Wikis

On-line Collaboration
Using Wikispaces
What is a Wiki?
 A wiki is a type of website that allows users
easily to add, remove, or otherwise edit and
change most available content.
How is a Wiki Constructed?
 A single page in a wiki is referred to as a "wiki
page", while the entire body of pages, which are
usually highly interconnected via hyperlinks, is
"the wiki“
 in effect, a wiki is actually a very simple, easy-to-use
user-maintained database for searching and creating
information.
Are Wikis Safe?
 Wikis are generally designed with the philosophy
of making it easy to correct mistakes, rather than
making it difficult to make them.
Are Wikis Safe?
 Thus while wikis are very open, they provide a
means to verify the validity of recent additions to
the body of pages.
 The most prominent, on almost every wiki, is the
"Recent Changes" page—a specific list numbering
recent edits, or a list of all the edits made within a
given timeframe.
Tracking Changes
Tracking Changes
Using Wikis as a Source
 Wikipedia is as reliable as other external sources we rely
on.
 Properly written articles cite the sources, and a reader
should rely on the Wikipedia article as much, but no
more, than the sources the article relies on.
 If an article doesn't cite a source, it may or may not be
reliable.
 Students should never use information in a wiki until they
have checked those external sources.
What the Experts are Saying
 Wikis are helping young people develop “writing
skills and social skills by learning about group
consensus and compromise—all the virtues you
need to be a reasonable and productive member of
society.”
 Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia
What the Experts are Saying
 “The media is controlled by people who have the
resources to control it,” he says. “Wikis show that
all of us have an equal opportunity to contribute
to knowledge.”
 Andy Garvin, head of the Digital Divide Network
Ways to Use Wikis
 Use wikis as formats for subject guides.
 Invite students and teachers to annotate your
catalog on a wiki.
 Make wikis meeting places for communities
inside the school.
 Link librarians and teachers in your district in a
collaborative enterprise.
Class Wikis
Class Wikis – Online Content
Class Wikis - Webquests
Class Wikis - Webquests
Class Wikis – Student
Collaboration
Class Wikis – Student
Collaboration
Class Wikis – Student
Collaboration
Class Wikis – Student
Collaboration
Professional Learning
Communities
PLC – Professional Research
PLC – Virtual Training
PLC – Curricular Collaboration
PLC – Supporting Teachers
Links to Getting Started
 Wiki Walk-Through
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/
 What’s a wiki?
 Who uses wikis?
 Wikis or blogs?
 How to use wikis with students.
 Ideas for activities, projects, collaborations, etc.
 Using wikis in Education (blog) http://ikiw.org/
 Classroom use of wikis
http://www.teachinghacks.com/wiki/index.php?title=Wikis
Wikispaces
 Wikispaces is offering K-12 organizations their
premium membership for free
 No advertisements
 Greater storage capacity
 Enhanced privacy settings

http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers100K