Comments on: Should Wikipedia be in your Classroom?

By: lnettels

lnettels — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:09:10 +0000

Being a technology pioneer, I see nothing wrong with using wikipedia. I would definitely not ban it in my classroom. In fact, I use it to look up answers to questions that I do not know all of the time in class! Because so many people are constantly checking, updating, and verifying the information that is put up on wikipedia, I see nothing wrong with students using it as a starting point for their research, Of course, since I teach history I would never allow students to use it as their only source of information. You want them to have multiple sources in order to substantiate the claims that they make. You also want to teach them how to research; nonetheless, I see nothing wrong with them using it as a starting point for research.

By: angw1068

angw1068 — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:02:06 +0000

I do not think wikipedia should be banned at all. However, I do think you should monitor students use. I also believe that just like anything else this should not be the end all, be all resource. Many times for my second graders wikipedia is not the resource that is helpful for them. They need something a little more on their level. I am definitely a wikipedia fan and think its a great classroom resource.

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By: mrpayne

mrpayne — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:39:59 +0000

I am a Wikipedia fan. I love the fact that you can find information on almost anything. In term on whether it should be used by students, I feel that the use of Wikipedia is ideal for a lesson of double-checking your information and filtering facts from falsities and finding the truth. Some students today believe everything they read or hear without crosschecking their facts. Teaching them lessons on finding new information and checking the new information with multiple other sources is good research. As a society we are slowly moving away from the nightly news for our source of world information. Younger generations are finding new sources like the Internet to help form their opinions. As educator it is our job to teach them how to seek the whole truth not just the first bit of information they find on the subject. Wikipedia give educator a platform in which to catapult truth-seeking research.

By: kgranfield

kgranfield — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:55:26 +0000

I don’t think wikipedia should be banned.

I do agree that all the information is not correct and it should not be used as a primary source; though I am sure that wikipedia is making those same claims.

I agree with Anderson is stating the students “need better instruction and tools to guide their research.” This is completely true. It is up to us as educators to share where to go to find valid information and where to go to find other information that you are able to share and is interactive, such as wikipedia.

Going through high school myself, research was always confusing to me and the whle idea of plagiarism. I feel as though it was never really explained that well to me so I went with what I thought was right. I believe kids are confused today and doing the same thing, which may include going to wikipedia as a primary source.

Blocking the site is not the answer however, it is teaching where to go to find the valid information. Lastly, to quote Richardson, “errors are everywhere.” Any tpe of media we see, hear, etc., may have errors, such as the tv, newspapers, and the Internet. If we start by blocking wikipedia, where does that lead to next?

By: isurewould

isurewould — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:10:47 +0000

To Wiki or Not to Wiki…

I love Wikipedia and I think it is an excellent source for student work. I am not saying it should be the sole source for research, but it is a great starting point for research on a multitude of topics.

The reasons I like Wikipedia for schools is:

1.) It is peer reviewed for accuracy and bias on a continual basis.

2.) It is available in dozens of languages, including simple English.pl[[p

3.) Most substantial Wikipedia articles have shortcomings flagged and identified, as well as a list of sources at the bottom.

4.) Any source in the world including newspapers, magazines, books, and websites can be flawed and biased. Many are not subject to revision, fact-checking, or critical peer review.

By: cassie5150

cassie5150 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:19:40 +0000

Yes, I do think Wikipedia should be allowed in the classroom. However, it should be treated like any other internet source. An extensive conversation should be made with students about the pros, cons, and nature of a wiki. I tell my students about how there used to be an entry for World War III on Wikipedia — does that mean it’s factual?
Wikipedia should not be treated as if it is the final word on anything. If students are doing a research project, they would need to have more than one resource anyway, so I would not mind if Wikipedia happened to be one of them.

By: Mrs. C

Mrs. C — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:14:26 +0000

This is a very interesting topic. I read a lot of different points of views on this topic and feel that as long as Wikipedia is used as a secondary source of information, it should be used. My district blocks Wikipedia, and it bothers me. I like to use it! I find a lot of interesting information on Wikipedia.

Most teachers require primary sources for research, but there’s nothing wrong with having a secondary source. It’s important to teach students about resources and how to authenticate them. I think Wikipedia is blocked in our district because they are worried it contains information about too many topics (some explicit and inappropriate), not necessarily because the information it contains is incorrect. I think that students should be able to Wikipedia it if they are monitored and given the parameters.

By: hbeezley

hbeezley — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:02:24 +0000

I agree with everyone on the post that we shouldn’t be afraid of wikipedia. It is a great place to start your research. Usually there are great links to the “source” at the bottom of an entry.

What I always find incredible is the desire for control over the Internet. We don’t worry about censoring what students say at school to each other, what they draw on their paper, or what contraband books are brought to school. Suddenly when the possibility for an unauthorized opinion or image is being brought via cyberspace there is a desire to lock it down and block it out. I agree that the best strategy for anything related to the Internet (not just wikipedia) is to enlighten students about how to be safe and conscientious cyber-citizens.

By: imriek

imriek — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:01:43 +0000

Wikipedias- “To be or not to be, that is the question!”

The jury is still out on wikipedias. I love the ability to collaborate with others, sharing ideas and gaining inspiration and ideas form colleagues. But I don’t like the idea of someone else editing an idea that may be near and dear to me. And I love the idea of allowing students to share their wild and crazy thoughts about a problem, but I don’t want a child to be destroyed when someone else doesn’t agree with their ideas.
For now, I will teach our educators how to use them and rally the troupes around the flagpole. But I will also make sure that those same educators take the time to share the existence of wikis and their purpose with their students.

One of the most useful ways to use a wikipedia is to have learners compare information from a wikipedia site against an established research site. Teachers can stress the use of the Big 5 and information literacy techniques to point out the importance of accuracy, relevance and bias in reporting.

I will put them to use in my District as an effective collaboration tool and I will teach my colleagues and students their benefits and shortcomings. Great practical potential and misuse, but worth taking the risk!

By: gjedtech

gjedtech — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:58:37 +0000

Wikipedia isn’t going away anytime soon. And I know that anytime something is banned, not only does that make people who already engage in whatever is banned find new, covert ways to engage in said banned activity, it also encourages curious others to find out what all the fuss is about – thus engaging more people. The academic justifications for not allowing its use are not very valid to me. Most of what I have read are academics saying that Wikipedia shouldn’t be used as a primary or sole source of information – that students who rely on it for the bulk of their ‘research’ won’t get credit. No big deal….Teach them to use more than one source. EXPECT them to use more than one source.

On the flipside, I can guess that textbooks and more ’scholarly’ printed material has most likely contained factual errors throughout the last several centuries.
Here is one example: http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/controversy_bias_in_textbook.html

I say let Wikipedia be used. Use if for instruction. Find EXAMPLES of inaccurate or distorted or biased information and TEACH from it. Teach the kids how to rectify inaccuracies. Help them actively learn. I could use some remediation on that, too!