Teacher+Wiki+Objectives

__**Introduction:**__ I feel that part of the procedure for approval to use a Wiki in the classroom to augment the curriculum should include the development of S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Trackable) objectives for their use. These objectives should relate to the District-wide goals as well as the teacher's Wiki goals. I envision that these would be included as a partial requirement for the application process to obtaining Administrative approval to proceed to training and implementation of the Wiki. I believe that this will give the building principals, the curriculum directors, and the department heads/grade level coordinators a better idea of how these tools will be used. In addition, it will require that the teacher gives serious thought, planning and insight to how they will integrate a Wiki into their instruction. To develop a successful quality program with Wikis that will augment the curriculum with measurable outcomes will take time and structured planning. I think it should be a requirement that these objectives are clearly published for each activity conducted on the Wiki space. An objective for one of the Wiki activities could even be one of the first tasks that the teacher would complete during their training.

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Please feel free to provide some examples below of Teacher Objectives for the use of Wikis in the classroom that could be used as guiding examples for the teachers to use.//

1. Students will review posted passages from selected short stories and respond to the posted questions regarding the passage and how it relates to the entire plot of the story. Each student is expected to contribute their thoughts regarding the question within three (3) days of the assignment. Responses will be discussed during classroom group work. Each group will present a summary of the groups' thoughts to the entire class.

2. A local political position with embedded ethical concerns will be posted. In addition, two opposing positions will be presented with the case. Each student will be required to post the position they support and provide a rational defense for their position. During classroom time the class will be assigned, at random, to one of the two position teams. Each team will be required to present their case for their position. All responses must be posted not less than two (2) days before the scheduled classroom debate.

3. AP (Advanced Placement) Classes: Many times over, AP teachers wish they could have more time with their students in addition to normally scheduled class time. There is also the problem of trying to offer a meeting time for out-of-class discussion and review before the AP test date because students are involved in so many extra-curricular activities. A teacher-created wiki could provide an additional study and/or review tool that students could access outside of the school day at their convenience. Questions, concerns, or comments in reference to the study materials should be posted on the wiki and will be discussed in a future designated class period.

4. This wiki will serve as the basis for a project on the study of various countries in a world cultures class. Cooperative learning groups will be assigned a country to research. Possible topics to be included on the wiki might include: geographic specifications, culture and customs, government, education, religion, etc. Each group member will be responsible to contribute information found about their assigned topic gathered through research. The students will collaborate as a group to create a wikispace page for their assigned country. Each group will present a lesson and lead a discussion on the findings presented in their wikispace page.