Driving Question: Have you ever thought about what makes a fairy tale different from other stories?
Once upon a time... This is a Webquest on fairy tales. Fairy tales have been around for over 200 years. In this Webquest, you will learn about what makes a fairy tale different from other stories. Then, you will write your own fairy tale. Are you ready to start your exciting journey into the world of fairy tales? Let's get started.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wequest Evaluation
1. Which two of example WebQuests listed below are the best ones? Why?
The Webquests Unraveling the Underground Railroad and We All Scream for Ice cream are the two best webquests. These two examples show pictures and describe the projects in a detailed explanation.
2. Which two are the worst? Why?
The Webquests "Who is my Hero?" and Ancient Egypt are the two worst examples. The Ancient Egypt webquest is an individual assignment. The "Who is my Hero?" webquest is not visually appealing to students.
3. What do best and worst mean to you?
A good webquest involves examples and graphics. A bad webquest does not include examples and does not visually catch the attention of students.
The Webquests Unraveling the Underground Railroad and We All Scream for Ice cream are the two best webquests. These two examples show pictures and describe the projects in a detailed explanation.
2. Which two are the worst? Why?
The Webquests "Who is my Hero?" and Ancient Egypt are the two worst examples. The Ancient Egypt webquest is an individual assignment. The "Who is my Hero?" webquest is not visually appealing to students.
3. What do best and worst mean to you?
A good webquest involves examples and graphics. A bad webquest does not include examples and does not visually catch the attention of students.
Friday, November 11, 2011
WebQuest Post
WebQuest about WebQuests Worksheet Secondary
Print this page out and use it to jot down notes while you examine each site. Remember to stay in character as you examine the sites and don't compare notes until you get back with your four-person group.
Your Role
___Efficiency Expert
___X Affiliator
___Altitudinist
___Technophile
Your Impressions
WebQuest Saving the Gorilla Strengths: Collaboration with class
Communicate findings with class
Weakness: Individually look at websites for research on problems
Rubic for assignment
World of Shakepeare
Strengths: Work together with classmates for presentation
Weakness: Individuals select roles and research information
Rubic for assignment
Become an Anti- Earthquake Designer
Strengths: Work in groups
Weakness: Rubic for evaluating assignment
Foreign County Presentation
Weakness: Rubic for assignment
Work individually on assignment
Waves and Sound
Weakness: Rubic for assignment
Work individually
Bernie Dodge, Department of Educational Technology, SDSU
Print this page out and use it to jot down notes while you examine each site. Remember to stay in character as you examine the sites and don't compare notes until you get back with your four-person group.
Your Role
___Efficiency Expert
___X Affiliator
___Altitudinist
___Technophile
Your Impressions
WebQuest Saving the Gorilla Strengths: Collaboration with class
Communicate findings with class
Weakness: Individually look at websites for research on problems
Rubic for assignment
World of Shakepeare
Strengths: Work together with classmates for presentation
Weakness: Individuals select roles and research information
Rubic for assignment
Become an Anti- Earthquake Designer
Strengths: Work in groups
Weakness: Rubic for evaluating assignment
Foreign County Presentation
Weakness: Rubic for assignment
Work individually on assignment
Waves and Sound
Weakness: Rubic for assignment
Work individually
Bernie Dodge, Department of Educational Technology, SDSU
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Assignment for November 9
Does this activity differ from much of the activities you engaged during your K-12 education? How? or How not? Give examples.
ANSWER: Even though it does not seem that I graduated that long ago (2007), the schools that I attended did not have the technology that these fourth grade students had access to in their classroom. Most of my experience in computer labs involved basic keyboarding and learning basic computer skills. Even in high school, the computer classes focused on keyboarding skills. It appeared that about the time I was in high school that the “new” technology in my county was introduced to the K through Fifth Grade students and not the high school students.
Is your learning style addressed in this activity? How? Give me an example.
