Thing 10

Wikis
Ever since Scott McLeod came to talk two years ago, I have been excitedly using wikis. I have had students use them to add character descriptions for read aloud books, I have parents sign up for conferences on a wiki, and parents also sign up for volunteer opportunities in the classroom on a wiki. I like that parents can edit from home and they can also check to see when they have signed up for something. I like the concept not only for school but also for home. My college girlfriends and I make one for our cookie exchange each year. That way we know who is bringing what type of cookie. Recently I have started using google docs instead of wikis and I like them even better. On google docs more than one person can edit at a time and they are easier to create and share with parents.
Wikipedia is a great tool as long as you teach students how it is made. It can be a great place to start and get background information to start research. I agree that it should not be used a fully reliable source, but what a better way to teach students how to evaluate information on the Internet than to use wikipedia.