Thing 8-Wikis

  I am really learning a lot of new things from this class. I have heard a lot about Wiki's but never took the time to really stop and figure out ways to use them.  I enjoyed looking through the wikis in the discovery lesson.   I was excited to see all of the different uses for the wikis. I looked through a wiki called Kindergarten Counting  where the teacher was trying to make a virtual counting book to 100.  I also glanced through a wiki called Primary Math where students and teachers from all over the world were contributing to ideas about teaching and reinforcing number concepts. There are several classes involved in updating this wiki. I think it would be exciting as a class to add information to this wiki as well and see what the other classes came up with. I think the students would be enjoying creating information for this wiki and not even realize they are learning in the process.  The third wiki I glanced through was a wiki for older students. It was from an eleventh grade class.  The teacher used this wiki to extend topics from the classroom  and offered things like a class calendar, instructions for homework and projects and a place for class discussion.  I think this is a great way to keep the students in touch with what is going on in the classroom. It is also a very good way to keep parents up on what their child needs to be working on at home. 
STRETCH:  All of this information on Wikis made me stop and try to think of a way that I can incorporate a wiki  in my class.  I teach MTA so I think it would be very beneficial to set up a wiki with websites with information on dyslexia as well as a comment board where parents and students can discuss the challenges of being dyslexic and success stories on overcoming dyslexia.