ANSWER: I certainly feel that this is a learning style that would address the way I learn because I consider myself a very visual learner. In addition, the way each page in this Wiki was organized really appealed to me. I also do much better when the information that I am dealing with is concrete. However, this example started with concrete information and then gradually led the student to use higher order thinking and problem solving skills. By presenting the information in sequenced steps, I feel that this would help me to move beyond just focusing on concrete information. One other example involves the Voki. Even though this information was delivered auditorially, the visual representation held my attention as if someone was explaining the information to me.
This project was implemented without the use of textbooks. Are you surprised? Are you interested in teaching in a similar way when you become a teacher?
ANSWER: I was not surprised. But I certainly was impressed with the final product that the Fourth Graders produced. And I was also impressed with the organization of the entire project. My answer to this question is simple, yes, I would be very interested in being able to teach in a classroom that aligned the standards with innovative ways to introduce students to the concepts involved with digital media. This Wiki was an excellent example of showing how involved students become in a project that is of interest to them. Allowing students to participate in an authentic learning experience through the use of digital media was an effective way to encourage creativity and collaboration among the students.
What are your concerns and what do you anticipate as being barriers? (5pts)
ANSWER: I do have some concerns. Some of those concerns involve the following:
• The availability of digital media, some schools may be located in a county that does not have the resources available to provide technology for every school;
• If a school is fortunate to have the technology in their school, then the administration needs to make sure that the teachers receive the appropriate in-service training to be able to integrate the digital media in their classroom; and
• Teachers finding time in the curriculum to engage the students in producing a Wiki, with all of the interventions currently taking place in the schools, schedules sometimes are full of math and reading interventions.
Some barriers that I would anticipate may involve things such as an administrator that does not support the use of digital technology, breaking away from traditional methods of teaching, and teachers who are not willing to look at our CSOs and come up with creative and innovative ways to use technology in their classrooms. It seems that even though we are told that we have 21st Century Learning Skills to follow, some teachers insist on traditional worksheets and tests instead of utilizing project based learning and authentic experience, which I feel is more meaningful to students.
ANSWER: Even though it does not seem that I graduated that long ago (2007), the schools that I attended did not have the technology that these fourth grade students had access to in their classroom. Most of my experience in computer labs involved basic keyboarding and learning basic computer skills. Even in high school, the computer classes focused on keyboarding skills. It appeared that about the time I was in high school that the “new” technology in my county was introduced to the K through Fifth Grade students and not the high school students.
Is your learning style addressed in this activity? How? Give me an example.
ANSWER: I certainly feel that this is a learning style that would address the way I learn because I consider myself a very visual learner. In addition, the way each page in this Wiki was organized really appealed to me. I also do much better when the information that I am dealing with is concrete. However, this example started with concrete information and then gradually led the student to use higher order thinking and problem solving skills. By presenting the information in sequenced steps, I feel that this would help me to move beyond just focusing on concrete information. One other example involves the Voki. Even though this information was delivered auditorially, the visual representation held my attention as if someone was explaining the information to me.
This project was implemented without the use of textbooks. Are you surprised? Are you interested in teaching in a similar way when you become a teacher?
ANSWER: I was not surprised. But I certainly was impressed with the final product that the Fourth Graders produced. And I was also impressed with the organization of the entire project. My answer to this question is simple, yes, I would be very interested in being able to teach in a classroom that aligned the standards with innovative ways to introduce students to the concepts involved with digital media. This Wiki was an excellent example of showing how involved students become in a project that is of interest to them. Allowing students to participate in an authentic learning experience through the use of digital media was an effective way to encourage creativity and collaboration among the students.
What are your concerns and what do you anticipate as being barriers? (5pts)
ANSWER: I do have some concerns. Some of those concerns involve the following:
• The availability of digital media, some schools may be located in a county that does not have the resources available to provide technology for every school;
• If a school is fortunate to have the technology in their school, then the administration needs to make sure that the teachers receive the appropriate in-service training to be able to integrate the digital media in their classroom; and
• Teachers finding time in the curriculum to engage the students in producing a Wiki, with all of the interventions currently taking place in the schools, schedules sometimes are full of math and reading interventions.
