Creative Ways to Use #Wikis: Pre-Assessments (Part 1)

Have we forgotten about wikis? It seems like there isn't as much emphasis on this collaborative tool, as in years past. This thought crossed my mind the other day, when I was completing an assignment for a grad class. In this course, we have had to create a Wikispaces wiki to serve as a reflection journal. After a lot of thought and researching a lot of creative ideas, I wanted to share a few with you in this series titled "Creative Ways to Use #Wikis":

Pre-Assessments

I recently read about a teacher who loves to use wikis for pre-assessments. Whenever his students begin a new chapter, he has students discuss in pairs what they already knew about the topic. Then he opens up a class discussion to see what students know. When he asks for groups to report their findings, he records their comments and ideas on a wiki page.

After about 5 minutes, he assigns pairs of students to investigate whether the claims are fact or fiction. At the end of the class, students verify the information with cited websites, videos, etc. It was a really great way of having students take ownership of their learning!

Check out more ideas next time, when I talk about more creative ways to use Wikis!

Are you interested in learning more? 

I will be giving a SimpleK12 Webinar titled "Wikis are More than Wikipedia" on Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 5 pm! Check out SimpleK12 for more information!