Would Whacky Wikis Work?

I think that David Wiley may have created a monster. I could blame it on his encouragement. But I won’t. I’ll stand accountable for my own thoughts. And my thought processes. Though I can’t blame him for my thoughts, YOU can blame him for me feeling a little more willing to share them with you. After all he encouraged me never to lose my perspective about unintended and off-the-wall uses of technology.

Wiki’s …where to start. First I must admit that I didn’t feel “so inclined” to edit a Wikipedia article. I have a hard enough time editing my OWN writing, why would I want to take on the responsibility of someone (or somethousand) else’s? So, if I don’t HAVE to I won’t. At least today. But I will add it to my class "bucket list" - something I want to do and experience before the class is over. Actually I guess we all edited a wiki when we added our blogs to the syllabus – but the syllabus isn't really like Wikipedia (yet?). But I digress…Here are some thoughts I’ve had about Wikipedia and wikis.

First of all I found an interesting website that lists weird Wikipedia articles (most of which are not up to Wikipedia standards by the way). On it, I found this referenced Wikipedia article about “open cola". It was especially amusing to me on several different levels (and connections). While still in that sort of recursive-folding-in-on-itself flavor I hit a gold mine with this Wikipedia article about unusual Wikipedia articles! That’s interesting in and of itself – HOWEVER- talk about educational uses! If you couldn’t hook some hard-core, I-dare-you-to-TRY-to-teach-me-something students with this, I don’t know what would. Of course I must first warn you that there are some less-than-rated-for-general-audiences entries here. However you could look through those and find many harmless yet extremely interesting or entertaining possibilities to tempt the ‘non-interested’ student.

Next I wandered off on the tangent in my mind that told me that the history feature of wikis alone holds a wealth of possibilities. Couldn’t that be a natural deposit of “real” data that is free-for-the-asking, and just waiting to be mined for the social ‘sciences’? I think so!

I also really liked Lyndell’s blog where she mused about family uses of wikis – because I had already thought of using a wiki for my family. I thought it would be a great way to build a family history – but in a very easy and fun sort of way. First of all someone thinks of a memorable family event that took place in the past like : “The Christmas Mom Really Delivered” – which has reference to when my youngest brother was born. This person then writes about the event as THEY remembered it and how it affected their perspectives, day, life, etc. They let others in the family know it's there (if they don't have an RSS feed) and encourages them to add (or edit) in their 2 cents worth! I’ve noticed that when all of us get together to reminisce we all remember things a little differently. Sometimes we argue about the differences, sometimes we laugh, but I always wish we could record everyone’s version. A wiki could do that, and even the editing wars might be fun –if there were any- because you never really lose anything, and part of the charm and interest is to see the history anyway.

Lastly, I had a way-off-the-wall thought about: what would it be like if laws were created and changed by wiki??? I mean isn’t that BY the people? Well at least those with access to the internet… What if you tried THAT out as a simulation in a highschool government class – or even at girls’/boys’ state? Or try the same thing with class rules or – gasp- grading policies? Something to think about anyway…as if there were a dearth!

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Strange Intersections

I couldn't decide which blog to post this in. I finally decided to post it in my Web Analytics blog - and link to it here. Warning: it's not short. And as an update see this link on the same blog. Read More......

Some Educational Uses for Blogs

Hmmm...let's see isn't that something like: Some Educational Uses for Reading and Writing? Besides using and encouraging those two quintessential educational skills, with Blogs you can easily add multimedia, hyperlinks, and cool “widgets”. The possibilities for educational uses are limitless - and so it seems are the blogs/webpages that discuss educational uses for blogs like what you see here and here and here and here (and I could go on ad nauseum).