Some barriers that I would anticipate may involve things such as an administrator that does not support the use of digital technology, breaking away from traditional methods of teaching, and teachers who are not willing to look at our CSOs and come up with creative and innovative ways to use technology in their classrooms. It seems that even though we are told that we have 21st Century Learning Skills to follow, some teachers insist on traditional worksheets and tests instead of utilizing project based learning and authentic experience, which I feel is more meaningful to students.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Questions for Monday November 7
1. What do you like or dislike about keeping a blog for this course?
Answer: I like the fact that I get to exchange ideas with classmates and respond to their comments on various topics. I have enjoyed reading how classmates feel about various subjects and how they perceive various readings for this class. At times, I disliked the fact that posting to other blogs was somewhat problematic until I discovered that I needed to post comments from a computer in my home that uses Mozilla instead of Internet Explorer.
2. How can keeping a blog make you a more effective teacher?
Answer: I feel that the sharing of information is a way to keep someone up on current topics in education. During the semester, we have had some very informative blog postings that I feel have been beneficial. I also feel that it is important to gain a different perspective on new ideas. Blogging is a way to keep you current on many subjects in the field of education and I think that is an important aspect of blogging.
3. Will you consider continuing to post to your blog after this course is over? Why?
Answer: Yes, I would like to keep blogging. I feel it is important to share your views plus be able to read about others opinions and views on various topics that impact education. Technology has dramatically changed the way we can input information and I feel that it is important to use digital media to stay current on the latest innovations.
4. Keeping a blog helps you develop four new media literacies:
o Appropriation - The ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content.
o Collective Intelligence - The ability to share and pool knowledge and compare notes with each other toward a common goal.
o Transmedia Navigation.- The ability to follow the flow of information and stories across multiple modalities.
o Networking - The ability to search for synthesizes and disseminate information.
Answer: I feel that this course has offered a wealth of opportunities to engage in “collective intelligence”. For example, I have learned to share knowledge with fellow students and also compare different opinions on a particular topic. Throughout this course I have felt comfortable sharing opinions and comments with my fellow students and I have welcomed their comments and opinions. The common goal has been to post to classmates concerning various assignments. I have found that sharing information through blog postings allows one to gain new perspectives on the information presented through various readings and class discussions. Even when students do not agree on a particular point in a reading or discussion, I feel that the common goal has been to voice an opinion or add to the discussion. A blog serves to give an individual a voice and a way to communicate ideas. Through the blog postings this semester, I feel that students have certainly demonstrated “collective intelligence” and I have found this experience to be a positive one.
Answer: I like the fact that I get to exchange ideas with classmates and respond to their comments on various topics. I have enjoyed reading how classmates feel about various subjects and how they perceive various readings for this class. At times, I disliked the fact that posting to other blogs was somewhat problematic until I discovered that I needed to post comments from a computer in my home that uses Mozilla instead of Internet Explorer.
2. How can keeping a blog make you a more effective teacher?
Answer: I feel that the sharing of information is a way to keep someone up on current topics in education. During the semester, we have had some very informative blog postings that I feel have been beneficial. I also feel that it is important to gain a different perspective on new ideas. Blogging is a way to keep you current on many subjects in the field of education and I think that is an important aspect of blogging.
3. Will you consider continuing to post to your blog after this course is over? Why?
Answer: Yes, I would like to keep blogging. I feel it is important to share your views plus be able to read about others opinions and views on various topics that impact education. Technology has dramatically changed the way we can input information and I feel that it is important to use digital media to stay current on the latest innovations.
4. Keeping a blog helps you develop four new media literacies:
o Appropriation - The ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content.
o Collective Intelligence - The ability to share and pool knowledge and compare notes with each other toward a common goal.
o Transmedia Navigation.- The ability to follow the flow of information and stories across multiple modalities.
o Networking - The ability to search for synthesizes and disseminate information.
