First and foremost I learned a lot about Wikipedia. I was not aware that it was so malleable. Upon learning that, I looked upon it as a foe. I teach younger grades in Special Education and they sincerely believe everything they see on the Internet to be true, They lack the critical thinking skills and the ability to draw their own conclusions as to whether the information is factual. If information was wild inaccurate, it is unlikely that they would possess the needed background knowledge to know it when using Wikipedi as a source. Given the limited amount of time in the day to actually conduct research, I would rather direct them to a few sites that are deemed credible and student friendly. It's also likely that many of my students could download information from Wikipedia and not fully understand the text due to their generally lower reading levels.
I could see myself teaching my students about the nature of Wikipedia and how they should not just gravitate towards it because it appears at the top after a search. The example given during the discussion today and in the book would be a good activity. After conducting research or reading a biography the information could be compared to a Wikipedia posting to see if anything is different or left out. In general though, I would probably just avoid Wikipedia. I don't have the time to investigate the information myself and only want to present my students with factual information. I liked the idea about directing the students to 2-3 appropriate sites for research.
Like you, I knew very little about Wikipedia. While I knew it was malleable, I didn't realize that anyone could add to/alter the information on it. I agree with you that in your role as a Special Education teacher of young children steering clear of Wikipedia is probably the best way to go. As I was reading I was surprised that I saw the potential for so many critical reading, research and writing assignments that could stem from using Wikipedia. I agree this would probably be best suited for older kids, but will educate my own kids about what Wikipedia is, its possible uses and its limitations as they get older.
ReplyDeleteI just typed this and I think I may have deleted it so I'm sorry if you get multiple replies. I'll now give you the abridged version. Wikipedia was the subject of our conversation at dinner last night. My 14 year old son knew it was malleable and never uses it as a primary source. He does use it to look up information quickly. The example he cited was past American Idol winners.
DeleteOK...so I apparently need more coffee! I forgot the question, sorry! Do you get the opportunity to do research with the students you teach? Do you work in different classrooms or see kids in a pull-out class?
ReplyDeleteNo problem. I see kids in a pull out model. I do have several computers and get to do some research but it is very limited. Writing is very difficult for them and it is generally better for them to write about things they know or have experienced. In this way I can focus on specific writing skills such as conventions, word choice, or sentence fluency.
DeleteI just replied to this but don't see it, so disregard if it came through on your end. Interesting to hear about your son's perspective and how he would use it and thanks for clarifying your role. Enjoyed discussing with you!
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