Leigha and Peggy-Module 4-Group Lesson

According to a 2007 report from Education Sector, a non-profit, independent education think-tank in Washington, D.C., virtual schools served nearly one million students in 2007-2008, mostly at the high school level. The report also noted that at that time over 90 percent of colleges and universities offered online course options. This is nearly double what had previously been estimated and enrollment continues to increase. According to eschoolnews.com, in the fall of 2007, 22 percent of American college students took at least one online course, that’s a total of 3.94 million students. Looking at these reports and many others, one can clearly see that virtual schooling is driving transformation in public education. The internet has enabled districts and educators to alter both the way content is delivered and the traditional experience of learning. At this point, bodies as prestigious as the College Board are involved in approving online AP curricula. Some states, such as Florida, are even creating legislation to require that online learning be a part-time or full-time option for every student grades K-12. Most high school and college students now expect quality virtual instruction to account for some portion of their secondary and post-secondary education. This expectation requires educators to provide increasing opportunities to use, create and practice with online technologies. Online learning communities will be an essential element of this practice and direction for education. Wikis facilitate learning communities through group participants’ contributions to the building of the databank। Our lesson includes, tasks driven interactions that facilitate the goal of learning and social emotional driven interactions that promote friendships, a sense of belonging that are offered as a result of the features that the wiki tool provides and the role of the teacher. By integrating both elements seamlessly into the wiki project, our high school students are also maximizing on their time management. Avoid confusing email chains by collaboratively building and editing project information in a centralized location.• Collect all assignment details in one place.• Plan out and manage a shared project calendar.• Create a forum where team members can share and comment on ideas.• Create and edit an outline and rough draft right in the wiki.• Compile research material and capture bibliography information.• Share team contact information, post responsibilities, and send team updates through the onsite messaging feature. Using Wetpaint, a Wiki building site, we took a lesson plan for a high school history class and created a sample of how a Wiki can be used for a class collaborative project. The demo shows how a paper and pen assignment can be translated to using technology, giving students necessary practice and skills. Wikis require careful planning that includes mapping out the wiki using a visual mapping tool and scaffolding tasks so that it is effective in supporting the goals of the project and in establishing group roles for completing the project. Wiki lesson