Answer: I feel that this course has offered a wealth of opportunities to engage in “collective intelligence”. For example, I have learned to share knowledge with fellow students and also compare different opinions on a particular topic. Throughout this course I have felt comfortable sharing opinions and comments with my fellow students and I have welcomed their comments and opinions. The common goal has been to post to classmates concerning various assignments. I have found that sharing information through blog postings allows one to gain new perspectives on the information presented through various readings and class discussions. Even when students do not agree on a particular point in a reading or discussion, I feel that the common goal has been to voice an opinion or add to the discussion. A blog serves to give an individual a voice and a way to communicate ideas. Through the blog postings this semester, I feel that students have certainly demonstrated “collective intelligence” and I have found this experience to be a positive one.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Wikipedia Questions Link
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1zhMjgRnCUw8432JaU7-itDD-fztAjFnzxyn-wNhWxJY
Work Cited for Wikipedia Post
Works Cited
Cohen, Noam. Times Topic Page on Wikipedia. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2011..
Cohen, Noam. Times Topic Page on Wikipedia. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Wikipedia Post
Times Topic Page on Wikipedia: Q & A
a. What is Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to a short essay from Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009), Wikipedia is a multilingual Web-based encyclopedia project that is operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Wikipedia was founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and has grown very rapidly. The essay Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world, aided by the fact that Google searches usually list its entries near the top on results pages. Each Wikipedia begins with telling the researcher that this site is “the collaborative creation of users of the site, some anonymous, some note, and have been tweaked many times over (Cohen, 2009, para. 1).
b. How would you answer the question posed in this piece “How reliable can a source be when anyone can edit it?”
ANSWER: Good question! I do not feel that the information can be considered reliable if the person who supplied the information on Wikipedia is anonymous. I also feel that the use of Wikipedia depends on what type of research you are conducting. In addition, it depends on how your instruction views the information on Wikipedia. But the bottom line is Wikipedia is easy to access, but if you are writing a research paper, it is critical that you take the time to search databases to support your thesis.
c. Who do the creators of Wikipedia place their trust in when it comes to weeding out misinformation?
ANSWER: It would appear that the creators put their “faith” in the “wisdom of crowds” and rely on the readers of Wikipedia to weed out errors and vandalism when they access the site.
d. Why did founder Larry Sanger leave Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to Cohen (2009), Larry Sanger left Wikipedia because he felt that more authority should be given to experts in order to add information to the sites on Wikipedia.
e. What would abuse or vandalism look like on a Wikipedia page?
ANSWER: Vandalism or abuse is any addition, removal, or change of content in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia. Examples of typical vandalism are adding irrelevant obscenities and crude humor to a page, illegitimately blanking pages, and inserting obvious nonsense into a page. Intentionally making abusive edits to Wikipedia will result in a block, which is the method by which administrators technically prevent users from editing Wikipedia. Blocks may be applied to user accounts, to IP addresses, and to ranges of IP addresses, for either a definite or indefinite time.
f. What do the statistics quoted in the third paragraph of this piece reveal?
ANSWER: First of all, I will list the statistics in Cohen’s (2009) third paragraph. They reveal that as of September, the English Wikipedia published article No. 2 million. In addition, it is also reported that there are Wikipedias in more that 280 languages, which totals more than eight million articles. These statistics tell me that Wikipedia is not only accessible in many languages, but Wikipedia also offers millions of topics. I feel that due to the large number of articles available through Wikipedia, there would be information on a wide variety of subjects.
g. Why do you think Wikipedia is so successful?
ANSWER: As Cohen (2009) states in this article, [Wikipedia] is “aided by the fact that Google searches typically list Wikipedia entries prominently on results pages” (para. 3). Since Google “prominently” displays Wikipedia, access is made quite easy for anyone who uses Google as a search engine. And who does not rely on Google when they are using the Internet? Cohen (2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world. I feel that all of these reasons contribute to the success of Wikipedia.
h. Why might Wikipedia’s creators not want to accept advertising?
ANSWER: By not accepting advertising, I feel that Wikipedia’s creators are attempting to establish that what is reported in their articles is not biased or based on promoting or selling any given product. Also, I feel that the creators are trying to give this site a more professional look instead of having advertising popping on the page and distracting the reader. In addition, Cohen reports that Wikipedia relies on donations from an online Internet user or visitor and other, indirect commercial efforts to add to the success of the site (2009, para. 4).
i. How does Wikiscanner help increase the reliability of Wikipedia entries?
