Introduction

There are many obstacles teachers of today face, including having to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. This generation of digital natives relies heavily on the use of technology. Using Web 2.0 sites, such as wikis, is one way to engage these students.

Purpose of the Project

Web 2.0 sites allow users the freedom to organize, create and modify content that can be published on the internet. These sites can also be used as a platform for discussion and allow the creators immediate feedback on their created content. Students will create wikis to publish their book reviews and comment on other students’ wikis.

By allowing students the ability to create on such a huge canvas as the internet, using a wiki can help augment technology skills, and gives the freedom to produce a project that is as unique as they are. Wikis can be used in ways that allow students to engage in inquiry-based learning and allow students to work collaboratively. Publishing on a wiki will help develop writing and language skills, and provide (as well as accept) positive criticism. By doing this project, students will harness the twenty-first century technology skills and workplace know-how needed for their future. .

Literature Review

-In 1991, the US Department of Labor published, “What Work Requires of Schools; A SCANS Report for America 2000”. The report outlined what the Department of Labor feels are the skills necessary for students to acquire in order to succeed as adults. The report pointed out that “effective job performance” requires that a person has “workplace know-how”. . SCANS found that most students were not acquiring the necessary academic skills or “foundation” competencies once they left high school. “Less than half of all young adults have achieved these reading and writing minimums; even fewer can handle the mathematics; and, schools today only indirectly address listening and speaking skills” (pg. xi).

-The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) “a learning framework that presents a holistic view of 21st century teaching and learning that combines a discrete focus on 21st century student outcomes (a blending of specific skills, content knowledge, expertise and literacies) with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21st century.” The figure above shows both 21st century student outcomes (as represented by the arches of the rainbow) intertwined with that of 21st century support systems (as represented by the pools at the bottom). 

This action research project; infusing wiki building in the classroom, was created based on the findings of these two articles.

Summary:

Through construction of a handbook, the author sought to provide middle school teachers one way to infuse technology into their regulated curriculum. Research revealed little use of wikis in the middle school grades, yet incorporation of wikis strongly supports the development of computer skills and technology literacies that should start early in the educational years. By using wikis at the middle school level, teachers can engage their students to actively learn, work collaboratively, develop their writing skills, hone digital literacy, all the while building the work place know-how and necessary twenty-first century technology skills they will need, preparing them for their future careers.

Literature CitedThe Secretary’s Commission of Achieving Necessary Skills; US Department of Labor. (1991, June). What work requires of schools; A scans report for America. Author: Washington D.C.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2007). Beyond the three R’s: Voter attitudes toward 21st century skills. In Partnership for 21st century skills. Retrieved June 11, 2010, from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my family for their support and patience while I have been “away” at school or working feverishly on the computer. I would also like to thank Steve Gibbs for enlightening me with an overwhelming amount of educational technology (“It’s just the tip of the iceberg!”)! I would also like to thank my classmates, whose support meant more than I could have ever expressed. Lastly, I would especially like to thank Pamela Redmond for her guidance in helping me get this project done. Thank you all.

For Further Information

Contact information:efukushima@beniciaunified.org

Book Review Wiki:http://bookreviewsfukushima.pbworks.com

Erlyn D. Fukushima

Graduate School of Education & Health Science • Touro University - California

Action Research Project:

To meet the needs of the 21st Century students, the goal of this project was to create a handbook for middle school teachers to guide them in creating lessons that use wikis for book reviews.

Instructional ObjectivesThe following objectives led to the creation of the handbook:1. Create a model classroom wiki to familiarize students with this

Web 2.0 technology. 2. Students read a classic novel and then post their summaries

and book reviews on the wiki. 3. Students embed a link or video related to the book or author.4. Students comment and provide some sort of feedback on other

students’ wikis.5. Teacher and students assess the success of the project from

self-reflection, feedback, as well as check the website regularly for additional changes to the wiki progress.

Handbook Outline

Created to guide teachers on how to incorporate wikis into their classes based on the outcome of the instructional objectives:

1. Why use a wiki in the classroom? (Rationale and purpose)2. Getting starting (identifying any potential obstacles) 3. Wiki basics and how to use them (Functionality)4. Outcomes from using a wiki (Cooperative learning, Publishing,

Discussions, Building Digital literacy)5. Projects for your class (lesson ideas)6. Resources

Book Project 2.0:Using Wikis for Book Reviews