I hear frequently about many of the debates over use of technologies such as Wikipedia and blogging in the classroom - or, in some instances, the problem of academics keeping personal blogs, for example.
What are your feelings on Wikipedia and blogging?
I've been a blogger in one shape or another for nearly ten years. I've seen people come and go in the blogosphere, and have seen people get into trouble for things they've posted and how those posts cause issues with friends, family or work (ever hear the term "dooced", aka Heather Armstrong's little issue)?
Personally, I'm all for blogging, and I figure that eventually The Powers That Be will eventually be replaced by my generation, or at least those who have a better understanding of technology and how to fit it in to traditional society.
Wikipedia, though, is another bag. Wikis in general fascinate me, but Wikipedia's become a mixed bag. Recently, a college in Vermont banned Wikipedia as a source in student papers, for example. This semester, I had a student cite Wikipedia MULTIPLE times in a paper - when every single source the student took from Wikipedia was something that could be verified through alternate course materials.
I think Wikipedia is a great example of why students need guidance when it comes to technology - and why "teh internets" should slow down and THINK before they post. (Can we ban stupid people from the Internet?)
In short (haha): I think it's important to consider the debates over technology, your own use of technology, and the role of technology in the classroom. Just because *I* love technology doesn't mean that my department chair or supervising professor will appreciate how I use it - so, like our Fearless Leaders have said themselves, I'm a firm believer in using technology only when it will truly enhance the course content.
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2 comments:
Tanya, this is an important thing to think about. In my field people are generally energized about the ways technology can enhance learning, so I have not encountered much resistance from The Powers. But I bet there is a good bit of resistance and skepticism out there. Also, I think if we are having our students do things that are public beyond our university, we need to consider if/how that might reflect on the university.
Also, I think you lead us to a key point, which is that we need to have a clear and ready argument for the pedagogical purposes of any technology we use.
Wikipedia addresses its own academic use on the site in some pretty interesting ways. How many other secondary sources have this kind of meta-conversation?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Researching_with_Wikipedia
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