ANSWER: The tool, Wikiscanner, is used to allow the IP address of anonymous editors of the site to be easily checked. This tool has been used to expose examples of self-interested editing by prominent businesses and governments. Wikipedia’s leaders feel that this tool will prove to be a valuable device that will aid in the checking of abuse on Wikipedia. If the leaders at Wikipedia show a strong commitment to checks such as using the Wikiscanner, readers may begin to feel that this site does offer more reliable information.
Works Cited
Cohen, Noam. Times Topic Page on Wikipedia. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2011..
a. What is Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to a short essay from Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009), Wikipedia is a multilingual Web-based encyclopedia project that is operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Wikipedia was founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and has grown very rapidly. The essay Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world, aided by the fact that Google searches usually list its entries near the top on results pages. Each Wikipedia begins with telling the researcher that this site is “the collaborative creation of users of the site, some anonymous, some note, and have been tweaked many times over (Cohen, 2009, para. 1).
b. How would you answer the question posed in this piece “How reliable can a source be when anyone can edit it?”
ANSWER: Good question! I do not feel that the information can be considered reliable if the person who supplied the information on Wikipedia is anonymous. I also feel that the use of Wikipedia depends on what type of research you are conducting. In addition, it depends on how your instruction views the information on Wikipedia. But the bottom line is Wikipedia is easy to access, but if you are writing a research paper, it is critical that you take the time to search databases to support your thesis.
c. Who do the creators of Wikipedia place their trust in when it comes to weeding out misinformation?
ANSWER: It would appear that the creators put their “faith” in the “wisdom of crowds” and rely on the readers of Wikipedia to weed out errors and vandalism when they access the site.
d. Why did founder Larry Sanger leave Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to Cohen (2009), Larry Sanger left Wikipedia because he felt that more authority should be given to experts in order to add information to the sites on Wikipedia.
e. What would abuse or vandalism look like on a Wikipedia page?
ANSWER: Vandalism or abuse is any addition, removal, or change of content in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia. Examples of typical vandalism are adding irrelevant obscenities and crude humor to a page, illegitimately blanking pages, and inserting obvious nonsense into a page. Intentionally making abusive edits to Wikipedia will result in a block, which is the method by which administrators technically prevent users from editing Wikipedia. Blocks may be applied to user accounts, to IP addresses, and to ranges of IP addresses, for either a definite or indefinite time.
f. What do the statistics quoted in the third paragraph of this piece reveal?
ANSWER: First of all, I will list the statistics in Cohen’s (2009) third paragraph. They reveal that as of September, the English Wikipedia published article No. 2 million. In addition, it is also reported that there are Wikipedias in more that 280 languages, which totals more than eight million articles. These statistics tell me that Wikipedia is not only accessible in many languages, but Wikipedia also offers millions of topics. I feel that due to the large number of articles available through Wikipedia, there would be information on a wide variety of subjects.
g. Why do you think Wikipedia is so successful?
ANSWER: As Cohen (2009) states in this article, [Wikipedia] is “aided by the fact that Google searches typically list Wikipedia entries prominently on results pages” (para. 3). Since Google “prominently” displays Wikipedia, access is made quite easy for anyone who uses Google as a search engine. And who does not rely on Google when they are using the Internet? Cohen (2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world. I feel that all of these reasons contribute to the success of Wikipedia.
h. Why might Wikipedia’s creators not want to accept advertising?
ANSWER: By not accepting advertising, I feel that Wikipedia’s creators are attempting to establish that what is reported in their articles is not biased or based on promoting or selling any given product. Also, I feel that the creators are trying to give this site a more professional look instead of having advertising popping on the page and distracting the reader. In addition, Cohen reports that Wikipedia relies on donations from an online Internet user or visitor and other, indirect commercial efforts to add to the success of the site (2009, para. 4).
i. How does Wikiscanner help increase the reliability of Wikipedia entries?
ANSWER: The tool, Wikiscanner, is used to allow the IP address of anonymous editors of the site to be easily checked. This tool has been used to expose examples of self-interested editing by prominent businesses and governments. Wikipedia’s leaders feel that this tool will prove to be a valuable device that will aid in the checking of abuse on Wikipedia. If the leaders at Wikipedia show a strong commitment to checks such as using the Wikiscanner, readers may begin to feel that this site does offer more reliable information.
