Wiki`s, what are they? As I have discovered they can be many things to many people. Some use it as a means to keep in touch with family and friends, others use it for group collaborations on projects and as I have mentioned in previous postings there are those who have no idea what they are doing but still put things out there into cyberspace - is that still a common term in the digital age - just for the sake of being there!
Two weeks ago I started Placement at TAFE and finished the first day with letting the students know what we would be doing the following week. After the students left my Mentor decided to change that program, which meant to me that the students would be reviewing information that would not be relevant when we met again. During that week my E-Learning Journey led me to Wiki`s and I thought that this would be such a brilliant way of keeping in touch with students, without any personal information such as phone numbers or addresses being handed out. It could have solved my dilemma with them doing activities they did not need to do and I could have told all of them what they should be doing.
The next week I arrived at TAFE with my Wiki address, intending to give it to the students so they could check to see if there would be any changes to the program after I see them. Before I gave it out, I did ask who has access to the Internet? The answer shocked me, only two students had access at home, one could use it on a limited basis - as long as it was to do with school and no Face book, Twitter, Blogging and Wiki`s are not considered educational in that home - two students did not have home computers and the rest well lets say the answer was not positive. My idea went up in smoke and left me pondering.
The major issue I went away pondering was: what happens to those kids born in the digital native generation that do not have easy access to technologies? Do they become quasi dig natives and left by the wayside due to personal circumstances that they have no control over. After much pondering, the solution came to me, no I would not use Wiki`s in as a learning tool unless I was totally sure that no student would be disadvantaged or ostracised. Yes, I see they can be a great tool and I watched many YouTube clips on how they can be used and how great they are for student collaboration on projects and how it connects students. And in a perfect world it would be a perfect tool, but presently I would be wary of their use. Dimension 1 - Attitudes and Perceptions in Dimensions of Learning (Marzano and Pickering, 2006), entails it is an objective of Learning Managers to help ALL students feel comfortable in both the classroom and in the classroom task.
Dominique
References:
Marzano, R., & Pickering, D. (2006). Dimensions of learning teacher`s manual (2nd ed.). Heatherton, VIC, Australia: Hawker Brownlow Education.
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