Wikipedia? Credible?  

    Since as long as I can remember, Wikipedia has been considered an unreliable source for information. Teachers would always tell me that Wikipedia was a site where any random person could upload information at any given time without regulation. This may be true, but there are eyes watching. I learned that Wikipedia has its very own rubric for sources on topics. Wikipedia has incredible accuracy and reliability on sites with over a GA rating! YAY! 

    Wikipedia is a great way for students to see that the world of information runs on a rubric. Getting student exposure to a rubric is so important because it makes learning in the school and real world relatable. If students can see that both worlds function within a set of parameters to be considered valuable, then students will understand that their work also has to fit within a set of parameters to be credible. The grading of credibility within wikipedia is based upon a popularity system which indicates the sites importance and cited resources. If a site is accurate and credible with important information, then the site will gain popularity and therefore be harder to edit. Thus, as the site increases in popularity, the number of eyes on the site increases which upgrades its credibility. 

  Not only is Wikipedia a credible source but it's a great opportunity for kids to make an observable impact on the global internet. We learned in class that 5th grade students edited a Wikipedia webpage and had the information they researched become part of the official wiki page! I think this is such a cool way for students to be engaged with the material and practice UDL with a clearly defined task. Do good research on something you love, get it published. I cant wait to incorporate this style of learning into my teaching and I am so excited to see what students can come up with!