Why Wiki?
Links and resources for this class can be found by going to
teachnology.pbworks.com and clicking on "Why Wiki?"
What is a wiki?
A wiki is a website that allows visitors to add, remove, and edit content.A collaborative technology for organizing information on Web sites, the first wiki (WikiWikiWeb) was developed by Ward Cunningham in the mid-1990s. Wikis allow for linking among any number of pages. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring. Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, is probably the best known wiki. Wikis that are editable by the general public (such as Wikipedia) have been criticized for their reliability, simply because malicious or incompetent individuals may introduce disinformation. Proponents rely on their community of users who can catch malicious content and correct it. Wikis in general make a basic assumption of the goodness of people. (Taken from wikipedia.org.)
What are the parts of a wiki?
- Title- Tells the readers the name of the wiki.
- Editing Tool- On many wikis, visitors need permission to edit the page.
- Content- This is where the magic happens. Authors provide content, make changes, and add media, such as documents, movies, podcasts, and images.
- Sidebar-A list of links to other pages on the site or other websites the authors want to highlight.
- Gadgets/Widgets- Depending on the wiki host, different applets are available to increase the functionality of the wiki.
- Comments- Visitors and/or contributors to the wiki may leave comments for others.
- Page History- Many wikis have an option that lets you revert to a previous version of a page, in case someone makes unwanted changes.
- Multiple Pages- Wikis can be organized in many ways, and usually include multiple pages for different topics.
Why use Wikis in Education?
- Wikis can be organizational tools. Wikis are, at a basic level, easy to edit websites. They can be used as a way to post resources such as frequently used websites, documents, images, media, directions, assignments and more.
- Wikis can be used for home-school communication. Schools are using wikis to establish school and class websites. They may post information for parents, newsletters, student work, or photos from school events.
- Wikis can encourage critical thinking and collaboration from students. Wikis change the image of an "expert." No longer is the teacher the sole authority or owner of information. Students can work together to create a resource for others to read. In creating such a product, students need to critically analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources. Collaboration can take place within a single class or across multiple classrooms.
- Wikis can provide an authentic audience and authentic task for students. By expanding the audience for a project, students often step-up the quality of their work. Wikis can also be used to change the kinds of projects assigned students. For example, instead of writing a paper to be read by a single teacher, students may develop a wiki page that includes information on a topic, as well as resources for others to use.
Wikis can be a one-stop shop for everyone related to the school. Create one wiki, with areas for teachers, parents, students, and visitors. Include student work, professional development materials, resources for parents, and information for people who want to learn more about your school.
Ways to Use Wikis in Class
- Provide information to parents and/or students
- Post student work for parents or classmates to access
- Collaborative projects
- http://codeblue.wikispaces.com/
- Martian Constitution- Deer Valley HS teachers are collaborating between Astronomy and Government classes to create a constitution for a colony on Mars
- Creating a resource for students (or teachers!)
- Create a collaborative database/glossary/dictionary...
- Online books or newspaper
- Professional development
Considerations When Using Wikis in Class or School
- Access- Who can access the wiki and what kind of access can each person have?
- Safety- How will you keep students' identities safe?
- Rules/Guidelines- What will the rules or guidelines be for using the wiki? Who will decide the rules- the teacher or the students? What are the consequences?
- Administrative Support- Get your administrator on board in case there are any parent or student issues.
- Parental Support- Make sure parents know what is expected and what will be taking place. Consider an information night and/or a contract with signatures from parents, students, and teachers.
- Use- How will you use the wiki?
- Filters- Which services are blocked by your district?
- Copyright issues- Both teachers and students need to be aware.
See the Sample Wiki Warranty (From Teachers First) for an example of an agreement to use with students.
Free Wiki Resources