“In the winter of 2007, Vermont’s Middlebury
College found itself the center of a national
controversy when its history department took
a public stand against students referencing
Wikipedia in their research papers.”
I have tried to use Wikipedia before but have found that the information sometimes sound like a first grader has written it. Because of this, and later finding out that this was not the best sight for finding reliable information, I have not tried to use it again. Therefore, the above statement does not surprise me at all. I understand where the professors are coming from. They want their students to receive and read information that is correct. Not information that anyone could have written about a subject, event, person, etc… I think that I really have to agree with the band when it comes to students writing research papers.
“Educators need to work together to insure that every
American young person has access to the skills and
experiences needed to become a full participant,
has the ability to articulate their understanding of
the way that media shapes our perceptions of the
world,”
I really have to agree with the above quote! This statement like every other aspect of the education field is true. As teachers we must do our best to make sure that our students receive the best possible education and necessary skills needed in order to succeed in the world…even if the world is digital.
“Many educators express concern about young
people’s increased reliance on Wikipedia as a
resource for their homework assignments and
research projects.”
As an educator, I can agree with this statement. If the information that students are receiving is in any way incorrect, then they are not learning the needed information. I would encourage students to use other sites to find needed information for research assignments or other homework/class work assignments. There are several sites out there that offer valid information that no one can tamper with, unlike Wikipedia.
Lena,
ReplyDeleteYou have brought up many good points! I really enjoyed reading what you said about your 3rd quote. We do need to stress that not all the information out there is true. However, I don’t think we need to solely focus on Wikipedia because there are many other sites out there that are false as well. We need to instill a judgmental eye into our students and teach them to look for the factual information that is out there.
Good post!
I disagree with your first quote and do believe that their is valid information on Wikipedia. I think students need to be taught how to tell if something is valid or not. Looking at the credentials of who posted the information can tell you alot about the validity of the post. You can also tell by looking at when the last time it was updated. These are things students should be looking at.
ReplyDeleteConcerning your third quote. I agree with you to an extent but I also disagree with you to an extent. I am aware that the information is not always accurate but this is a good experience for our students. Students must be able to understand what is accurate information and what is not. Students must know how to evaluate the information they are obtaining and how to use that information. This could provide a great opportunity for a lesson.
ReplyDelete