Wikispaces classroom is an online educational tool used by
thousands of teachers and students. Educators and students are able to easily
and effectively communicate with each other whilst interacting in collaborative
learning or completing tasks on their own. Wikispaces classroom, allows for
information and tasks to be easily accessed. Teachers, when it comes to Wikispaces
are the main creators of information that they wish for their students to view;
documents and other academic materials are placed in Wiki for students viewing.
Although, the teacher technically is the author of said documents, Wiki, can be
used in a way that fosters student engagement. Students are able to incorporate
their answers into Wikispaces as long as they have permissions to access such
materials. This can be done on the teachers account by creating one particular
wiki for all students to access or allowing students to create their own. With
this being said there can be both positives and negatives in relation to students
forming their own Wikis. The incorporation of customising wiki pages by creating
colours and themes can be a time consuming tasks, however due to the nature of
Wikispaces be accessible outside of school time this could easily be set as
homework.
The greatest benefit
for teachers in relation to Wikispaces classroom is that the educator is able
to monitor student engagement in the course materials and tasks provided. This
therefor links to the benefit of teachers easily identifying where students may
be struggling and then adapting teaching styles to accommodate particular
student needs. As an educator, Wikispaces, is quite easy to set up and operate,
there are numerous guides and videos which demonstrate ways to easily
incorporate required material. In conjunction, Wiki is a technology teaching
tool that allows and encourages collaborative learning, sharing of group and
individual ideas and perspectives; ensuring that it is a tool for all to easily
use.
Personally, in my own classroom as a Home Economics teacher
I would use the Wikispaces classroom education tool on a regular basis. I would
form a practical cookery task where students are required to use Wiki. I as the
educator would embed the required documents or materials on the Wikispaces
classroom page where students are able to access them. In doing so students are
able to engage in lower level of thinking which relates directly to the
substitution level of the SAMR model and Blooms Taxonomy. As the learning
experiences moves further into the SAMR model level of Augmentation, this
specifically relates to the enhancement of students learning whilst still only
engaging in lower order thinking. Following the SAMR model we reach the third
level of modification. Wikispaces, allows for the transformation of set tasks,
where students are able to actively and collaboratively engage in material,
provide themselves with step by step instructions and engage in higher order thinking.
Finally, we come to the transformation section of the SAMR model, redefinition,
which allows for the recreation of set tasks. Students in the Home Economic
sector will greatly benefit from the use of Wikispaces in their classrooms as
they can be given a set task which they must modify and redefine the tasks that
they are given. Wiki, allows for this to be completed with the opportunity for
students to form their own tasks, evaluate others and consider ways in which
they could be improved or in other words using higher order thinking. With the incorporating
of Wikispaces into classrooms today it is clear that technology enhances
students learning. I personally believe that by providing my students with
various technologies to use my teaching practice will greatly expand as I will
learn as the students do. Wikispaces is an essential tool that allows for
students to be creative and collaborative with their learning whilst also
ensuring that they are engaging in critical higher order thinking.
Below are the links that I have located to help aid with my
knowledge and understanding of how Wikispaces classrooms work.
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