Thing # 16

I have used wikis for a variety of things – Cub Scouts, Committees, Church groups…Always the impetus for using them has been to avoid the long and never ending and recycling of e-mail chains. Not only are these e-chains irritating at best, they are extremely inefficient when collaboration is the goal. However, even though the purported truth is that if you can use a word processing program you (should be able) can use a wiki, there are invariably those that just can’t get it! Through this Library2Play exercise I have been wondering what to use for my class. Initially, I wanted to use a wiki – I like PBWorks the best – because I wanted the ability to have students see ALL the additions AND to allow the ability to create their own pages. As I have posted a number of different types of “Things” now to my Blogger blog without a hitch, I am thinking that will be the platform of choice. I think the added bonus will be the access to Google Apps for the students. I certainly have no objection to students creating their own and inviting me to join. The best way to realize this will be for teacher groups – grade levels, etc. to use these as way to not only transmit information, but to have pre-discussion discussions – might save some precious face time.