Wikis...

I am admitting up front that I am a little stumped on tonight's (or this weeks post). I usually look at what we are asked to write about over the weekend, do some research, spin in my head what I am thinking I want to write about and then write on Tuesday night when Kash goes to bed...and although I am a MAJOR creature of routine and habit, that is not what happened this week.

In my defense, although not an excuse, I have spent the last hour and a half working on my digital writing project, my family blog. No lie. I am really enjoying it. When I can steal that few extra hours in the day to retreat to the basement, and work on the computer, I find myself being drawn to my family blog. I have been called a momerazzi, as I take TONS of pictures, and I love sorting through them, uploading them and then writing about the stories that go with them. You will have to forgive me that I am not drawn to thinking about Wikis...I am trying though.

Shall I get on with it??
One of the things that continues to show up in my blog postings and links is resources (and examples) of each of the media we are learning used in other classrooms and schools. Teaching first and second grade, I struggle to find ways to connect this to my own classroom. Blah, blah, blah...you have heard this all from me before.

Anyway, here is a link to examples of how elementary school teachers are using wikis. Although not really focusing on collaborative writing, I thought this first and second grade teacher used the wiki in a very interesting an clever way! Although I am not sure that I would do the same, I will share it with my first grade math class.

Side Bar Note
As I have been sorting through the lists of educational wikis that are out there, it amazes me how many teachers put in their description "Just trying this out" of "This is an experiment." It is if they are all nervous to put themselves out there. This is irrelevant to what I am supposed to be writing about, I just noticed it and wondered if anyone else had noticed it as well.

On to what I am supposed to be writing about...Collaborative Wiki writing.
I think that in a first and second grade classroom it would be interesting to do a collaborative writing wiki with another first and second grade class. Although it would be amazing to do one internationally, or just with a class from another state, it could be as simple as class in a different town. For first and second graders, the town they live in seems like their entire world. I have a friend who teaches first grade in Burnsville for example. Her and I could create a wiki together that both of our classes could interact with. We could post letters back and forth to each other, talking about who we are, what our school is like, information about out town, etc. We could make it private so that no one else could see and post pictures as well. It could be an ongoing thing throughout the year...tied to our regular writing workshop. Kids could pick their favorite pieces of writing to post and know that other kids (whom they have never met before and most likely never will) will be reading it. I looked around and did not find any examples of this, but it was an idea that I started spinning during my own writer's workshop today. (Although to be honest, I was originally thinking more of a shared blog.)

Anyway, that is my thoughts on collaborative wiki writing in my primary classroom. I am off to head back to my family blog now...I am psyched that I figured out how to add video!