Sunday, August 16, 2009

Wikipedia


Wikipedia is a free online collaborative encyclopedia. All articles have been written collaboratively by anyone who can access the Wikipedia website. When using Wikipedia you must be aware that not all information is correct as the articles and changes made become available immediately before undergoing any review, no matter if they contain an error, are somehow misguided or even patent nonsense (Wikipedia, 2009).
If used in the correct way Wikipedia can be a useful online tool for learning. Wikipedia can be a basis or a start for research in the classroom. When I am carrying out research I always have a look at Wikipedia first as I might find information that I can research further into.
Wikipedia is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other projects:
Commons - Free media repository, Wikinews - Free-content news, Wiktionary - Dictionary and thesaurus, Wikiquote - Collection of quotations, Wikibooks - Free textbooks and manuals, Wikisource - Free-content library, Wikispecies - Directory of species, Wikiversity - Free learning materials and activities.
There is nothing more motivating to students than having their work recognised in a public forum where what they have produced is authentic and real-world. I believe Wikipedia is an engaging basis for study and can assist in learning online for all students. Prensky (2001) states that if you cannot engage young people in education then you will enrage them. Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast which is why Wikipedia is an engaging tool for the students of today . What do you think?


References
Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives Digital Immigrants. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from
http://marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky/Digital Navites/Digital Immigrants/Part1.pdf

Wikipedia (2009. Wikipedia About. retrieved August 16, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About

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