Works Cited
Cohen, Noam. Times Topic Page on Wikipedia. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Wikipedia Post
Times Topic Page on Wikipedia: Q & A
a. What is Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to a short essay from Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009), Wikipedia is a multilingual Web-based encyclopedia project that is operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Wikipedia was founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and has grown very rapidly. The essay Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world, aided by the fact that Google searches usually list its entries near the top on results pages. Each Wikipedia begins with telling the researcher that this site is “the collaborative creation of users of the site, some anonymous, some note, and have been tweaked many times over (Cohen, 2009, para. 1).
b. How would you answer the question posed in this piece “How reliable can a source be when anyone can edit it?”
ANSWER: Good question! I do not feel that the information can be considered reliable if the person who supplied the information on Wikipedia is anonymous. I also feel that the use of Wikipedia depends on what type of research you are conducting. In addition, it depends on how your instruction views the information on Wikipedia. But the bottom line is Wikipedia is easy to access, but if you are writing a research paper, it is critical that you take the time to search databases to support your thesis.
c. Who do the creators of Wikipedia place their trust in when it comes to weeding out misinformation?
ANSWER: It would appear that the creators put their “faith” in the “wisdom of crowds” and rely on the readers of Wikipedia to weed out errors and vandalism when they access the site.
d. Why did founder Larry Sanger leave Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to Cohen (2009), Larry Sanger left Wikipedia because he felt that more authority should be given to experts in order to add information to the sites on Wikipedia.
e. What would abuse or vandalism look like on a Wikipedia page?
ANSWER: Vandalism or abuse is any addition, removal, or change of content in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia. Examples of typical vandalism are adding irrelevant obscenities and crude humor to a page, illegitimately blanking pages, and inserting obvious nonsense into a page. Intentionally making abusive edits to Wikipedia will result in a block, which is the method by which administrators technically prevent users from editing Wikipedia. Blocks may be applied to user accounts, to IP addresses, and to ranges of IP addresses, for either a definite or indefinite time.
f. What do the statistics quoted in the third paragraph of this piece reveal?
ANSWER: First of all, I will list the statistics in Cohen’s (2009) third paragraph.
They reveal that as of September, the English Wikipedia published article No. 2 million. In addition, it is also reported that there are Wikipedias in more that 280 languages, which totals more than eight million articles. These statistics tell me that Wikipedia is not only accessible in many languages, but Wikipedia also offers millions of topics. I feel that due to the large number of articles available through Wikipedia, there would be information on a wide variety of subjects.
g. Why do you think Wikipedia is so successful?
ANSWER: As Cohen (2009) states in this article, [Wikipedia] is “aided by the fact that Google searches typically list Wikipedia entries prominently on results pages” (para. 3). Since Google “prominently” displays Wikipedia, access is made quite easy for anyone who uses Google as a search engine. And who does not rely on Google when they are using the Internet? Cohen (2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world. I feel that all of these reasons contribute to the success of Wikipedia.
h. Why might Wikipedia’s creators not want to accept advertising?
ANSWER: By not accepting advertising, I feel that Wikipedia’s creators are attempting to establish that what is reported in their articles is not biased or based on promoting or selling any given product. Also, I feel that the creators are trying to give this site a more professional look instead of having advertising popping on the page and distracting the reader. In addition, Cohen reports that Wikipedia relies on donations from an online Internet user or visitor and other, indirect commercial efforts to add to the success of the site (2009, para. 4).
i. How does Wikiscanner help increase the reliability of Wikipedia entries?
ANSWER: The tool, Wikiscanner, is used to allow the IP address of anonymous editors of the site to be easily checked. This tool has been used to expose examples of self-interested editing by prominent businesses and governments. Wikipedia’s leaders feel that this tool will prove to be a valuable device that will aid in the checking of abuse on Wikipedia. If the leaders at Wikipedia show a strong commitment to checks such as using the Wikiscanner, readers may begin to feel that this site does offer more reliable information.
