There has been a big push recently education towards project based learning. Students are given a project to complete and are given near free reign to accomplish their goal. The can work individually or cooperatively and the teacher is there merely to guide them. The student becomes in charge of their own learning and education.
A piece of free software that I find meets this criteria perfectly is called a wiki. A wiki "is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor" (Wikipedia 2011). What this means simply is that a wiki is a webpage that users can edit easily. The wiki is usually divided into categories and is easily searchable. This could be applied in a number of ways in the classroom. Take history for example. The teacher divides the class into groups. He or she then assigns the students a project on one battle of the Texas Revolution. One their portion is done, they must visit the other groups page and check for errors. Any errors are corrected and the changes are tracked for the teacher to see. The students are teaching themselves. Below is a real world example of a wiki being used in the classroom.
If you'd like more information on building a wiki for your class, please watch this:
YouTube (2009). How to Build An Educational Wiki. Available from: http://youtu.be/7q90qzQnfsI
YouTube (2009). Using Wikis in the Classroom. Available from: http://youtu.be/1pR5yogCmkA
Wiki. In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
As you state, this method is being used in many different disciplines though initially it was thought of only as applicable to the sciences. Project Based Learning is student-centered and an active learning exercise that involves strategic planning and application normally within a timeframe defined by its originator. In other words, a Project Based Learning exercise begins with the end in mind. 4teachers.org has a handy project based learning checklist that assist teachers in creating and evaluating projects for their students that is grade-level specific.
ReplyDeleteProject Based Learning Checklists. (n.d.). Project Based Learning Checklists. Retrieved October 24, 2011, from http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/checklist
I have not yet used wiki with my students, but I'm hoping to get there. I think it can be a really great tool! I think this is they type of technology that our students need to get used to, because it isn't going away any time soon. Our students need a way to express themselves, and using wiki can do that.
ReplyDeleteI found a really funny video about wikis that I just had to share. I've used this in some of my trainings. It is RIGHT ON!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdOKUeT0O-o&feature=related
Great blog!
Alwaygolf. (2007). Teaching with WIKI. [Web based] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdOKUeT0O-o&feature=related.