Week #6 - Wikis and Virtual Field Trips

Before this week, I didn't realize that Wikipedia was a "wiki." I just thought "Wikipedia" was a weird name for that particular website. I didn't understand that "wiki" was the term given to online encyclopedias. The concept of having my class create their own wiki would probably never have come to me. I'm so glad that we are able to learn from others and that others are willing to share their knowledge. We are so lucky. One teacher called her class's wiki "authentic learning." The project allowed her students to find the way in which they (individually) learned best and empowered them to display their knowledge in a way that they felt most comfortable. I like that some teachers are finally getting over the idea that there is only one way to learn and one acceptable way of showing that you grasp the material. Virtual field are an excellent way for students to experience other places and cultures. It allows students to take field trips that they may otherwise not be able to due to budgetary constraints, safety concerns, etc. Some virtual field trip sites do a great job of making the field trip interactive so that the learning can be more personal for the student. What a wonderful idea!