Apparently, instead of using the situation as a teaching tool, some districts and librarians are just banning Wikipedia outright:
Earlier this month, Pennsylvania’s Express-Times reported on a local school librarian who put up her own "Just Say No to Wikipedia" signs in the computer lab. The entire Warren Hills Regional School District in New Jersey has also blocked access from all school computers. The basic problem, according to officials, is that Wikipedia’s unverified accuracy and ease of use are making it too tempting for students to use as a primary source.
I agree that while Wikipedia should never be used as a primary source, it is still useful. The links at the end of the article are usually very valuable, and the discussions pages lend insight to the article.Students need to be taught how to evaluate the reliability of resources found on the Internet. Outright bans should never take place. Too often I hear stories where instead of dealing with the problem, the participants will hide/ban/sweep under the rug the problem, just because it’s easier.
Do you use Wikipedia in your school? How do you use it?
We also need to get used to the concept of “reliability” not being a binary thing. How reliable is the source? Is it good enough for what you need? A lot of times, Wikipedia’s great for stuff like that. When did Queen Elizabeth I reign? Wikipedia says November 17, 1558 – March 24, 1603. I know that’s around the same time as Shakespeare, and somewhat earlier than the pilgrims came to America. If it was actually November 15, or 1561, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not writing a dissertation, here.
Or, use my favorite example, cheetahs. Wikipedia says they can run 70-75 miles per hour. Other sources claim 70 MPH, or even 60. But all I need to know is if I can outrun one in my car. And it turns out that I better have a pretty good head start.
The trick is to know how accurate your information HAS to be, and then asses what you’re reading based on those criteria.