Comments on: The Challenge of Wikipedia http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/ The Read/Write Web in the Classroom Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:23:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Will R. http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1480 Will R. Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:23:07 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1480 <a></a>Yeah, I've been pitching a Centralpedia for my school with various folks here but the idea hasn't caught yet. Eventually. Yeah, I’ve been pitching a Centralpedia for my school with various folks here but the idea hasn’t caught yet. Eventually.

]]> By: Tom Hoffman http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1479 Tom Hoffman Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:06:29 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1479 <a></a>I think Phil's point is a good one. On the other hand, when David writes things like "the nature of information is changing" and "We have been taught to assume the authority of the information that we encounter," I wonder what planet he has been living on. I think Phil’s point is a good one.

On the other hand, when David writes things like “the nature of information is changing” and “We have been taught to assume the authority of the information that we encounter,” I wonder what planet he has been living on.

]]> By: Phil http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1478 Phil Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:14:19 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1478 <a></a>Why don't school start their own wikipedia? Then instead of your daughter being assigned a paper that thousands of students before her have written she could be assigned to review the entry on Argentina, confirm that the entry is current and be asked to contribute something new to the entry. Why don’t school start their own wikipedia? Then instead of your daughter being assigned a paper that thousands of students before her have written she could be assigned to review the entry on Argentina, confirm that the entry is current and be asked to contribute something new to the entry.

]]> By: Corrie Bergeron http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1477 Corrie Bergeron Mon, 13 Jun 2005 11:21:14 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1477 <a></a><a href="http://www.corante.com/many/archives/2005/06/09/wikipedia_authority_and_astroturf.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.corante.com/many/archives/2005/06/09/wikipedia_authority_and_astroturf.php</a> Read the article and then the comments. A very interesting case study. http://www.corante.com/many/archives/2005/06/09/wikipedia_authority_and_astroturf.php

Read the article and then the comments. A very interesting case study.

]]> By: David Warlick http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1476 David Warlick Sun, 12 Jun 2005 07:42:31 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1476 <a></a>This is a great topic, Will, and an example of how the nature of information is changing. I know that you have had the experience of demonstrating Wikipedia to a group of teachers, and they become so excited -- until you click the <a href="http://davenet.userland.com/1999/05/24/editThisPage" rel="nofollow">Edit this Page</a> button. It is no exaggeration to say that they are shocked. If it's librarians, we wheel in defibrillators. It is understandable that educators feel like their feet have been knocked out from under them by the Wikipedia. We have been taught to assume the authority of the information that we encounter. But today, our information environment is changing into something that is... less worthy of this assumption but at the same time more valuable. I would make the assignment like this. Look up Argentina on the Wikipedia, and collect the facts and concepts that are appropriate to the assignment. Then prove that those facts and concepts are true, by researching elsewhere for evidence of their accuracy and appropriateness. We have to stop teaching students to assume authority and teach them to prove it. A big shift in the nature of how we teach! 2¢ worth. This is a great topic, Will, and an example of how the nature of information is changing. I know that you have had the experience of demonstrating Wikipedia to a group of teachers, and they become so excited — until you click the Edit this Page button. It is no exaggeration to say that they are shocked. If it’s librarians, we wheel in defibrillators.

It is understandable that educators feel like their feet have been knocked out from under them by the Wikipedia. We have been taught to assume the authority of the information that we encounter. But today, our information environment is changing into something that is…

less worthy of this assumption
but at the same time
more valuable.

I would make the assignment like this. Look up Argentina on the Wikipedia, and collect the facts and concepts that are appropriate to the assignment. Then prove that those facts and concepts are true, by researching elsewhere for evidence of their accuracy and appropriateness.

We have to stop teaching students to assume authority and teach them to prove it. A big shift in the nature of how we teach!

2¢ worth.

]]> By: Tom Hoffman http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1475 Tom Hoffman Sun, 12 Jun 2005 00:44:50 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1475 <a></a>You're wrapping yourself in knots, here, Will. If wikipedia is successful, it is just another reliable source. Nothing more or less. It challenges one's view of how an encyclopedia is made, but it doesn't change how you *use* an encyclopedia, unless you find an error or bug and fix it or have something to add to it. You’re wrapping yourself in knots, here, Will. If wikipedia is successful, it is just another reliable source. Nothing more or less. It challenges one’s view of how an encyclopedia is made, but it doesn’t change how you *use* an encyclopedia, unless you find an error or bug and fix it or have something to add to it.

]]> By: Laura Pearle http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1474 Laura Pearle Sat, 11 Jun 2005 21:46:09 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1474 <a></a>Jamie McKenzie has been working on "banning the bird unit" for years: <a href="http://www.questioning.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.questioning.org/</a> and <a href="http://www.fno.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.fno.org/</a>. Jamie McKenzie has been working on “banning the bird unit” for years: http://www.questioning.org/ and http://www.fno.org/.

]]> By: Will R. http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1473 Will R. Sat, 11 Jun 2005 16:48:33 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1473 <a></a>Great story, Laura! Puhleese...do that screencast! It would be a wonderful example of the process we need our students to learn. It's amazing to me how the truth about something now has to be found rather than just accepted. (Let me know when it's finished...) Great story, Laura! Puhleese…do that screencast! It would be a wonderful example of the process we need our students to learn. It’s amazing to me how the truth about something now has to be found rather than just accepted. (Let me know when it’s finished…)

]]> By: Laura http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1472 Laura Sat, 11 Jun 2005 16:37:23 +0000 http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/the-challenge-of-wikipedia/#comment-1472 <a></a>Yes, back when I was a kid, I copied everything from World Book. :) We use Wikipedia all the time. Recently, I was helping my 10 year old do a report on the Great Lighthouse. We discovered in our trip around the web discrepancies in information. My son asked how to reconcile this. I explained how people might have used different sources to get their information, perhaps even just their memory from a visit to the site. I talked about how some sources are more reliable than others. So we decided that a museum site and the Wikipedia were probably correct since they had the facts in question in common and seemed more reliable. It was a lesson in evaluating sources. I wish I'd had a screencast of the whole journey. Of course, it might be better if kids replicated it themselves. Yes, back when I was a kid, I copied everything from World Book. :) We use Wikipedia all the time. Recently, I was helping my 10 year old do a report on the Great Lighthouse. We discovered in our trip around the web discrepancies in information. My son asked how to reconcile this. I explained how people might have used different sources to get their information, perhaps even just their memory from a visit to the site. I talked about how some sources are more reliable than others. So we decided that a museum site and the Wikipedia were probably correct since they had the facts in question in common and seemed more reliable. It was a lesson in evaluating sources. I wish I’d had a screencast of the whole journey. Of course, it might be better if kids replicated it themselves.

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