There is most assuredly an element of fear or being pubicly called out or humiliated for creating work that is not factual or is borrowed from someone else that this Wikipedia assignment would have instilled. The teacher's choice to publish or not publish the articles on Wikipedia is not a reflection of irresponsibility. After all, is Wikipedia not an open-source online encyclopedia? Wikipedia has no age restrictions or limitations for posting content, so long as it is factual and can further enhance information spread and knowledge.
Am I in agreeance that all professors in all assignments moving forward should instill this same fear, assign this same type of project so that students will be motivated to get the facts correct and ultimately have their work published on Wikipedia? No. BUT, if a professor has found a way that worked for her and her students that resulted in a positive outcome, better learning envirnoment or more dedicated and motivated students, then I believe it a positive thing for her to share her experiment/study/findings with the rest of the academic world so that, going forward, the classroom and the way we reach and impact our students in the classroom can be meaningful and impactful and can evolve with the technologies and benefits of the Internet.
Is this the be-all, end-all way for students to learn? No. Is there ANY be-all, end-all way for students to learn? No. Do all children learn in the exact same manner? No.
Is the exploration of different methods of learning and teaching a worthy expedition? I think most definitely so. If one teacher's methods help children produce better work, become more motivated or become more involved in the process of writing/fact-checking...then isn't that worth sharing with other professors? Because even if other professors don't mimic Gray's exact assignment, it could spark other ideas for future assignments that ultimately lead to a better learning experience for students and hopefully, ultimately, a better-educated society.
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There is most assuredly an element of fear or being pubicly called out or humiliated for creating work that is not factual or is borrowed from someone else that this Wikipedia assignment would have instilled. The teacher's choice to publish or not publish the articles on Wikipedia is not a reflection of irresponsibility. After all, is Wikipedia not an open-source online encyclopedia? Wikipedia has no age restrictions or limitations for posting content, so long as it is factual and can further enhance information spread and knowledge.
Am I in agreeance that all professors in all assignments moving forward should instill this same fear, assign this same type of project so that students will be motivated to get the facts correct and ultimately have their work published on Wikipedia? No. BUT, if a professor has found a way that worked for her and her students that resulted in a positive outcome, better learning envirnoment or more dedicated and motivated students, then I believe it a positive thing for her to share her experiment/study/findings with the rest of the academic world so that, going forward, the classroom and the way we reach and impact our students in the classroom can be meaningful and impactful and can evolve with the technologies and benefits of the Internet.
Is this the be-all, end-all way for students to learn? No. Is there ANY be-all, end-all way for students to learn? No. Do all children learn in the exact same manner? No.
Is the exploration of different methods of learning and teaching a worthy expedition? I think most definitely so. If one teacher's methods help children produce better work, become more motivated or become more involved in the process of writing/fact-checking...then isn't that worth sharing with other professors? Because even if other professors don't mimic Gray's exact assignment, it could spark other ideas for future assignments that ultimately lead to a better learning experience for students and hopefully, ultimately, a better-educated society.
June 1, 2011 - 10:18pmThis Comment
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