Learning+Disabilities+and+Wikis

**Learning Disabilities and Wikis**
This article is about students with learning disabilities and Wikis. Wikis can be a beneficial tool in the classroom that helps not only the regular education student but also helps the learning disabled students. Most likely, the student with a learning disability would be using a wiki to help him/her overcome a learning disability. This article will focus on learning disabled students and using the Web 2.0 tool of Wikis to overcome the disability. Using a wiki with learning disabled students can help the student improve his/her writing abilities. The wiki provides students an audience with which to share information. Since a wiki is collaborative, the student can be seen as an expert based on their knowledge of a certain topic not necessarily their ability to use proper mechanics or grammar. This boost in self-esteem caused by being considered an expert on a topic may encourage the student to spend more time writing about their topic of interest. The increased amount of time spent writing will help the students improve in their writing abilities. (Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd)) While thinking about the learning disabled student, the teacher may pair the struggling student with a stronger student to work on a wiki. This pairing would allow both students the opportunity to contribute to an assignment. (Differentiate Instruction with Online Tools for Writing)

Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd). (n.d.). //Blogs, Wikis and Text Messaging: What are the Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities//. Retrieved October 14, 2012, from LD Online: http://www.Idonline.org/article/27426 //Differentiate Instruction with Online Tools for Writing//. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2012, from Inclusive Schools Network: http://inclusiveschools.org/differentiate-instruction-with-online-tools-for-writing/