Using Wikis with Teacher Candidates: Promoting Collaborative Practice and Contextual Analysis

This article examines a collaborative study that two teacher educators conducted across two sites. Participants included teacher candidates implementing a digital language experience approach project with elementary learners. The teacher candidates collaborated across sites, building joint wikis to examine their processes and products. The wikis were designed to support candidates' critical thinking while promoting collaboration. Results indicate that the use of wikis effectively promoted collaboration, critical thinking, understanding of learners' development and diversity, and understanding of literacy-based pedagogical strategies. However, results also show that teacher candidates need support in considering contexts of instructional practice (including community, school, and classroom factors) and need guidance in giving and receiving peer feedback.