Comments on: Wikipedia and my district http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/ Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Misovec http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-905 Michael Misovec Mon, 30 Oct 2006 14:55:57 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-905 Helping Students Education Corp. is a secure wiki and allows teachers to customize their own groups and wiki pages. www.helpingstudents.org Helping Students Education Corp. is a secure wiki and allows teachers to customize their own groups and wiki pages.

http://www.helpingstudents.org

]]> By: Vicki Davis http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-860 Vicki Davis Sun, 29 Oct 2006 13:19:57 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-860 We have to remember that our purpose is to create students who will succeed in the real world. If we attempt to sanitize the real world and filter out innaccurate information, students will emerge without real information literacy skills. It is vital that students have information literacy skills. It is not a topic for librarians any more. Ask the teacher who has child bring in a report and used one Internet source and you'll know that kids need to understand how to filter through information. I think that ivory tower academicians want to keep control of knowledge and restrict students to just textbooks. This is not happening anymore because kids are using their computers at home. So, I teach my students that it is fine to use wikipedia, google definitions, encyclopedias, books, etc. but it is their job to synthesize and summarize the general consensus of knowledge that emerges from such an investigation. It is not about the source but the process of reviewing sources! Anyone who thinks otherwise misses the point of education. We are an information society not an industrial society. We don't need to know how to mindlessly follow one set of instructions in one book. We need to know how to review all of the information and produce summaries of that information and contribute to the discussions. The world has changed but many educators are fighting it tooth and nail. Good for you for speaking out on this important issue. We have to remember that our purpose is to create students who will succeed in the real world. If we attempt to sanitize the real world and filter out innaccurate information, students will emerge without real information literacy skills.

It is vital that students have information literacy skills. It is not a topic for librarians any more. Ask the teacher who has child bring in a report and used one Internet source and you’ll know that kids need to understand how to filter through information.

I think that ivory tower academicians want to keep control of knowledge and restrict students to just textbooks. This is not happening anymore because kids are using their computers at home.

So, I teach my students that it is fine to use wikipedia, google definitions, encyclopedias, books, etc. but it is their job to synthesize and summarize the general consensus of knowledge that emerges from such an investigation.

It is not about the source but the process of reviewing sources! Anyone who thinks otherwise misses the point of education.

We are an information society not an industrial society. We don’t need to know how to mindlessly follow one set of instructions in one book. We need to know how to review all of the information and produce summaries of that information and contribute to the discussions.

The world has changed but many educators are fighting it tooth and nail.

Good for you for speaking out on this important issue.

]]> By: James Gates http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-448 James Gates Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:25:08 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-448 You both should watch this video by Jimmy Wales, founder of wikipedia:http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=j_wales I think you'll both come away with a new appreciation for it. You both should watch this video by Jimmy Wales, founder of wikipedia:http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=j_wales

I think you’ll both come away with a new appreciation for it.

]]> By: Kevin J http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-395 Kevin J Thu, 12 Oct 2006 02:44:21 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-395 From: http://bl-ids-website.ads.iu.edu/news/story.php?id=37478 In an unscientific survey of 222 IU faculty members conducted by the Indiana Daily Student, 44 percent of faculty members said that even if they have issues with the Web site, they at least allow students to cite Wikipedia articles in work they turn in, compared to 35 percent who expressly disallow it. From: http://bl-ids-website.ads.iu.edu/news/story.php?id=37478

In an unscientific survey of 222 IU faculty members conducted by the Indiana Daily Student, 44 percent of faculty members said that even if they have issues with the Web site, they at least allow students to cite Wikipedia articles in work they turn in, compared to 35 percent who expressly disallow it.

]]> By: Kevin J http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-394 Kevin J Thu, 12 Oct 2006 02:35:51 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-394 Chris, I am wondering if you are trying to get your peers to accept Wikipedia as a legitimate reference source or just simply opening the door for the students to explore alternate sources of information? Obviously, the former will be more difficult than the latter. We have had this same debate internally where I work as we are frequently in need of legitimate and citable resources. Most in the office (70% of them are English majors and two former English teachers) tend to shy away from Wikipedia for the same reasons already mentioned. Wikipedia is still several years away from being accepted as a "legitimate" resource due to it's age for one and the lack of accountability for two. Anyone who uses Wikipedia knows that it is very timely information and covers some (if not most) topics better than its' subscription counterparts. For those that don't use it and don't trust it, you are not likely to dissuade them so easily. The better question to find an answer for may be "What percentage of college professors accept Wikipedia citations as a legitimate reference?" Answer that question and you are much more likely to win over converts at the middle and high school levels. Good luck though and I commend your efforts! :) Chris,
I am wondering if you are trying to get your peers to accept Wikipedia as a legitimate reference source or just simply opening the door for the students to explore alternate sources of information? Obviously, the former will be more difficult than the latter. We have had this same debate internally where I work as we are frequently in need of legitimate and citable resources. Most in the office (70% of them are English majors and two former English teachers) tend to shy away from Wikipedia for the same reasons already mentioned. Wikipedia is still several years away from being accepted as a “legitimate” resource due to it’s age for one and the lack of accountability for two. Anyone who uses Wikipedia knows that it is very timely information and covers some (if not most) topics better than its’ subscription counterparts. For those that don’t use it and don’t trust it, you are not likely to dissuade them so easily. The better question to find an answer for may be “What percentage of college professors accept Wikipedia citations as a legitimate reference?” Answer that question and you are much more likely to win over converts at the middle and high school levels. Good luck though and I commend your efforts! :)