Works Cited
Cohen, Noam. Times Topic Page on Wikipedia. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
.
a. What is Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to a short essay from Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009), Wikipedia is a multilingual Web-based encyclopedia project that is operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit organization. Wikipedia was founded in 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and has grown very rapidly. The essay Times Topic Page on Wikipedia (Cohen, 2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world, aided by the fact that Google searches usually list its entries near the top on results pages. Each Wikipedia begins with telling the researcher that this site is “the collaborative creation of users of the site, some anonymous, some note, and have been tweaked many times over (Cohen, 2009, para. 1).
b. How would you answer the question posed in this piece “How reliable can a source be when anyone can edit it?”
ANSWER: Good question! I do not feel that the information can be considered reliable if the person who supplied the information on Wikipedia is anonymous. I also feel that the use of Wikipedia depends on what type of research you are conducting. In addition, it depends on how your instruction views the information on Wikipedia. But the bottom line is Wikipedia is easy to access, but if you are writing a research paper, it is critical that you take the time to search databases to support your thesis.
c. Who do the creators of Wikipedia place their trust in when it comes to weeding out misinformation?
ANSWER: It would appear that the creators put their “faith” in the “wisdom of crowds” and rely on the readers of Wikipedia to weed out errors and vandalism when they access the site.
d. Why did founder Larry Sanger leave Wikipedia?
ANSWER: According to Cohen (2009), Larry Sanger left Wikipedia because he felt that more authority should be given to experts in order to add information to the sites on Wikipedia.
e. What would abuse or vandalism look like on a Wikipedia page?
ANSWER: Vandalism or abuse is any addition, removal, or change of content in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia. Examples of typical vandalism are adding irrelevant obscenities and crude humor to a page, illegitimately blanking pages, and inserting obvious nonsense into a page. Intentionally making abusive edits to Wikipedia will result in a block, which is the method by which administrators technically prevent users from editing Wikipedia. Blocks may be applied to user accounts, to IP addresses, and to ranges of IP addresses, for either a definite or indefinite time.
f. What do the statistics quoted in the third paragraph of this piece reveal?
ANSWER: First of all, I will list the statistics in Cohen’s (2009) third paragraph.
They reveal that as of September, the English Wikipedia published article No. 2 million. In addition, it is also reported that there are Wikipedias in more that 280 languages, which totals more than eight million articles. These statistics tell me that Wikipedia is not only accessible in many languages, but Wikipedia also offers millions of topics. I feel that due to the large number of articles available through Wikipedia, there would be information on a wide variety of subjects.
g. Why do you think Wikipedia is so successful?
ANSWER: As Cohen (2009) states in this article, [Wikipedia] is “aided by the fact that Google searches typically list Wikipedia entries prominently on results pages” (para. 3). Since Google “prominently” displays Wikipedia, access is made quite easy for anyone who uses Google as a search engine. And who does not rely on Google when they are using the Internet? Cohen (2009) also notes that Wikipedia is among the top ten most visited sites on the Internet around the world. I feel that all of these reasons contribute to the success of Wikipedia.
h. Why might Wikipedia’s creators not want to accept advertising?
ANSWER: By not accepting advertising, I feel that Wikipedia’s creators are attempting to establish that what is reported in their articles is not biased or based on promoting or selling any given product. Also, I feel that the creators are trying to give this site a more professional look instead of having advertising popping on the page and distracting the reader. In addition, Cohen reports that Wikipedia relies on donations from an online Internet user or visitor and other, indirect commercial efforts to add to the success of the site (2009, para. 4).
i. How does Wikiscanner help increase the reliability of Wikipedia entries?
ANSWER: The tool, Wikiscanner, is used to allow the IP address of anonymous editors of the site to be easily checked. This tool has been used to expose examples of self-interested editing by prominent businesses and governments. Wikipedia’s leaders feel that this tool will prove to be a valuable device that will aid in the checking of abuse on Wikipedia. If the leaders at Wikipedia show a strong commitment to checks such as using the Wikiscanner, readers may begin to feel that this site does offer more reliable information.
Works Cited
Cohen, Noam. Times Topic Page on Wikipedia. 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
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