Working on Wiki

My Experience with wikis

My experience in working on a wiki for the first time was challenging due to the fact that the internet was moving very slow and it was difficult to collaborate with my group members since we could not be on the wiki at the same time. I really like the idea of being able to work collaboratively to construct information about a particular topic.

The topic my group focused on was ‘The Role of the Facilitator in Distance Education.’ I learnt that as a facilitator of distance education, it is important to ensure that the guiding principles of distance education are considered.

For example:

1. Support the needs of all users –learn about the background of students at the start of the course
2. Develop and maintain a technological and human infrastructure
3. Provide immediate and regular feedback to participants
4. Accept limitations and challenges*
5. Provide opportunities for users to experiment without evaluation, grading or marking.

A video on the guiding principles of distance education can be viewed here.

Undoubtedly, the facilitator’s role in distance education is very critical in ensuring that meaningful online learning can occur. This is especially important for 21st Century Educators who must embrace the virtual classroom to work with students who are in many different places at the same time.

Personally, I believe that I can use wiki with my beginning teachers to have them search for information on topics that are important in helping them to become effective teachers.

Some of these areas include:

• Classroom Management Strategies
• Strategies for Teaching Math
• Strategies for Teaching Language Arts
• Alternative forms of assessment for students k-12.

In Belize we are vey comfortable with the traditional classroom and the advantage of being able to interact face-to-face with our students. Infact, it is a part of our culture that we enjoy that personal contact with others and the advantage of being able to sense their personal frustrations in person-something that is not possible in online learning.

However, in order to embrace the challenges of the 21st. Century, as teacher educators, we must take advantage of both face-to face and distance learning. Also, we have an opportunity to utilize both face-to-face and distance learning.

Guiding Principle 4 is especially important to consider in the Belizean Belizean context where the internet service is not very reliable and to ensure that sufficient time is allotted to complete the given task.

Also, being patient, flexible and offering emotional to students when there is a challenge can make a huge difference-as was demonstrated by the facilitator in today’s training.
This experience has helped me to reflect on the level of frustrations that students may face when engaged in distance education and of critical aspects that should be considered.

The following websites provide some helpful ideas for facilitators of distance education:
1.
2.