Module 10: Wiki I will, Wiki I won't!

Before I start, last Saturdays Herald Spectrum article ' Geeks, Tweets and bums on seats' (Elissa Blake-July 10, 2010) gave a refreshing insight on how the arts sector has successfully harnessed twitter to bring performance artists closer to their audience. The 'instant' reviews given on twitter have provided 'instant' feedback to the artists and given that twitter requires a connection between users it has been viewed as successful in building creative communities.
Check out the article it's certainly worthwhile a read to broaden general negative perspectives on using twitter.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/geeks-tweets-and-bums-on-seats-20100709-103g8.html

I have used many a wiki with junior classes on a range of topics from conflict and Australian Prime Ministers to confirmation and beyond. A good tool for writing information reports and other text types and having the page links, complete with web links makes it a little more interactive for students then a straight word document. (A bit like a web page) Everyone is familiar with wikipedia and despite the fact that we, as educators seem to 'harp' on the fact that anyone can edit the material, perhaps we should focus more on teaching students to cross reference their data with other sources to determine reliability and authenticity. The very idea of wikipedia mirrors the movement from web 1.0 to web 2.0 in that the more users there are the better an application/ operating platform will be and the sharing of information allows greater freedom in who delivers the content.

Living with the in-laws has opened up many a surprise package. I decided to start a wiki on the bathroom cabinet. When you share something as intimate as a bathroom the contents are on display for all to see. This is where the surprise package really starts.

Page one- Introduction - 'Open the glass fronted hinged door slowly to reveal bathroom toiletry contents. It could almost be a slow moving Alfred Hitchcock scenario in a close up frame with accompanying suspenseful music.
The camera slowly pans the bottom shelf and we see assorted toothbrushes, razors and shaving cream. Insert [] brackets around toothpaste to start a new page: Colgate sensitive for the clean with the brightest beam, soft and kind to your gums, the complete shine.
The camera pans slowly upward and we see aftershave, perfume - [Armani] new page: always in style...'a soft feminine fragrance that reflects the individuality of the modern women. Insert picture to highlight.


Now the highlight of this anecdotal example comes when the camera pans to the top shelf. Starting from the left we pass cotton buds, hairbrushes and then wait for it....don't forget [] insert new page....Callington in-flight cabin insecticide spray. Isn't that just what every bathroom cabinet contains? Well this house certainly does - perhaps something was omitted from the hand-luggage of the summer time fun Greece jet-setters.

We're almost moving from Alfred Hitchcock now to James bond. Imagine circa 1960 Sean Connery: (and appropriate web links to highlight)...he's shot the bad guys, grabbed the girl, high-jacked the plane and just before take-off...'wait...let me just use my callington's spray to rid the aircraft of any post passenger infections......he sprays,...the mist prevails and Sean being Sean sneaks in for a 1960's kiss behind the thickening mist....end scene...end wiki.
Now there's a wiki grand finale!!