Wikis

=**It's a Wiki-Wiki World** =

**Introduction**
You may have noticed that this course content is presented in a wiki. A wiki is a great tool for delivering instructional content on the web. Pages can be edited from anywhere, right in the web browser, without a lot of technical knowledge. It's free, and offers enough online storage space to upload pictures and files. You don't need help or permission from a tech person to get started and can easily re-organize content and add new pages with a few clicks. You can attach files, add pictures and embed video, audio, slide shows and other media. **MOST IMPORTANTLY, you can invite others to help develop the content — even (or especially) your students.**

**What is a Wiki?**
A wiki is a type of website that is structured so anyone can edit the content using a web browser. The first wiki was developed in 1995 by [|Ward Cunningham], who named his project after the Hawaiian word "wiki-wiki," meaning "quick." If you can use a word processor, copy and paste, and send an email attachment, you can create a wiki. A wiki site may be as basic as a single page containing information and links by one author, or as complex as [|Wikipedia], the collaborative web-based encyclopedia, containing over 9 million articles in 250 languages, written, edited and constantly updated by thousands of users. (We won't debate the merits of Wikipedia at this particular moment, but most educators will concede that it has some value as a ready reference tool, and also that it can be used as a means for teaching students to critically evaluate online information sources).

===**Wikis in under 4 minutes, presented by //CommonCraft//:** === media type="youtube" key="-dnL00TdmLY?fs=1" height="385" width="480" If the YouTube video doesn't work, go here.

**A Few Key Wiki Features**

 * Every version of every page is saved in the page History (anytime a user clicks Save), so it's easy to track changes and compare page versions. You can easily revert to an "old" page version if information is accidentally lost or changed in an unwanted way.
 * The History stores user information along with page revisions, which allows you to easily track and evaluate user (read: student) contributions.
 * A wiki's "permissions" may be set to Public, Protected or Private. Public - Anyone can view and edit the pages; Protected - Anyone can view the pages, but only approved members may edit pages; Private - Only approved members (who are logged in) can view or edit the pages.
 * A wiki site includes the ability to track page changes via email or an RSS feed. That's how Wikipedia vandalism/errors are corrected so quickly!
 * Most wikis include a Discussion feature for each page, allowing users to leave comments or discuss page contents.
 * Wikis use a very simple coding language called "Wikitext" or "Wiki Markup" to format the text, links and other content on the pages. Most users don't need to know about that, because they can use the Visual Editor (looks a bit like the formatting toolbar in Word) to format their pages.

**Why Wikis in Education?**
Wikis encourage shared knowledge construction, as they are often built and edited by many users at once. Teachers and students can use wikis for publishing, organizing, and sharing virtually any kind of information – professional, creative or academic. Wikis are democratic tools that, implemented effectively, can enable students to take responsibility for learning outcomes, plan and make decisions, work together, publish to an audience beyond the classroom and, perhaps most importantly, teach others.

At is simplest, a wiki is a really easy way to make a website. At its most robust, a wiki is a collaborative, participatory, living, evolving content repository. (Of course, the quality of the content is what matters). Wikis can be used to support classroom learning, professional development, collaborative document writing, planning and resource-building. Essentially, a wiki is anything you want it to be.

===**In this 2-minute video from PBwiki, teachers talk about classroom wiki use:** === media type="file" key="ClassroomWikiUse.mov" align="left" width="360" height="360"

If you have trouble seeing this video, go here.

= Discovery Exercise = Check out 5-7 of the "educational" wikis below. Explore their organization and content. While there are essentially endless professional and administrative uses for wikis, the ones below include collaborative, student-produced content. As you look at the sites, consider how you might use a wiki to support student learning and/or your own teaching or professional goals. (NOTE: These are not offered as the absolute best or most comprehensive wiki projects; just a variety of examples).


