Using Wikis to develop the four capacities of A Curriculum for Excellence and improve literacy.

The four capacities of a Curriculum for Excellence could have been devised with the use of wikis in mind.

By their very nature they are a natural medium for developing the capacities while at the same time keeping an accurate record of each pupils progress and personal development.

Neil Winton (http://nwinton.wordpress.com), PT English at Perth Academy, will highlight how his school have been using wikis to improve literacy and develop the four capacities.

Wikis encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own learning as individuals and also in groups.

The online nature of the medium can help break down the artificial barriers that peer pressure can create whilst also promoting respect for others.

The ability to participate in teams made up of pupils from completely different backgrounds is a major factor in producing successful, confident, responsible and effective learners.

Pupils at Perth Academy have been using wikis in a variety of imaginative and original ways to motivate and enthuse learning about literature.

In doing so, links with other pupils have been forged on a national and international stage.

The session will use examples of pupil produced wikis to illustrate the four capacities outlined in A Curriculum for Excellence. In doing so, I will be examining and demonstrating how classroom teachers can use a wiki to support the aims of A Curriculum for Excellence.

Neil Winton is Principal Teacher of English at Perth Academy, and a Glow Mentor for Perth and Kinross Council.

He is also the author of the blog: Mr W's Blogging Great Thing (http://nwinton.wordpress.com).

He has been teaching English since 1991 and using ICT to do so for almost as long.

Outwith the normal duties of running a large English department, his key interests at the moment are levering Web2.0 tools to increase literacy.

This has resulted in him delivering training and presentations at local authority level, as well as some presenting at national level. He has also been invited to contribute to some think tanks at national level.