Should Wikipedia be forbidden in students' social studies research?
As a high school English teacher, I feel as though I am constantly fighting the Wikipedia vs. No Wikipedia battle. At the beginning of my career, I did not have much of a personal stance on the topic. No teacher had ever taught me the difference between Wikipedia and any other online encyclopedia, so I thought, "Why not let my students use it?" It wasn't until I began a summer writing and research institute at Auburn University circa 2006 that I learned the faulty information that may be and usually is on Wikipedia.
This informative session made me better understand the utter importance of being able to ensure that the information that my students are citing in their research is valid. At the beginning, there was definitely some reservations from my students regarding my staunch apposition to the use of this beloved online encyclopedia; however, over time I have come to see that this my position has become the norm among my colleagues and others in the educational field.
I think that it would especially important that Wikipedia be banned from use in a social studies classroom. Research conducted in those types of classes are based off of fact, which Wikipedia cannot be expected to provide. I think it is our job as educators to teach our students the difference in fact and opinion. They will need this vital piece in knowledge in college and as they enter into the professional world.
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