Oh My!!!
I am kinda wiki-ed out. I think too much of a good thing is still too much.I really struggled with this week's assignment. I wasn't sure how to really describe in this blog what I want to do. Sometimes, you really do need verbal and hands-on instructions to communicate. I also felt that I put tons of explanation in the last assignment that I had a pretty good lesson plan so this assignment was redundant. With that said, I did learn some new technological things (the whole reason for this course) doing this assignment, like how to do do screenshots. I had not done that before,so that was cool. I look forward to your feedback on this assignment.
This week's assignment is about using a Wiki to help the students to engage in critical thinking. Probably easier said than done. I am going to continue to think about my non-English speaking students and how to challenge them: to think critically; use a Wiki; and how to write an essay for the GED.
I think the best assignment I can use to help them with their writing skills is a Frame-Based Writing. Frame Based Writing is basically similar to the scaffolding phases of assignments that I used last time but the focus is on their skill to express "opinions, justifications, compare and contrast, interpretations, and persuasions" (West & West, 2009 pg. 94).
In 2014, there is a new GED test coming out. It will be computer based and it will have different skills that are needed to complete it. I have taken a sample constructive response item from the GED Language Arts test.
Title: 2014 GED English Essays Practice
Population: ABE/GED/ESL students who are preparing to take the GED test. The participating students need to improve their English Essay writing skills.
Instructional &Learning Procedure: Student will work in pairs to complete the Wiki.
http://adultlearnersandintegratingtechnologyintocurriculumfa2012.wikispaces.com/dw+blog+example
Assessment: Students will be assess on their writing skills using Edited American English (EAE) and group participation of the face to face discussion that will be held in class.
West, J. & West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for
Online Collaboration: The Power of the Read-Write Web. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Greetings, Dawn. I enjoyed reading your post. Your honesty and personal perspective is refreshing! I thought I was the only one on "Wiki Overload"...I think I have both Wiki and Blog "Overload". I can totally relate! :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your approach to your Wiki project. The project obviously is learner centered and focuses on what the learner is able to formulate as part of the Wiki experience.
As stated in West & West (2009) “When framed effectively, wikis can support collaborative projects that promote critical thinking, writing, and problem solving” (p. 100). By offering critical thinking exercises, we as facilitators, can aid the students in working together with various forms of disciplines or even learning styles; which might be more appropriate in your classroom.
Your use of scaffolding will also allow each individual learner to move forward as she/he becomes more comfortable with the learning environment and/or topic.
Thank you for your input.
Keep up the great work!
Alicia
I forgot to add the reference!
DeleteWest, J., & West, M. (20090. Using wikis for online collaboration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I think you're on the right track by using a Frame-Based Writing strategy. You want to make sure the students understand the written piece enough to actually form an opinion for themselves. As a teacher I would want my students to understand what they are reading on a deeper level, not just the top layer of basic word meanings and verb conjugation. This definitely pushes them out of the simple read and respond rhythm. As West and West (2009) state "frame-based writing promotes critical thinking should emphasize opinion, criticism, and evaluation, and should be more than a fill-in-the-facts exercise" (p. 93). Asking students to read two contrasting articles, state whether they agree or disagree, and then explain themselves is a great strategy to do so.
ReplyDeleteWest, J. A., & West, M. L. (2009). Using wikis for online collaboration: The power of the read-write web. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Thanks for the comments, Joe. The text were taken from the new GED test which will be more challenging for our non native speakers as it requires more critical thinking skills.
DeleteHi Dawn!
ReplyDeleteI have to second your and Alicia's sentiment regarding wiki overload. However, you still managed to add a deeper level of comprehension to your explanation of wiki content. I think you are wise to keep your wiki at a critical thinking level, considering your audience. Could you foresee a situation in which you would want to challenge students (as they become more advanced and comfortable with the material, of course) to create wikis to test their ability to apply knowledge contextually? I think you could use a bit of creativity to construct a team challenge. This would require your students to think critically about acquired knowledge as well as apply them to a real world scenario. Just a thought. Great job this week!