Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts: Chapter 4

     "Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing" (Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder). Wikipedia allows people to collaborate with one another to gather and revise information on any topic. I heard of and used wikipedia before, but I never fully understood the capabilities of wikipedia (or of wikis in general). I think that wikis are really great tools, because they allow a lot of little (and unkown) experts to come forward and add their two cents to a given topic. Wikis allow for a greater and more truthful knowledge to exist. It is easy to see how more truthful and accurate information will exist when anyone can add to the content, rather than a single expert being the only who can have a say on the topic. A wiki seems to be a very versatile tool. You can use wikis to post and do just about anything you want; How cool is that!
     One thing that I always questioned regarding Wikipedia was the open access to edit. I always wondered how they protect the information from people who just want to make trouble and ruin the site. I think that it is really smart and comforting to hear that there is a last saved option that can be used when a person tries to erase the information or mess with it. It is nice to think about the thousands of good people out there who are actually trying to keep accurate information, who correct mistakes and fix the problems that some people create on the wiki. 
     After reading this chapter, I feel a lot more comfortable with the idea of a wiki, and with the idea of using wikis in my own classroom. I think that wikis would come in handy with older children, but I am not sure if I would want to use a wiki with younger students (under 3rd grade). I think that with older students I could use a wiki space for a book project or for a community history project. Regardless of whether or not I personally decide to use a wiki in my classroom, I will definitely encourage my students to use wikipedia on their own; I will encourage them to add their knowledge to any topic that they feel well versed in. I will explain how they should properly use wikipedia and other wikispaces, and I will stress that when they are doing research on a topic they need to always use multiple sources and engage in triangulation.