Wikipedia in the Classroom: From Orientation to Application

Authors

• Kristen L. Hodnett, CUNY Hunter CollegeFollow

Document Type

Lesson Plan

Publication Date

Fall 9-11-2026

Abstract

"Wikipedia in the Classroom: From Orientation to Application" is a flexible mini-unit designed to help early-career teachers rethink how open web tools can be used in the classroom. Built for graduate teacher preparation programs, the unit breaks learning into 15- to 45-minute micro-lessons spread across a semester. This structure gives future educators low-stakes, repeated opportunities to build digital literacy without taking time away from core course content.

The curriculum walks students through a clear, three-phase framework:

• Orientation & Exploration: Students unpack how Wikipedia actually works—from talk pages to sourcing standards—while examining missing voices, bias, and who gets to create knowledge online.

• Content Implementation: Candidates use a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to evaluate articles for accessibility, gather classroom resources, and draft initial activity ideas.

• Application: Through peer review and group debate on the real-world challenges of P–12 adoption, candidates design a complete, context-specific lesson plan featuring Wikipedia tools, open media, or live editing tasks.

By shifting Wikipedia’s image from a forbidden shortcut to a useful teaching asset, this unit helps future teachers build their own critical information literacy and learn how to design more engaging, modern, and accessible lessons for their future students.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

CUNY OER Funding

CUNY OER Initiative