Using wikis in the classroom

I read this article by David Smith who is Director of ICT in London. His advise has helped me gain a greater understanding of what I want Web 2.0 tools to do for my students. A quote of his that resonantes with me are, “learning is inherently social, and any tools that can promote this will be the most effective. ” Yet what pulls me back is what David Smith has obviously recognized.

“My mode of conducting the class was, to a large extent, the limiting factor in how people engaged with the wiki. Yet I still wonder if, for our purposes, I was required to conduct those classes in that manner due to the subject matter and time restraints, especially because participants had little time outside of classroom hours to contribute or participate in any extra tasks? No answers, only questions … Perhaps time and access are important factors that cannot be overlooked.”

I know that having 5 classes back-to-back is an obvious constraint. Somethings got to give if positive change is to take place. In fact what we techies are fertilizing in our heads could overthrow long established educational thought. Click on the link below to read this article to find out more about the Revolution. 

http://www.preoccupations.org/2004/05/using_wikis_in_.html

Here are a few more links to help you recognize the Revolutionary in you.

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2005/12/wiki-wiki-teaching-art-of-using-wiki.html