So what did I find ‘out there’ that was interesting or insightful? I liked a Reuters article about businesses use of blogs. Think about it: in many ways students are educational clients, and hopefully consumers, if not paying customers. Read the following excerpt and see how it could apply to education:

'Indeed, one of the best ways to achieve credibility when your business is small is through an informative and educational blog, say veteran business bloggers. Let key debates and other important topics affecting your industry drive the content, and always provide a way for readers to become part of the discussion. Post frequently and monitor your traffic. "It's really just information and talking about all areas of the process," says Robin von Halle, Conception Connection's president. The blog "does foster a sense of community and enlist people in every facet that we work with...' (emphasis mine)

The one blog about educational uses for blogs that made me want to comment the most (though I didn’t there so I will here) is this posting on how NOT to use blogs. Though there are probably some useful guidelines about any type of technology, I really couldn’t decide whether the author of the post was trying to be the 'blog police' or truly wanted to ‘rescue’ others from spending time in an effort that is doomed for failure. Sorry, no rescuing necessary. I’ve observed that just as much (often more) can be learned from a failure as from a success. So I think bloggers will soon come to their own conclusions from their own experiences about whether or not a particular use of a blog is an effective educational use.

I really need to say at least something about three of Christoph Merrill's four 'rules':

• 1) Never never approach blogs as discussion boards, listservs or learning management systems

First of all, should you ever say “never” (much less “never never”)? Yes, the learning management system seems a bit of a stretch, and granted if all you have is a hammer, everything is going to look like a nail, but “never approach blogs as discussion boards” – really? Does he mean to say that if you want the function of a discussion board (discussion in a particular format) don't use blogs? Why not? He doesn't really say. Maybe I’m totally missing his point – but to me it still seems to be a sweeping (and misled) generalization.

I think Mr. Merrill’s second rule rates (only) a flat-out “HUH?!?” from me:

• 2)Group blogs are a bad idea and don’t work: Sure there’s a place for collaborative/group blogs but that place is not in education.

“HUH?!?”

Lastly I must take issue with his third ‘rule’:

• 3)Don’t try and force blogging into something else.

Though potentially dangerous, using something for which it was not initially intended* is how many great ideas are generated. If you're using a blog for a web-site because it’s easier, so what? It re-confirms the Simple Wins article.

In fact, in opposition to this “rule” what I’d really LIKE to see (but haven't yet) are any off-the-wall, out-there, ultra-creative educational uses for blogs. You know, the kinds of ideas that are catalysts for other similarly ‘non-conforming’ ideas that may end up generating a whole different type of application or use. Ideas that are usually so different, yet so simple that everyone says: “I wonder why no one thought of THAT sooner!” So...do you have any of those types of ideas spasm-ing just outside your consciousness that you could bring to the surface with a little extra thought (or sleep deprivation :-) ) ? Please…by all means…share!! And maybe in the morning I’ll have a few too. For inspiration try something like Cahlan Sharp: BLOGS = DONUTS?

*As a mother of five (four of which are boys) I have ample personal experiences with this - but those are being saved for a future 'I survived Motherhood' blog. If you're curious - ask me about the vacuum cleaner used as a novice exterminator's tool. Read More......

Why I'm taking Dave Wiley's New Media class

Here are a few reasons (in no particular order)

1. Elder Ballard's BYU-Hawaii graduation address
2. It's the little "extra" incentive to jump into blogging that I need. I kept telling myself I would do it once "things slow down" a little - which I realize is only a self deception (or a pleasant fantasy) that such a thing will happen in the foreseeable future.
3. To start my creative juices running about how it could help accomplish some church-related goals and interests.
4. It's just a very exciting bonus that we'll be highly involved in open access discussions/activities. That's something I could become (over?)zealous about, because it adds passion and purpose to my natural interest and absorption in educational uses for technology.
5. Fun!
6. Association with great people and their attendant minds and spirits :-) Read More......

Blog title explanation

Really, it was just a whim, because I needed a name -- BUT -- it also is a subtle warning about:

my propensity to make any type of written communication longer than is necessary (or sometimes even prudent)

a possible downside of open access (or open content) initiatives, which is: SOOO much content that we are even more adrift in a sea of information without the requisite tools and skills (or restraint) to efficiently find only what is needed

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