updated Wikiteach lesson

I have modified my wikiteach lesson

Using a digital microscope

it now includes a connection to flickr.

I'm happy to have students use flickr in the way that I propose, but I'm still looking for a more interactive use of flickr. Something where the students upload and search at the same time. Maybe I could have students search for similar image tags and compare what they have found.

Also, on an aside.

The Economist is hosting an Oxford-style debate on education. It should allow people to participate by voting for their point of choice and give their opinions. As the upcoming debate deals with education, you may want to visit to add your two cents (or whatever amount you care to add). Which reminds me that Radiohead is selling their most recent album online and you only pay what you feel it's worth.

Topic3

My lesson plan link…
http://www.wikiteach.org/index.php/wikiteach/action/lessonplan/iVar/242

I wanted to explore an area where I could create a private wiki. Out school District has blocked all wiki’s due to the social nature of these sites. J Although, everything is wonderful and worthy of educational merits, school boards in Ontario are potentially liable for allowing the freedom of speech on their networks. Currently, we are investigating private social networking products offered by epals.

If my lesson plan I wanted to find an appropriate wiki space and have it ready as part of the lesson; hence, I discovered wiki spaces that allows for private posting abilities, students could be added by a teacher through their current epals email addresses.
http://www.wikispaces.com

Template
http://autobiographylesson.wikispaces.com

Finally I thought you might want to look at a discussion board I found on assessing Web2.0 wikis from a university in Scotland…
http://ewds.strath.ac.uk/ConferenceSessions/Discussionfora/tabid/90/view/topics/forumid/25/Default.aspx

It was interesting to follow their discussions on the difficulty of marking collaborative work on wikis and their solutions.

Edit Wiki on Wikiteach – After visiting the link above I added the idea of a reflective journal as a great way to evaluate student learning and experiences of wiki’s.

http://www.wikiteach.org/index.php/Wikiteach/WikiteachWriteMgr/action/edit/iVar/228

Topic 3

This is actually a 3 draft of my lesson. I apparently copied the link before saving it so my previous link was blank. sorry. Live and learn. smile.
Caryl
Topic 3 Wiki Lesson

Jazz History, A Pictoral timeline

Please click on the above or below link to see my lesson plan about Jazz history and using Flickr to create a photo timeline.

http://www.wikiteach.org/index.php/wikiteach/action/lessonplan/iVar/222

Sylvia -- Continue the story

Wiki: Sylvia

Wow, I could not believe all the wikis available! I knew about Wikipedia, but did not realize there were so many others. Being a practical type person, I began to wonder if there were wikis for kids that I could utilize in my classroom. Children’s wikis are little harder to come by, and, as I am learning, other countries are tapping into the newer technologies for children. Thus, I came across three well-known wikis that are written in foreign languages – therefore, not usable in my classroom. At last, I discovered a wiki that allows children to add to a story. It is called “Sylvia” and it is a “choose your own path” story. Children contribute to the story based on certain instructions provided that helps them write the story collaboratively with others. I really appreciate the “choose your own path” feature of this wiki as I can envision students enjoying the creative process of story writing. Further, I like the fictional aspect of this wiki for young children who tend to lack the “expertise” needed for non-fiction wikis like encyclopedias. (While young students could participate in non-fiction writing, I can envision them being hesitate to do so. Fictional story writing is often a natural skill for many young students.) The one concern I had about this particular site is that I did not see any posts or edits. I am not sure if you would have to “join” the site in order to see what others have written, or if the site is just not being utilized. I did test out editing without joining and no problems.
Wiki: Sylvia
Teacher: Sally Tippett (creator)
School: Staffordshire LEA (UK)

By the way, I found this wiki link at Educational Wikis
There are several other wikis that you may be interested in looking at.

Topic3 Wiki Travel by Country

The travel site I visited would be great for language arts and social studies teachers. It is also a great site for my technology class since one of my interdisciplinary units requires students to gather information about a specific country. This site could be very helpful to students of all ages, even graduate students.

Using this site, students are able to access an abundance of information concerning any country. I will definitely reference this site for the unit plan I have developed titled Passport to the Eastern Hemisphere. It is a wonderful source of information!

To view my lesson plan created on Wikiteach.org, click the following link:
http://www.wikiteach.org/index.php/wikiteach/action/lessonplan/iVar/216

To view the lesson plan that I chose to edit, click the following link:
http://www.wikiteach.org/index.php/wikiteach/wikiteachmgr/action/historyitem/iVar/468

Thanks,
Tracy