 * 1001 Flat World Tales- An ongoing global writing workshop emphasizing peer editing and revision. The challenge: "You are a modern Scheherazade. You must tell an 'amazing' story that keeps your King interested in order to stay alive. You will have an advantage over Scheherezade, though: you can draft and revise your story until the 'King' -- three or four of your classmates -- judge your story is good enough to allow you to survive."
 * Code Blue - Sixth grade students learning about the human body open their own online "medical clinic."
 * [|Digital Research Tools (DiRT)] - This wiki collects information about tools and resources that can help scholars (particularly in the humanities and social sciences) conduct research more efficiently or creatively. Whether you need software to help you manage citations, author a multimedia work, or analyze texts, Digital Research Tools will help you find what you're looking for.
 * Discovery Utopias - Middle school students answer "all of the great questions" of society (What is the role of government, What is the responsibility of the individual, etc.) and come to a collaborative consensus about what a society truly needs in order to reach for perfection and sustainability. Click the Discovery Utopias link at the bottom of the navigation area (just above the visitor map) to view the student projects.
 * Dr. Reich's Chemistry Wiki - Wiki site providing resources to support high school chemistry course and to showcase student projects.
 * FHS Wolves Den - Site to support eleventh grade English and U.S. History classes. Hub for class lectures, essays, novels, projects, links, learning applications, discussions, and more.
 * [|Go West] - Third graders share their learning about Westward Expansion along the Oregon Trail.
 * Grazing for Digital Natives - Resources for educators about using new technologies in the classroom.
 * Great Debate 2008 - Collaborative project that provides students in grades 8-12 with an opportunity to lead an exploration and discussion of issues and candidates surrounding the 2008 presidential election.
 * Greetings from the World - A high school teacher in Croatia invites people from all over the world to share about their home countries using the Glogster "digital collage" tool. An ongoing, ever-growing collection of posts. Winner of the 2009 Edublog Award for Best Educational Wiki.
 * [|HUMS3001: Censorship and Responsibility] - a great example of collaborative scholarship by university students. Students develop content and teach each other as they study "theoretical approaches to free speech, liberalism, censorship, and responsibility and apply them to contemporary debates in journalism, media, art, literary studies and academia." I especially like their explanation of "wiki spirit."
 * [|Kindergarten Counting Book] - Photos to show each number from 1 to 100. (Wetpaint now offers ad-free education wikis).
 * Kubler Reading - Fourth grade students organize their of study Natalie Babbit's Tuck Everlasting on a wiki.
 * [|Math 12V Outcomes Portfolio] - Twelfth grade math students create an online review for the entire math curriculum.
 * [|Primary Math] - Primary students share their math learning with students around the world.
 * [|Mr. Lindsay's Classroom Wiki**__] - Fourth grade classroom wiki. Includes student work, as well as class information.
 * Schools in the Past**__ - First graders interview parents and grandparents to find out how schools have changed.
 * Small Stones**__ - AP Calculus students write their own textbook by "scribe posting" a review of each day's lesson.
 * Springfield Township Virtual Library - Amazingly rich collection of digital library resources maintained by Joyce Valenza.
 * Thousands Project - Each month, Mr. Monson's fifth grade class posts a new question, hoping to receive 1000 responses from students and visitors from around the world.
 * UDL Tech Toolkit - a useful collection of resources for using online tools to support Universal Design for Learning. Collaboratively edited.
 * [|Welker's Wikinomics] - Award-winning project supporting the teaching of AP Economics. Be sure to check out the Discussion Forum.
 * [|Westwood Schools Computer Science] - Classroom wiki for [|Vicki Davis]' (coolcatteacher) high school computer science courses.

= A Few Further Resources (provided for your reference) =
 * [|TeachersFirst Wiki Walkthrough] - Useful overview of basic wiki features and concepts, plus lots of ideas for classroom wiki projects in many subject areas, including a specific section for younger grades.
 * [|EDUCAUSE: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis] (PDF) - Don't let the techno-speak in #3 scare you.
 * [|Wiki While You Work] - Mark Wagner's introduction to wikis presentation from the 2006 K12 Online Conference. It's long (1 hour) but really good.
 * [|Wiki Wisdom: Lessons for Educators] (PDF) - Article from Digital Directions

= Two Sites for Creating a Wiki (provided for your reference) = In case you just can't wait to start your wiki, here are two good options, both of which offers Ad-Free, hosted wikis for K-12 Education. The features vary a bit, so you may want to investigate a bit before settling. One way to do that is to create a "regular" free wiki (ad-supported) to explore the features before asking for your educator site.
 * Wikispaces for Teachers - []
 * PBWiki for Educators - []

= Task =

**PART 1**: Read Vicki Davis' blog post [|Wiki Wiki Teaching] about her first experience using wikis in the classroom. Do you think there may be a wiki in your future? Write a blog post sharing your thoughts and observations about the educational wiki projects you have explored. Provide details/examples from at least three wikis that you actually investigated -- e.g., //What did you notice about their organization, content, tools used, learning outcomes? What was missing? What could you do differently or better?// In your post, please also share initial ideas you have for wiki use in classroom, professional or personal learning.

**PART 2**: Check your Google Reader at least every other day this week -- remember, you are skimming and scanning for items of interest, not reading every single entry! You are always welcome to adjust your subscriptions (delete some, add new ones, etc...).

**Stretch Task**
Check out a topic of interest in [|Wikipedia]. Does the content seem valid, complete, well-written? Visit the Discussion tab to see if there has been any conversation or controversy about the article. Also look at the History tab and explore a few of the revisions. Post a blog entry reflecting on your Wikipedia experience.

**Welcome to the Wiki Sandbox** This is the wiki "play" space to give you a solid introduction to creating, editing and formatting a wiki page. **NOTE**: You must first create a Wikispaces account, then request membership to this space to add and edit pages.
 * [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ivRtIygAi5jY7-u4p7bgzJ0iqaJA06gKp1Gui9qG5Se8HWRVxty3sFuvrR1J-wWjkME1Uln4LSsxLcBYBhUvpL-WsEqx1KtoK6xFLgW5vuke_Wovpw]]* ||
 * image by thawizard ||

How to join Wikispaces and the sandbox wiki.

