and building process, so many things are out of a librarian’s control.  Contributors need to keep this in mind as well.          

Digital natives may be apprehensive about technology until they see how it can be used to enhance their lives. Wikis are so user friendly and helpful; many digital natives may find themselves engaged after being guided to one that interests them.  This group of users may first participate in a wiki by only reading it, but later find themselves wanted to contribute to the collaboration.

I enjoyed visiting the eLearning Tools Wiki to see other 2.0 web tools that I could use.  Because we had used a collaboration tool this week, I went to a different topic.  I have always enjoyed using virtual fieldtrips with much success, so that is where I started.   Discover America looked interesting and serves as the official travel and tourism website of the United States.  I would like to return this site as the Alamo was featured.  Also, I visited the Storytelling site. I found Our Story which is a timeline service that provides a way to import pictures.  I also saw Animoto on the list.  Many book trailers I show my students are made on Animoto.  I would like to learn more 2.0 tools that my students, teachers, and I could use.  This a great site to find those tools.  I hope to return and add my own useful web 2.0 tool for others.       http://elearningtools.wetpaint.com/