Reflection on Wikispaces

I have read a few articles about wikis and have realized that wikis can be very useful in an educational setting. Wikis may have some down falls but as long as the members are knowledgeable and create a space that is safe and educational, there should be no problems. I believe that in the classroom the teacher and the students can produce a wikispace where they as a class can collaborate, about ideas, homework, test related questions, outside the classroom. But from what I learned from Michelle R. Davis in Wiki Wisdom: Lessons for Educators, I would make sure that the teacher and the students are the only ones who can edit the wiki but I would allow the public to see the wikispace. As a class we can regulate what is being put onto our wiki but allowing the whole world to see provides the class with a stage to show what they are learning.

The website http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/wikiideas1.cfm titled Wiki Ideas for the Classroom gave many ideas but I looked specifically at the math section because that is the subject of interest to me. The main point here was that math teachers should use a wiki in order for the students to collaborate on math problems outside the classroom. I think this is a great idea. I know from experience that some math problems can be very difficult to do but what I do find helpful is talking and discussing my ideas with other people. When ideas from different people come together usually a solution is in there somewhere. A wiki is a good place for students to go to share ideas and formulate responses. At times it is hard to get a group of people together because of everyone’s busy schedules but with a wiki people can go on at their own time and contribute or see what is up there to comment on.