This post is about wikis or wookies (I was asked the question what is a wookie on Friday by a member of staff, it was only after my explanation that I realised they were referring to the school's wiki)
As an off-shoot of implementing google docs, I created school wikis about 6 months ago. The affordances of wikis are apparent for me:I have used them extensively at Manchester and for me they just make sense as a learning tool.
I set them up as both a repository for learning materials but also as a space for sharing advice and tips- creating a pool of shared experience and knowledge.
No-one is using them! No-one is looking at them!
I have reminded people weekly about the wikis, I have talked individually with teachers about how to upload materials and edit and add comments. I have given workshops on how to incorporate them into self-development but nothing has changed. It is only yours truly who is adding materials. I am not sure why! I am going to reflect more and post on this. In the meantime, I would be interested to know if anyone has had similar experiences, or if anyone would like to comment on the use of wikis in teacher development.
Hi Martin,
ReplyDeleteI hear your cry of frustration!! I also tried to set up a 'professional development' wiki for teachers at my school last summer. Using pbworks, I set up a few sample pages of what it could look like and spread the word.
My idea was similar to yours - a place for people to share resources and lesson ideas as well as advice and tips. I also thought it would be a great way to get people using pbworks as the 4th and 5th grades at my school are supposed to have class wikis but the attitude had always been to 'delegate' management of the wiki pages to one or two teachers.
In the end, it flopped big time because, as you have found, nobody was using it! Most people would log on after first setting up their account but never return. One teacher set up a page but got put off by lack of reaction. Other teachers admitted to starting to ignore email notificaitons of updates - some even got annoyed with me due to the number of emails coming!! (About 1 or 2 a day...)
I guess there was just no incentive for teachers to use it. The class wikis are in all honesty 'just for show' because other schools in the area have them but nobody is really bothered. As long as the students perform well in their gap-fill exams, all is well.
I could go on but... I think that would take a whole post of ranting on my blog!
Hi Martin
ReplyDeleteYes, I have a similar story. I have set up a Teacher's site on our Blackboard VLE to try and set up a community of learning and offer support in using technology and to share ideas. An introductory workshop meant there was some initial activity but I have to say minimal participation so far!
I also set up a blog for my CELTA courses last March, hoping that former trainees would keep in touch on the blog. No luck as yet! However, I'm teaching another CELTA course now and have put the course on Blackboard so maybe they will become bloggers. I'm thinking of making a new account on Twitter and linking it to my CELTA blog. Sometimes I wonder why am I doing all this but hopefully it will all take off eventually! I remain ever enthusiastic ...
Incentive is an interesting word Dave.
ReplyDeleteI have thought about this and maybe even implementing some remuneration for posts or finding materials to share on the Wiki.
I also thought about assigning the task of finding / checking content to senior teachers. I also thought about having a "Guest" contributor where one teacher is responsible for looking over the Wikis and maybe emailing our other teachers with their findings.
I wonder though if this goes against the grain of community of learning, constructivism. If I request somebody to do something they wouldn't or coerce them in to doing it for a financial reward does that in any way cheapen or detract from the experience? I think it might. Your comment on just for show is interesting, and I remember similar themes coming up with your situation in Turkey. When Education and Business collide, eh?!?!?!
Fiona. Thanks for your response- this sesne of I wonder why I am doing this is one that I can appreciate. A collaborative medium completed by one person doesn't feel fair. David has mentioned the benefits of linking Twitter to blogs and I can readily see the benefits of that.
Why do you think you had minimal uptake with your recent batch of CELTA trainees? Have they gone onto places where Internet connection is not so stable as the UK?
Have been thinking about this a bit more and I think one of the reasons my previous blogs never lasted the distance was because I was using the wikis for mt own rambling reflections and as a space to clear my thoughts.
ReplyDelete