The article I read is called "What is a Wiki?". It defines wiki as "a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser". At the end, it states that the first wiki created was for the Portland Pattern Repository in 1995 and includes links to other wiki sites.
It relates to teaching by allowing students, or teachers, to go into the site and broaden the meaning of a word. As the years go by, the meanings of certain words change or have an extended meaning that may be too new for others to know. With the use of a website such as Wikipedia, you can include the new meaning or change a current meaning that no longer fits the word.
I have mixed emotions for websites such as these. It is good in the sense that you can broaden a meaning but it also allows one to go and completely change the meaning of a word all together. For instance, I could go to one of these websites and change the sound a cat makes to "woof", and say a dog makes the sound "meow". I am sure the creator had good intentions when he invented it but I am just not sold on the idea yet.
I will have to do further research of my own on this subject to see if it is something I would encourage my students to use. I like that it lets you extend the meaning of a word but not that you can change the meaning all together.
http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
2 comments:
Great article Amanda! I liked how you pointed out the fact that anyone can edit the wikis, and add whatever they want to them. I liked the cat/dog example you made.
I think I need to do some more research on the subject as well, now that you gave some disadvantages for its use. You did a great job of showing us both sides.
I really like how you pointed out the disadvantages of using wikis. I agree that wikis could be beneficial for classrooms but with people being able to change the meaning of words just does not make me like the idea of using wikis in my classroom. Good Job!
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