Reflective+Statement

Why a Wiki?

Nings, Wikis, Blogs, oh my! That is the phrase that was running through my mind on the first night of my Reading Technology class. I will admit that before I started this class I thought I was pretty technology-savvy; however after only three classes I learned one thing: I have a lot left to learn! I love technology and try to use it whenever I can, but until I perused the Cool Cat Teacher Blog I never realized all of the possibilities that existed in the technology world, especally with Wikis. I was so impressed with how this teacher incorporated Wikis into her classroom and the excitement that followed! Reading her story inspired me to make my Wiki.

According to Cummins, Brown, and Sayers technology is believed to play a highly significant role in promoting literacy among all students, particularly low-income and minority students. However, with so much accountability with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) many school districts focus on teaching to the test and drill and practice. Many believe that teaching with technology is “off-task” (Cummins, 2007, p. 91). Because of this many schools do not teach educators how to use technology to help promote student learning; therefore I am so grateful for this class to show me the ropes and introduce me to these wonderful technological tools, starting with this Wiki.

My plan for my Wiki Space is to use it as a resource for my poetry unit. I want a place my students can come to when they need help or ideas for their poetry. I first began by making a Poet’s Corner for my students to publish some of their wonderful poetry. Hopefully, as this unit progresses, each student will have the opportunity to publish at least one poem, something they can proudly show their friends and family. The next step I took was making a review page. This will be very helpful for students who are having some difficulty at home while working on their poetry. Along with this page is a power point presentation on figurative language, an informative website, and a Jeopardy review game for students to test their knowledge. Lastly, I added an assignment on the discussion page for students to practice their poetry skills by posting song lyrics and picking out the figurative language. In addition to my poetry unit I plan to use this Wiki to post new assignments and interactive projects, such as WebQuests and Digital Stories.

I am very excited about this Wiki Space and I hope that my enthusiasm carries over to my students and colleagues. I want them to see what a great tool this is and how easy it is to use in their classroom! And like our instructor Dr. McInerney said, it’s like being back in Kindergarten. We need to take it slow and take baby steps and we will all make the transfer over from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0.

Sources: [|http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2005/12/wiki] Cummins, J., Brown, K. & Sayers, D. (2007). //Literacy, Technology, and Diversity: Teaching for Success in Changing Times. //Boston: Pearson, Education, Inc.