As the title of this blog suggest I will be talking about the interesting interaction between Wikipedia and the Secondary historical community. Throughout my high school experience in history the constant narrative was that Wikipedia was false and it would never ever be okay. In high school I understandably avoided Wikipedia, and through college I continued to do the same. However, after today I will be using Wikipedia more and more.
As educators we need to give our students relevant ways to do research and to study. The ranking system that Wikipedia employs is easy enough for our students to understand and for educators to regulate. However, in the world of historiography the skills related around primary source research cannot be undermined. The study of history involved a process where students need to compare and evaluate both primary and secondary sources. Students often times take secondary sources (like Wikipedia) at face value. Educators who do decide to use Wikipedia must remember that students cannot forget to do their own research. Learning about what someone said is great, but reading/listening to what someone said from their own words is the most important. While these statements may seem like a negative outlook on Wikipedia, I want to emphasize one point. I see Wikipedia as effective as any secondary source, but history is not just secondary sources. History is empathy, and the only way to understand that is to listen to the one's who were there.
In regards to using google and wikipedia as a whole, I feel like the stigma around the two are from a misunderstanding or a lack of understanding of the purpose of the aforementioned. If educators and students can be properly educated on how to use both google and wikipedia effectively then our students will gain access to the verifiable amount of human knowledge.
Hear More Here:
https://www.ted.com/talks/katherine_maher_what_wikipedia_teaches_us_about_balancing_truth_and_beliefs?language=en
No comments:
Post a Comment