Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thing 8 - Stretch
I have used Wikipedia many times. It is a good place for quick information. Today I scanned the information on the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. The information was clearly written and accurate (as far as I know). What is not here are links to critical responses to his writing. In the secondary ELA calssroom we need links to these critical essays. I would not allow a student to cite Wikipedia in a research paper due to the lack of references on many of the subjects. It is a good place for students to go for background knowledge.
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I agree that Wikipedia is great for background knowledge - especially on current topics for which there are no print sources yet. Some educators promote its use as a publishing venue for students, rather than a reference resource. Some classes have found topics that had no entry, did the research on the topic, then created the Wikipedia entry. The entry on The Pitot House in New Orleans is one such entry.
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