Wiki

   This week we were required to create our own wiki.  For the introduction of t his assignment we were to go to wikipedia and see if our high school had page created for it.  When I looked at my high school page it had students full names on it where other students were making fun of them.  I did not like this at all and now I am actually more reluctant to introduce this type of technology.  I do not want to show my students how they are able to write whatever they want on a website, where they do not have to post their name next to it.  I feel this is a problem for so many types of technology now though.
  
    I am not sure if you have heard about a young girl who was being bullied at school and at home by students writing nasty messages on her facebook page.  The students would create people on facebook so they would not have their true identity revealed on the awful comments they were leaving. The girl ended up committing suicide.  I am cautious of different types of technology because of this. I think that bullying has been taken to the next level and it is getting completely out of control with the help of the internet and various types of technology.

    However I do feel with parental support and teacher supervision technology can be very beneficial for students to use in the classroom.  This wiki I created would allow my students to become sensitive to one another and to learn information about one another.  It is also helpful to show how America has grown to be what it is today! This wiki will allow students to be able to go home and learn about their ancestral background and then fill in their section on the wiki from home with the help of their parents. I also like the use of the wiki because i have ultimate control over what gets to stay on they wiki and what I feel is inappropriate for the wiki. Over all I think this tool could be very effective in my classroom.