Week 7, Thing #17

I would begin using wikis as a way for the LMTs in my district to help each other stay up-to-date on a number of issues. For example, we are currently investigating new library automation systems. Making the right choice means we have to have a certain knowledge base. Do we want "federated searching"? Well, we'd all better be up to speed on the terminology if we're going to participate in this decision. The wiki would provide a "one-stop shopping" site for us to bring ourselves up to a certain level of knowledge. In that way, when we gather for our monthly meetings, we'll be able to have more focused discussions.

Week 7, Thing #16

Wikis
I read through all of the suggested links for this exercise. There are so many ways people, especially educators, are making effective use of wikis. There are wikis set up for library professionals in which participants, rather than adding content on a subject, add links to online articles and websites under a variety of library-related categories (this is what I found in "Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki"). And there are wikis that allow participants to add content about one particular subject (Book Lovers' Wiki) or about a variety of subjects within a specialty (teacherlibrarianwiki).
I was most impressed by what some high school and college-level teachers are doing with wikis. Some very innovative teachers are using wikis to foster collaborative learning groups that work through a challenging project together. With the right kind of leadership from the teacher, these groups not only support their members in determining best practices and processes, but they help participants make critical content connections, and develop techniques of study and learning that can be replicated in other settings.