After watching a video in which the use of wikis amongst teachers was adulated, I considered relevant to share it and give my opinion on it. This wiki was implanted by the personnel of The Vail School District in southern Arizona. Its goal, which has been more than attained, was for teachers to share their ideas, lesson plans and resources. Today, this wiki has become a wealth of resources, a different, unique and probably most accessible and efficient way for teachers to share the concepts they have created with other teachers from across the district, the state, and even worldwide. Therefore, teachers from a variety of different schools join to participate, help each other and consult this digitized resource for ideas when planning their classes. This collaborative Wiki has had such an impact on some teachers that workbooks have almost become an antiquity.
I agree that this project is a highly motivating and pertinent one and undoubtedly has a positive impact both on teachers and students. I particularly liked the fact that many of Paul Sze's ideas for future wiki projects were put into practice through this one Wiki. For instance, the participants' ''work can be read by anyone''. Moreover, this Wiki includes numerous ''joint writing projects involving different classes and schools'' and ''writing projects involving schools from different school districts or countries
Moreover, the Wiki was created in parallel with Kovacic, Bubas and Zlatovic's research and suggestions. For instance, it facilitates the ''links to external sources'', ''the online collaboration'' as well as create ''an opportunity for the constructivist design of problem-based learning activities, and supports social networks of learners''. Indeed, teachers, when posting on the wikis or reading them, must make use of their critical thinking as to what to use in class and how to modify, improve or adapt the lesson plans or ideas to their teaching style and students' needs.
Nice post Lydia. You hav made quite an interesting link with the theory we have read in our notes (Sze and Kovacic, Bubas and Zlatovic). I would also like to add that I also feel that teachers must make use of their critical thinking when posting or reading a class wiki. It is only by doing so that they will be able to select the proper material, and adapt their LESs according to the students' needs. No two groups or two individual are alike and it is important that teachers take a few minutes of their time and verify it everthing is going according to plan.
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