QUESTION: Wiki for reader response in a grade 4 class?

[Laura Gagne]

I am creating a wiki for my grade 4 class where they can discuss independent reading books.  I want them to review, recommend, and discuss the books they are reading.  As I teach them various reading strategies, my idea is to give them writing prompts for their responses to what they are reading.  I'm looking for teachers who have tried something like this and would like to know their successes or struggles.  Any suggestions or further ideas would be great!

[Shirley Miller]

Hi Laura,

I've used the wiki for reading responses for the last three years with seventh graders. I think "success" or "struggle" depends on the purpose of the wiki page. Will it be required for the students to discuss on your wiki or is it strictly on a volunteer basis? Have you used a wiki before with your class now or past classes?

[Laura Gagne]

I have not used a wiki with a class before. I've taught grade two for several years and will be teaching grade 4 next year. The first stage of the wiki will be for the students to select from various books (with a description) that are posted on the wiki (they will also be able to view them in the classroom). Then they will chose which book they want to read and write why they choose that book on the wiki. This will form their literature circles. The format to follow will be some groups reading, some students with the teacher in a small group and some students on the computer. I will make anchor charts of specific reading strategies and give them writing prompts for the wiki. During their reading sessions they will use sticky notes to record ideas and/or a reader's notebook. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with others reading the same book and also when they are in a small group with the teacher. They can read and respond to eachothers work on the wiki.
What do you think?
It will be mandatory, ongoing and only in class, but they can from home if they choose to.
What do you do with your wiki? What has worked really well for you? Do you find that it engages your students?

[Shirley Miller]

Laura,

Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. I don't know about your district, but in mine, students can't have their names or faces on the internet. I've gotten around this by allowing the students to use favorite images from the web for their avatar, and I given them their "internet name" which is the first 2 letters of their last name and the first 3 letters of their first name. I have 165 students so this helps me when grading.

2. Set up folders or pages for each book. Put pages in a folder.

I think your ideas about the reading responses and collaboration are very sound. At some point in time you might want the groups to look at the wiki together and read each others responses and then respond to each others responses on the wiki. The kids love the wiki. Sometimes I will insert a "chat" box on the page that is in real time. This makes for a pretty cool class discussion.

3. If you are going to allow the students to create their own pages, set up alphabetical folders. I had three folders for a class to 27 to 32 students. Having the pages in folders makes it so much easier for you AND the students to find them. I use pbworks. Would you like a couple of links so you can see what I've done?

I've used the wiki for lit circle groups, independent reading journals (one page per student), and research collaboration and presentations.

I've been using wikis since pbworks first started ....maybe 5 years ago???? If you have any other questions, I'd sure be glad to help. And, if you come up with new ideas for using your wiki, I'd love to hear about them. ~Shirley

[Laura Gagne]

Thanks for the great feedback Shirley. I would love to view your pages. Please post them. I created a wiki on Wikispaces-for educators. They are probably very similar. It really helps to view what other people have done. I just started a wiki for a course I'm taking (Reading Specialist), to share ideas for using wikis. I don't know if it will catch on but if anyone reading wants to join in, they are welcome. The address is reading-teacher.wikispaces.com

Thanks again,
Laura

[Shirley Miller]

Yes, I think wikispaces and pbworks are similar in set up. Thanks for the link, I will take a look and keep a watch on it.

Here's a link for a research project. Click in t he navigator box to look at the different student pages
Aztec Mythology

Here's a link for a book ad and the pages the students created during lit. circles:
View From Saturday

Hear is a link for one of my current classes. If you go to the navigator box on the right, and scroll up, you'll see the alpha order folders which contain each student's page with reading responses, and a folder called Research Topics:

Current Year Wiki

[Laura Gagne]

Wow, you have done some amazing things. I like your front page how you list the expectations for use of the wiki. The research projects are awesome. I read the one on Rosewell, New Mexico. How did you do the podcast? I think that is what it is called. I have so much to learn. Do you mind if I post your page on my learning wiki for other teachers to view?

[Shirley Miller]

Well, thank you for the kudos! Yes, I'd be honored if you'd post my wiki. We used garage band to develop the podcasts (we have Apple computers), but then found out that pbworks doesn't take podcasts with images, so we had to convert the podcasts to iMovie. It was a good learning experience for all of us. I have two different types of Apple laptops in my room and one thing I found out about the older iBooks was that the iMovie was too old to upload to wiki or even YouTube. I made a big noise about it at a district meeting, so maybe I'll get some new iMacs soon.

I'm glad you like our wikis. I really can't take much credit for the pages, my students do all the creating! BTW, feel free to copy, paste, and tweek the expectations. I got them from another teacher, too!

Do you have twitter? mine is smillerteacher

[Laura Gagne]

twitter is another whole realm for me.....I should check it out someday.