The project did not get implemented originally as planned. Originally, I had wanted to have all of my literature circle groups using a wiki to collaborate on the summaries of the books each group was reading. Due to scheduling and availability of computers for student use, I had only a few groups work on their summaries using a wiki. At first I was going to use Wikispaces, but I encountered technical difficulties and a slow time in response from the help desk. So, I switched to PBworks and was pleased how user friendly it was.
I had chosen this project because I thought that using a wiki could replace just using a pencil and paper recording as a means for groups to create their summaries. I thought it would be engaging and something new and exciting for students to work on. I also liked that I could view the page history and check the revisions that students incorporated. In terms of evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice, the students were enthused about using a wiki, a new technology, and they were able to collaborate to work on summaries of the novels.
How I would approach another project of this type differently given what I've learned here is an excellent question. I feel that I was rushed with the time for this project. I was trying to apply using a tool in the classroom that I wasn't familiar enough with, so that I could immediately use it for another new thing that I was doing for the first time, literature circles. I was excited that there was a practical use for the wicked problem project that I could apply to something new that I was launching in the classroom, literature circles.
Lessons that I learned that others might benefit from include making sure that you have adequate access to computers, provide yourself with ample time to model for your students expectations and introduce them to the wikis and purpose for using a wiki.
I do plan on doing the same project again, but with some changes. First of all, I will already have a group of students familiar with using a wiki. Also, all of my students are going to be reading the novel Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. The first go around of my literature circles, I had a choice of eight different novels that I then placed students into groups based on their first, second, and third choice. Students were at different places in their novels and it just seemed like too many new things I was trying to do at once. Now that we have all experienced a go around with literature circles, are more familiar with what is expected of their summaries, it will be easier to incorporate a wiki.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for an application of technology to make an already very good teaching technique even better! I loved having literature circles when I taught 5th grade...but I know exactly what you are talking about when you say the summary writing becomes "tedious" to students, yet it is such an important part of the lesson.
The point you make about the wiki making the content in your problem more intellectually accessible makes so much sense. Using the wiki for this application is genius. I think students may actually contribute more because my classroom poll told me that students feel they write better when using technology and they feel they work harder when they get to write using technology.
I created a classroom wiki in wikispaces but have only used it to give my students links to web pages I want them to have easy access to. I didn’t know you have to provide email addresses for student accounts. This would be a problem for me also. When I sent the wikispaces help desk a question, it took them 3 days to respond to me. This slow response time is definitely another disadvantage with that site. I’m glad you found PBWorks to use in its place.
The only question I really come up with after reading your summary and findings is, “Do you have any plans or ideas for incorporating the wiki in other aspects of the literature circle projects in addition to summary writng?” For example, do the students have roles such as illustrator, vocab enricher, connector, etc. and could you see the wiki being incorporated with these roles?
Terrific project Heather!
Dawn
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI can totally sympathize with tech issues interfering with time commitments. Sorry to hear about your frustrations:o( Have you thought about the possibility of using Edmodo to host student discussions and summaries. Students could even take on the role of characters in the book, then post and reply to each other on Edmodo. Posting on the wall as the novel character could take student centered technology integration to the next level by allowing the students to interact with each other as that person while engaged in an online social networking environment.
Best,
Kevin