]]> By: mscofino » Blog Archive » Wiki Wonderland http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-392 mscofino » Blog Archive » Wiki Wonderland Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:15:56 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-392 [...] This got me thinking about something else… I remembered reading Vicki Davis’ post a few weeks ago about the effect that Wikipedia will have on textbooks given the rapid pace of technological and scientific change we are experiencing. I remember thinking that was a very interesting idea. And really, how can textbook authors, editors, publishers and manufacturers keep up with these developments? And today, I found David Warlick’s 2 Cents, and Christopher Craft’s post about the same topic which reminded me of the original post. And then I remembered something else interesting: Many of you may not know, but we in Malaysia (and Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia) experience something called “the haze” annually (during the dry season) due to slash and burn agriculture on Sumatra. [...] [...] This got me thinking about something else… I remembered reading Vicki Davis’ post a few weeks ago about the effect that Wikipedia will have on textbooks given the rapid pace of technological and scientific change we are experiencing. I remember thinking that was a very interesting idea. And really, how can textbook authors, editors, publishers and manufacturers keep up with these developments? And today, I found David Warlick’s 2 Cents, and Christopher Craft’s post about the same topic which reminded me of the original post. And then I remembered something else interesting: Many of you may not know, but we in Malaysia (and Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia) experience something called “the haze” annually (during the dry season) due to slash and burn agriculture on Sumatra. [...]

]]> By: DougHolton http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-389 DougHolton Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:50:08 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-389 I guess I should post my own opinion. I haven't really given it a lot of thought. I think wikipedia is great, and should be used by students (pre-high school, after that, just as an informal information source). But I also think this debate is a bit inconsequential. It's like most political arguments, which are usually about things that don't matter the most (gay marriage? estate taxes?). It would be an important debate if students were not using wikipedia. Then debating it would be important to getting more teachers and parents to encourage its use. But students are already using wikipedia. They are going to use it (just like cliff notes), whether we tell them to or not. p.s. Great blog, glad I ran across it. I guess I should post my own opinion. I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I think wikipedia is great, and should be used by students (pre-high school, after that, just as an informal information source).

But I also think this debate is a bit inconsequential. It’s like most political arguments, which are usually about things that don’t matter the most (gay marriage? estate taxes?). It would be an important debate if students were not using wikipedia. Then debating it would be important to getting more teachers and parents to encourage its use. But students are already using wikipedia. They are going to use it (just like cliff notes), whether we tell them to or not.

p.s. Great blog, glad I ran across it.

]]> By: DougHolton http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-388 DougHolton Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:44:26 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-388 Perhaps someone can put up a wiki page summarizing all these arguments concerning wikipedia in education. There was this earlier summary here: http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/2006/07/wikipedia_in_the_classroom_con.html Perhaps someone can put up a wiki page summarizing all these arguments concerning wikipedia in education. There was this earlier summary here:
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/learning.now/2006/07/wikipedia_in_the_classroom_con.html

]]> By: The Tech Savvy Educator » Blog Archive » I disagree, Mr. Warlick http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-382 The Tech Savvy Educator » Blog Archive » I disagree, Mr. Warlick Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:40:52 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-382 [...] I have written what many in the ed tech community might consider to be obscene. In my finite and minuscule wisdom I have openly disagreed with Mr. David Warlick (one of the leading authorities on ed tech) on the issue of using Wikipedia as a legitimate primary or lead source when using the Internet for research. It happened before I even had a chance to really consider whether or not I should make such a hasty statement, but before I could bridle my youthful passion, my fingers has typed up a quick comment praising Wikipedia for it’s open-editing process over at Christopher Craft’s “Open Source” Blog, even going so far as to compare the resources being developed on Wikipedia to Howard Zinn’s ?A People’s History of the U.S.? [...] [...] I have written what many in the ed tech community might consider to be obscene. In my finite and minuscule wisdom I have openly disagreed with Mr. David Warlick (one of the leading authorities on ed tech) on the issue of using Wikipedia as a legitimate primary or lead source when using the Internet for research. It happened before I even had a chance to really consider whether or not I should make such a hasty statement, but before I could bridle my youthful passion, my fingers has typed up a quick comment praising Wikipedia for it’s open-editing process over at Christopher Craft’s “Open Source” Blog, even going so far as to compare the resources being developed on Wikipedia to Howard Zinn’s ?A People’s History of the U.S.? [...]

]]> By: Ben http://www.crucialthought.com/2006/10/10/wikipedia-and-my-district/comment-page-1/#comment-381 Ben Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:27:27 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=51#comment-381 Right you are Tom. Perhaps we should have been saying "lead source". It's interesting to note however, that you linked your primary source definition to Wikipedia and not a more traditional resource :) Right you are Tom. Perhaps we should have been saying “lead source”. It’s interesting to note however, that you linked your primary source definition to Wikipedia and not a more traditional resource :)

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