Wikis in the classroom

    Here I am with a new idea that will be pretty useful in the classroom. Have you ever thought that you can benefit from Wikis for educational purposes? You may not be familiar with using Wikis so I will give a brief information about using Wikis in the classroom.

What is Wiki?

'' Wiki is an online application that allows users to contribute to or edit its content. Meaning “quick” in the Hawaiian language, wiki is a creative and open environment where everyone has a voice. The significance of wiki lies in the fact that there is no assigned “leader” or “head writer” ''
                                                                                                                ~elearningindustry~

    

        Web sites known as wikis have emerged as a cheap and easy way to do it. Providing an online environment for students typically involved creating a Web site, registering a domain, building pages and a lot of other fairly technical stuff. Fortunately, wikis allow anyone—from individuals to classrooms to entire schools—to have the equivalent, without the technical hassle. Wikis also are completely editable by anyone. They were designed to be an online forum, where someone could post a piece of information, and others would then edit it, or add to it. This dynamic is perfect in a classroom setting. Unfettered access means students can be involved in a project or lesson any time of day, from literally anywhere in the world.

                                                                                                            ~educationworld~

After giving you a brief information about Wikis, I want to talk about my own experience with Wiki. This week our teacher gave us a task for creating our own Wiki page for writing a book review. I chose a book that I read for my English Literature course in the high school, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte. For my Wiki page, I collected the information I need for introducing the book and I read the comments and other reviews about the book to get and idea. Than I wrote the reason why I chose this book. The book was made into a movie so I gave the trailer of the movie to make the readers more curious about the book. Actually, as a person who likes writing and reading, it was really fun for me to create a page like this because I noticed that by searching for the information to write the review,  I learnt a lot about the writer and Victorian time, the understanding of life in that time. That is, you not only gain writing and reading skills but also it gives you the chance for expressing your ideas about a subject, story etc. and critical thinking that is quite important in learning and teaching. Maybe it may comes as a torture at the beginning for the ones doesn't like reading and also we can't say that all the things we share in the Wikis are completely reliable, but it's hands down that it's a good way for broaden your horizon and gain a critical comprehension.

Here is my example for you! Enjoy reading,  I hope you like it!

https://ourfavouritebooks.wikispaces.com/Jane+Eyre