Class Wikis: Giving Students Power

I really enjoyed Edmondson's article, "Wiki Literature Circles: Creating Digital Learning Communities."  At one point she discusses how she was "hesitant" with creating activities on Wiki's because of the control it gave the students.  I agreed with her in that highschooler's can be seen as too young to handle this kind of power.  As a student being able to post stuff on a single wall for all classmates to see, a Wiki can be turned into a mode for abuse.  Edmondson discusses how "For assignments that require relinquishing control of the classroom to students, assessment can be tricky" (47).  Despite the possibility of students taking this form of control too far, I believe it is important that students feel that they have a choice to do what they want as well.  As a student, I know how frustrating it can be to be simply told what to do.  However, if I am given control to teach what I want on a project, or post what I want on a discussion board; I am instantly more engaged in the class curriculum.  I believe that Wiki's are a great way to give students a sense of choice and control in the classroom!  Edmondson writes that wiki's allow students to "facilitate presentations, instead of...other traditional methods" (45).  I really enjoyed this description of a wiki because it allows the teacher to see that students can responsibly "facilitate" a class presentation instead of be told how to produce and give a limited presentation.  I strongly agree with Edmondson (Marc Prensky) that "teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students" (44).  I believe that a teacher's use of a wiki is a perfect way to communicate and bring in the language of their younger, technology oriented, students.  What I felt to be the most important point in this article was that Edmondson acknowledges that using wiki's in a younger-aged classroom can be tricky, but that in the end, if introduced into the classroom properly, Wiki's allowed her students to take an extra mile.