Research

Research

A wiki would be considered to be part of a content upgrade because it prepares students for future workplaces, considers real world approaches to learning, is a part of meaningful technology, and is appropriate for elementary school students (Jacobs, 2010). Technology must be included in order to upgrade our content, and wikis really fit each description for the type of technology needed. Wikis also create constructivist learners because this media will help students create their own meaning (Thornburg, 2004). This will provide a place for students to provide support and show what they know which will build a sense of community and togetherness (Bozarth, 2012). Wikis can be sued for group projects as well as class notes which will be a reminder of what was done in class permanently (Bozarth, 2012). Using the wiki as an online group for collaboration works most effectively when it also has a personal collaboration component as well (Sheehy, 2008). One drawback is that wikis need training for students as well as teachers to operate them appropriately (Sheehy, 2008). While I agree that training is needed, the wiki we are currently working on seems fairly simple and very effective, I really enjoy participating and contributing information to a group of other professionals. As we know, technology is not a choice, it is a necessity, and using a wiki would be a great start to upgrading the curriculum (Thornburg, 2004). All of this information was synthesized from:
 * __Wikis__**

Bozarth, J. (2012). FROM TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION TO INSRUCTIONAL DESIGN 2.0. //T + D, 66//(3), 64-67.

Jacobs, H. H. (Ed.). (2010). //Curriculum 21: Essential education for a changing world.// Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Sheehy, G. (2008). The wiki as knowledge repository: Using a wiki in a community of Practice to strengthen K-12 education. //TechTrends, 52//(6), 55-60.

Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and education: Expectations, not options. (Executive Briefing No. 401). Retrieved from []

Both the Bozarth and Sheehy articles are from the Walden online library at @http://library.waldenu.edu/

=__Interactive computer programs (Kidspiration) __= In today's classrooms technology is needed in order to make real life connections. Our students are preparing for jobs that may not have been created yet, so their education needs to be cutting edge. Using interactive computer programs such as Kidspiration ( Inspiration© Software, Inc., 2000) would be a wonderful addition to American classrooms. Kidspiration allows students to create various graphic organizers as well as many other visual representations of their learning. Research has shown significant growth in student achievement just by recieving a story mapping activity using Kidspiration. In the study printed by Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal (2010), Wade, Boon, and Spencer found technology-based applications improved students' comprehension skills.

Inspiration Software. [|www.inspiration.com] Retrieved April 9, 2012

Wade, E., Boon, R. T., & Spencer, V. G. (2010). Use of Kidspiration[C] Software to Enhance the Reading Comprehension of Story Grammar Components for Elementary-Age Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. //Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal//, //8//(2), 31-41.

To view the full Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal article please visit Walden online Library at @http://library.waldenu.edu/

__**Various Ways to Use Wikis in the Classroom**__

The following link contains 50 ways that wikis can be incorporated into the classroom. It is divided into seven sections which include:
 * Resource Creation
 * Student Participation
 * Group Projects
 * Student Interaction
 * For the Classroom
 * Community and
 * Other

This site is valuable because it reinforces the idea that wikis can be used in so many ways to help not only the teacher, but the students and their families. []

This article outlines the need for automaticity in reading. This produces a faster and well rounded reader who can understand and apply. Students learning to read need to see visual patterns, hear sound letter correlation, do word analysis, see syllables, be systematic with the process, see images, see regular and irregular words, test with drills and hear sentences that demonstrate which words have emphasis. This interactive website is both visual and auditory. It allows students the opportunity to practice with a huge variety of activities and games that help teach and reinforce the reading mechanics summarized in this article.
 * Spelling City **

Hook, P. E., & Jones, S.D. (2002). The importance of automaticity and fluency for efficient reading comprehension. //Perspectives//, Winter, 2002, vol. 28, no. 1, pages 9-14. Retrieved from [].

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