My Lesson on Wikipedia and How It Went

As part of the information literacy unit with 10-12 year olds, I lead a discussion on Wikipedia each year. My goals for them are to know:

• what it is
• how it differs from other encyclopedias, print and online by subscription
• who writes it
• what kinds of topics it is good for
• advantages and disadvantages
  
• when you need to be skeptical
• why you need to use multiple sources for research projects

A girl: "Didn't the guy who is the head of it just get arrested?"
Me: "No, that would be the Wikileaks founder, not Wikipedia."

Blake: "I love Wikipedia. I use it all the time. And it's my hobby to go on it and put really fun, crazy stuff up and see how long it stays there."
Me, to the class: "Blake is a good example of why you need to be mindful when using Wikipedia, because anybody can put up ridiculous stuff. It might only be up there for a moment, but it might be the moment when you are there."
Blake: "But it's fun!"
Me: "And it's unethical. It undermines the idealism behind it, that we are all smarter if we pool our knowledge and work together."
Blake: "Are you telling me I shouldn't do that?"
Me: "I'm wondering about all the different kinds of ethical decisions you make online."
Blake: "Could I get kicked out of school for doing it?"
Me: "No, but that's a pretty low bar." And we moved on.

I summarized Stephen Colbert's satiric discussion, in which he coins the term "wikiality": if we all agree that something is true, then it must be true! Colbert doesn't like the idea that George Washington owned slaves, so he denies it on Wikiepedia and proclaims it to be true. I had meaty discussions with students about the Catholic Church vs. Galileo, smoking and even slavery: even if a majority of people believe something to be true, right and just, it's not always the case. Majority rules isn't always a guarantor of truth. And I cite Colbert's exhortation to his "nation," urging them to save the African elephant by changing the numbers of surviving elephants on Wikipedia.

(Watch below- I didn't show this clip this year as it is a tad dated. If the embed doesn't work, click here.)

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Wikiality
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog March to Keep Fear Alive

Me, concluding: "So, you need to follow Wikipedia's own advice, especially when you are researching controversial topics such as gun rights, gay marriage and abortion."
A girl: "What is abortion?" and several other kids nod, asking.
A boy, with alacrity: "I'll tell you what it is! It's when.."
Me (taking a deep breath): "Stop. Let me answer this one...."

Not what I planned to talk about. I see such a range of kids, from the hardened Wikipedia hacker to the angelic innocent. I'm ready for my holiday break. More posts in 2011!