Website

We started a NEW UNIT! It is called "Website". In this unit we are going to learn how to make a website using html and make our own website that the topic is based on a topic that intrigues us. In order to learn some website creating skills, we are going to have online learning using a program called "Moodle". We will have a class discussion as well as some personal discussion with Mrs. Wilson. Since we are learning about websites, I think it is a very good idea that we are going to have a discussion online instead of having a face-to-face traditional form of discussion :) After we make our website, we are going to have a class competition to figure out who's website is made the best, and I think it will be a very interesting process since the competition will lead us to enlarge our knowledge on creating a website in order to win the competition :)

We chose Approaches To Learning as our Areas Of Interaction because we are learning skills of creating a website through using various methods; online class discussions, investigations, and visiting some sample websites. We then chose Inquirers as our IB Learner Profile since we will be able to acquire skills that are required for the new unit.

Since I never tried making a website before, I think this unit maybe challenging, but interesting. I believe that if I know some basic skills of creating a web page, they will be very helpful for me later on because I could use the skills to make my own website about my hobby/interest or even for my career or jobs. I hope I enjoy all the steps to create a website.

Wikiality Evaluation

1) Evaluate Wikipedia group project against our own Method and Design Specifications


The method that we came up was:
1. Choose a topic/subject that we’re familiar with
2. Check if there is a wiki page on it
3. Check if the information on the wiki page corresponds with the information we know
4. Find a reliable source to back up our theory (News sources, books, magazines, web etc.)
5. Once we’ve found an error, print it out and ask Mrs. Wilson if we can change it.


Our design specifications were:

•The information should be cited properly, using MLA format
•The information should be accurate enough that no additional changes are required
•The information should be from valid source, so that it is reliable enough

The topic that we changed on Wikipedia was about Thailand. We all agreed that Thailand is a great place to spend holidays, but I do not think that we did not have further information about Thailand except how famous the country is for a vacation. Therefore, I think that even though the topic was very interesting and intriguing, it was not 100% familiar for us in various ways.

Despite that the topic was not very familiar, we were able to find valid source on the surface area of Thailand, because there were some governmental websites that provide the most accurate information about countries, such as CIA factbook. We could not use any other sources but websites because 1) we could not fine any articles from paper source, and 2) we did not have much time to look thoroughly to other sources. If we had more time to work on the project, we could have probably added more changes since we could have investigated deeply about the subject.


After we added a change to the Wiki Thailand page, we put a proper citation using MLA format. Then we went to the page again, and found out that our change was not changed again, which means the information that we added was accurate! :) Even though it was a minor change, we actually helped Wikipedia to have more accurate information.


2) Evaluate each stage of the project (Cr. A, B, D)


Criterion A - Investigation

Before we started working on research, we firstly made our wiki page and had an experiment how it felt when someone else changed our information. I often made some funny comments on others' wiki pages, and in fact, it was very funny. However, I noticed that I definitely should not put any silly comments or changes on the real wiki pages because I will give disadvantages to other people who might need to use the information. When others added changes on our wiki page, we thanked for those who made some correction on grammar, etc. But others who put weird information just made us feel ridiculous. I think this activity was a very good to learn how we should use wikipedia in terms of editing information in a proper manner.

When the activity was done, the class members are divided into different groups, and I was working together with Sonya and Elise. We then worked on research of Wikipedia. There were two categories of question types; the first one was a individual work, and the second part was a group work. The individual work was mostly based on the questions that were more personal, and asking for one's thoughts and reasons.


There were six questions for the group work process, and each of us took two and answered them. After we answered the questions, we put the information on each one's blog and told other members to copy the information to combine together. While I was working as a part of the group, I felt that I really should be responsible about the topic that I chose, and I should be good at time management. I often procrastinated while we were working on the investigation and I was keep asking a pardon for being procrastinated. I finished investigation on time, but I needed to make other group workers wait for me to put my information on the blog. Next time, I should push myself to work hard during class times so that I would not make other people to feel uncomfortable with working together with me.


Criterion B - Design


For criterion B, we searched for a wiki page that we could possibly make changes, and find sources to prove that the change that we are going to make is valid. Then we created our design specifications.


When we were looking for information that we could add a change, Elise came up with the idea of checking the information on Thailand. We all agreed, and found out that there was a wiki page about Thailand, and there was a minor error on the surface area of Thailand. We found out valid information from CIA factbook and Mundi, a website that provides all the countries' profiles. Then we decided to change this information, then came up with three design specifications.

I think I was able to finish criterion B very quick because my group members provided so much information to me. They were really good at researching, and finding out information that they are needed. If the project was an individual work, I would probably had difficult times to what to choose for my topic. Furthermore, I learned the benefit of group work, which is we can come up with different ideas and solve a problem in a shorter time.

Criterion D - Create



As soon as we started working on criterion D, we went to Wikipedia Thailand web page, and logged on to the website. We added changes to the total area of Thailand, and then checked later again if there was another change made. The whole process of changing information went very fast (in fact it took only 10 minutes to finish Criterion D!). However, it was sort of complicated to change the information because the page was not like an ordinary web editing page, but full of HTML and other information. So we needed to find out where the information of the area is located, and the work cited page of it. After tried for more than 3 times to change the information, we finally saved the wiki page, and we were done with the process.

