The discussion of wiki texts has resulted in remarkable discussion from those who have participated in the educationbridges conversation platform.
A few weeks ago, we were asked to describe what a wiki text could look like and we have had two compelling models proposed each one however different in concept. Joyce proposes a more open, freely developed system whereas Mercedes seems to push for greater structure.
I am not an educator, but I have toured around the internet and found several places where wikis in classrooms are being discussed. One of great interest to everyone should be the California Open Source Textbook Project This project appears to be underway in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation
It is encouraging to know our conversation is not the only one on the subject. One very interesting resource in my hunt has been Edutopia Magazine which is a publication of the George Lucas Educational Foundation

Edutopia features two several of interest. One called, Synching up With the iKid http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1355&issue=oct_0 which points to the need for teachers to understand the media technology the students use in their lives outside the classroom, and talks of ways in which the variety of media can be integrated into classroom learning. A second and related article
Crack the Books http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1150&issue=sept_0... describes the use of wikis an media in another school.

As you know from my past entries to the blog, and questions in the audio conversations, I am concerned about how easily these terrific tools can be brought into schools, especially public school districts where there is a need for training and new types of school management. This article, is also found in Edutopia and is entitled
A Remarkable Transformation

I found this of particular interest because it addresses a concern I have had about wikis and other technologies for that matter, being introduced into districts where the economy has left families on the periphery of our abundance. I refer you to the following quote from
I found the following quote to be the most relevant to my concerns about any project requiring the introduction of “disruptive technology” into the classroom.. It points to the very heart of how public schools are run from a business perspective: 1) restructuring the budgets to ensure efficient use of funds and 2) allowing teachers to finally have a say in how to educate children.

Money and Teachers

"None of this happens without money, but a lot of that can be and should be a restructuring of how money is expended," says Carrigg. He notes that while a number of New Jersey school districts in poor communities saw their funding increase more than threefold over 12 years, only Union City used the money in such a way as to produce an impressive turnaround in student performance -- with technology the drawing card for students.

But Carrigg gives the majority of credit for the transformation of Union City to the teachers who finally got a say in how to educate children. Too often, he says, teachers are "handcuffed and not given the opportunity to be the professionals they are. ... This is what these good teachers knew needed to be done."

The following Web sites appeared in this article:

* Union City Public Schools: www.glef.org/php/orgs.php?id=org_306916
* interactive case study
* Fred Carrigg

It is my opinion that a well planned use of technology, which has been described by our colleagues in the educationbridges conversation, as well as by teachers in the articles described above, will require a new type of teacher training and school management that will enable teachers to really adapt the technology to the new type of learning. My fear is that without a well planned training program, we will try to overlay new technologies on an anachronistic and entrenched public school bureaucracy and in the process, risk having students miss out on the tremendous potential these tools hold for improved learning.