11-Year-Olds Discover Wikis: Teacher "Could Cry…."
Saturday, 10 February 2007 Clay Burell 
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I blogged last month about the “21st Century Literacies Cadre” we formed at my school. Strictly voluntary by choice (who wants to butt heads with the unwilling?), the cadre consists of about 15 (out of a total faculty of 45 or so) K-12 teachers in my school who are now exploring how to implement new read/write web (web 2.0) tools in their classrooms.
It has not been easy. All praise to these teachers for not quitting after our first meeting, in which I apparently over-loaded everyone by trying to give an overview of the main tools–blogs, wikis, RSS feed readers, podcasting, and Diigo social bookmarking (which feeds to del.icio.us, but otherwise is superior–and check out their enhanced beta 2.0 release!)–in one two-hour swoop. It’s so easy for those of us who have (somewhat) found our feet with all of this to forget how disorienting it all was in the beginning!
But come back these teachers did, with only one exception.
Now, only three weeks later, I just want to share an email that popped up in my inbox on Friday. Its subject heading was, “…i could cry…”
I cannot thank you enough for [introducing wikis to] us all (mostly my students). I have jumped into the wiki blindfolded and these fifth graders have no fear! The work that they have entered on the wiki is fantastic… I am so so proud of them. And they left class today excited to do their homework… responding to literature! You should have a read on our 5th grade wikispace (Tuck Everlasting)… the learning that has happened is so much more evident than book work! Why is that?
Sincerely… thank you.Elated,
[Grade 5 teacher]
I share this for those of you needing evidence to entice the intimidated to give this a try. It’s only the beginning….
[I'm waiting for this teacher's permission to link to her class wiki here.]
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Tags: literacy, wiki Print This Post
No. 1 — February 10th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
When I read the teaser, I thought you might have been talking about me! We tried our first wiki a month or so and our 6th graders loved it. Even though I teach gifted kids, some hate to write! My favorite comment was ““Boy, I’m glad we didn’t have to write!” (hello….you just spent the whole day writing!!)You can see the full report on the wiki at http://anotsodifferentplace.blogspot.com
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No. 2 — February 11th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Clay,
I hope that your teacher does provide permission to view her Tuck Everlasting Wiki. Our fifth grade reads this book as well and it would be interesting to see if this project could develop a collaborative component as well. I am presenting this to our Lower School (grades jk – 5) teachers at an inservice this Friday (Feb 16) and this would be a great project to share with them.
I enjoyed hearing your commentary on the International/NextGen teachers podcast
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