Overall I learned that changing information on a professional, or popular wiki page is really easy, therefore, people should be award of the validity of the information. Even if the website is a well-known one, there might be some flaws found in it. The entire process of this project went very quickly, but it was very interesting. What is going to be the next project?!? :D

Wikiality Investigation Possible Topics

List of possible topics that we can work on this project

• Nicholas sparks
• Disturbia
• Hitchcock
• Confessions of a shopaholic
• She’s the man
• William Shakespeare
• 10 things I hate about you
• William Shakespeare
• Mongolia
• Comparison between book version and movie
• The proposal
• ISU

Wikiality Investigation 2

For this project, I'm working with Sonya and Elise. We are going to explore the world of Wikis and make a correction on one of wikipedia pages after that. The questions and answers below are individual work that is done by me. :)

What is a Wiki?

A wiki is a website that can be edited by any web users. It is run by a type of server software that allows to create and edit information freely. Wikipedia uses this software and made an online encyclopedia that everyone can be an editor of any web pages.

Who creates them?

Any wiki pages can be created by ANYONE. Since wiki is an "open-editing" website, anyone who wants to share their knowledge can create a wiki, allowing other people to get sources. It can be created by a student, a company, or by professionals as well.

Why use them?

People often use wikipedia because:

1. Wikipedia has works cited page, so the information is accurate enough.
   
2. Some of information that can bring a controversy is edit-protected, and the information is edited by both sides of an argument. Therefore it is unbiased.
   
3. Wikipedia pages update often, putting latest information.
   
4. Wikipedia is convenient to find information that using paper sources. It works as a good encyclopedia.

Who edits them?

Like I mentioned before, wikipedia is "open-editing" web page. Therefore, everyone can edit information from wiki pages. When they figure out some false information, or trying to add information, they can easily edit the website. Furthermore, any administrators from Wikipedia have rights to fix the information as well in order to create a clean wiki environment.

What is your task?

For this project, Sonya, Elise and I are going to understand how wikipedia works. After that we are going to choose a topic that we all are familiar with, and trying to find out some biased information on its wikipedia page. After that we will get confirmed from Mrs. Wilson whether we can change/edit its information. If it is okay to change, then we will change the information without putting any other biased information. Then we will check whether the change is still remained on the page.

Why is it important for you to learn about Wikipedia?

Learning about Wikipedia is important for me because I often use Wikipedia to find sources for research. Even though I've already realized that Wikipedia sometimes give you biased information, I do not know in what was the information is inaccurate. Therefore, if I investigate about Wikipedia and the validity of information, I will be able to learn to figure out in what ways the information is right or wrong. Furthermore, learning about Wikipedia will give me a moral that putting biased information should not be happened. I can learn that Wikipedia is a open information source that should be stayed with a high rate of accuracy as much as possible.

Works Cited

"Wiki." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 12 February 2010. 23 February 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

"What is Wiki?" wiki.org. 27 June 2002. 23 February 2010.

http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki

"Wikipedia: Why use Wikipedia." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 29 December 2008. 23 February 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Why_use_Wikipedia

Wikiality Design

An example that we found from Wikipedia was the inaccuracy of information of Thailand’s wikipedia page. We found out that the surface area of Thailand was inaccurate.

This was the information from Wikipedia about Thailand.

According to the image, the total area of Thailand is 513,115 sq km.

After that, we went to the CIA world factbook to see if the information was wrong.

(Click the image to view it larger)

In the CIA world factbook it said that the area of Thailand is 513,120 sq km.

We went to another website called "index mundi", a website that also shows accurate country profiles, to see if the information on CIA factbook was correct. According to the website, the area is also described as 513,120 sq km.

Therefore, the information on Wikipedia was invalid according to our investigation.

Our design Specifications are:

• The information should be cited properly, using MLA format
• The information should be accurate enough that no additional changes are required
• The information should be from valid source, so that it is reliable enough
  

Works Cited

CIA World factbook. 2010. 23 February 2010.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html

"Thailand Area." Index Mundi. 2010. 23 February 2010.

http://www.indexmundi.com/thailand/area.html

"Thailand." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 23 February 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand

Wikiality Investigation Method

1. Choose a topic/subject that we’re familiar with

2. Check if there is a wiki page on it

3. Check if the information on the wiki page corresponds with the information we know

4. Find a reliable source to back up our theory (News sources, books, magazines, web etc.)

5. Once we’ve found an error, print it out and ask Mrs. Wilson if we can change it.

Wikiality Investigation Group Work 3

Answered by Elise

Where does Wikipedia get its information?

Wikipedia can get its information from a range of different websites. It can get it from personal blogs, twitter, or any other website that are either personal or public. However, it is important that the information on those websites is valid so it won’t be removed soon after.

Who is in charge of deciding what goes into an article and what gets removed from an article?

Even though the Wikipedia program is processed by its administrators, every user can edit every source on a wiki. If someone believes that the information is incorrect or invalid, that person can change or remove the information. Also, administrators have the rights to remove the information in order to keep the web environment reliable.