In
researching for wikis being utilized in for literacy instruction in the reading
and writing classroom, I came across two similar but different wikis. The first
wiki I found was at : http://everythingliteracy.wikispaces.com/
with its main focus for the K-5th
grade but also gave resources for middle and high school. The wiki targeted the
Common Core Standards utilized in the school district and gave TONS of
resources for teachers. Each standard was outlined for each grade level with
examples teachers could download, including PowerPoints, smart board projects,
reading material ( specific books) , posters and questions to ask the students,
games, quizzes and activities. The creators of this site are very informative
and detailed.
The other site I found at : http://abliteracyforall.wikispaces.com/ was a project specific site to “provide information and resources for
grade 1 - 6 teachers in Alberta who want to learn more about literacy
instruction for students with significant disabilities.” This site was formed
around a project that several school districts in Alberta were involved in that
used specific resources at each of those schools. With each school using the
same resources they were able to compare how the students responded to learning
styles. This project started in 2011 and is still underway. They are also able
to track progress and outline what is working and what is not.
Even though both provided support and specific instruction to
the teachers targeted, both had very different approaches, with obvious reason.
One was specific for common standards
the other specific for a type of student. Both gave plenty of resources but in
the “everything literacy” wiki instructors were given choices of resources to
use, the other were given specific resources that would be used and reported back
on. I can see in both school districts how these wikis would be so beneficial.
I love the idea of instructors from different schools and grades being able to
share ideas on what works and what doesn’t. This is especially a good tool for
new teachers that are just beginning and don’t have a lot of resources built up
yet.