**Parts of the Sandcastle** > (The instructions page includes task details and help videos for each step).
 * 1) Create your personal sandbox page on this wiki, according to the Sandbox Instructions.
 * 1) Add a link on this page to your completed sandbox page (instructions below).
 * 2) Share a favorite website on Sites We Like.
 * 3) Visit the sandbox pages of two (or more) classmates (pages listed below) and answer their burning questions using the Discussion tab. Be sure to revisit your page to see if anyone has addressed your question!
 * 4) **OPTIONAL**: If you have already begun using blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc... in your classroom or professional role, please share your Web 2.0 project(s) with us!
 * 5) As the course progresses, you will return to this wiki to add some additional content, such as an embedded slideshow and video clip, and a Web 2.0 tool "implementation idea."

**HELP Instructions: How to add your page to the list below.**
 * 1) Log in to the wiki and click Edit This Page (and I do mean this very page).
 * 2) Type your page title, your name and school below. (Page title is the descriptive title you created, not the page name).
 * 3) Highlight the page title, then click the link button on the floating toolbar.
 * 4) In the Add Link pop-up window, you should see that you are on the Wiki link tab.
 * 5) Under Page Name, type the first few letters letter of your page name to see a list of all pages beginning with those letters.
 * 6) After you have selected your page from the list, click OK.
 * 7) Click Save to save your change

Here is a list of all some wiki sandbox pages
 * Through the Eyes of a Child - Carol Kleban, Professional Children's School
 * Musings from Between the Creeks - Cindy Thorne, Mill Springs Academy
 * Urban Music Ed - Edwin DeVaughn, Camden High School
 * World Cup Summer - Stefan Billmayer, Athens Academy
 * White Tiger - Lynnette A. Washington, Camden High School
 * Escher - Lynnette A. Washington, Camden High School
 * Mssomirmathclass - Sridevi Somireddy, Camden High School
 * Emotional Intelligence - Lynnette A. Washington, Camden High School
 * Tripping the Light Wikitastic - ABastian, Professional Children's School
 * Be A Life Long Learner - Shareef A. Daaliya, Camden High School
 * Serenity Now! - Mary Lynne Cumiskey Brookstone School
 * Follow Your Bliss - Shelley Paul, Woodward Academy
 * Not So Icky Wiki - James Dawson, Professional Children's School
 * Thinking Deep Thoughts - Lois Hertz, The Davis Academy
 * I'm sending my virtual me into school today! - Debbie M. Rochester, The Davis Academy
 * Adele McMurry
 * Wiki Cool - Emma Sears, Poughkeepsie Day School
 * Love is a Verb - Suzanne Cleveland, Providence Christian Academy
 * CheckThisOut! - Stefanie Solmson, Davis Academy
 * ThinkTech - Lisa Douthit, Notre Dame de Sion
 * Work Harder. Get Smarter - Missy Ball Rivner, The Davis Academy
 * I Said What I Meant... - Gayle Gawlik, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
 * Kandy's Sandybox - Kandy Jaugstetter, Providence Christian Academy
 * Just Do It - CharlesMckenzie, Camden High School
 * Life in the Math Lane - Janet Mambrino, Xavier College Preparatory
 * Summer Sensations - Steph Harden, Providence Christian Academy
 * The grandbaby is here - Butch Latimer, Providence Christian Academy
 * Making Life Meaningful - Annetta Crawford, The Bright School
 * Wiki Wizard's Tower - Emily Stevens, Pace Academy
 * Wading in the Ocean - Faith Grant, Camden High School
 * Sandboxes are Dirty - Binh Ngo, Francis Parker School
 * Fun in the Sand - Jennifer Hayman, Francis Parker School
 * Kristy's Page - Kristy Keith, Francis Parker School
 * Viaje imaginario - Monica Gallardo, Francis Parker School
 * Trouble in Paradise - Brigid Williams, Francis Parker School
 * CPW page - Chris Peterson Watson, Francis Parker School
 * Steph's Page - Stephanie Oberle, Francis Parker School
 * Buckets and Shovels - Rona Dosick, Francis Parker School
 * Jill Ann's Page - Jill Ann Duehr, Francis Parker School
 * 23 (or so) Rambling Thoughts - Liz Valleen, Taylors Falls Elementary
 * Making the Most of It - Denise Cooper, Bright School
 * Summer on the Porch - Claire Kyzer, Bright School
 * Mrs. Karen's Safe Haven Wiki - Karen Bradley, Mill Springs Academy
 * Wondering Why a Wiki - M. Mann, Professional Children's School
 * Tis new to thee - Foster Soules, The Schenck School
 * Aquamerino - Robin Tanis, St. Pius X Catholic High School
 * Sand in My Shoes - Cheryl Mullins, The Schenck School__
 * Growing Dendrites - Katie Landis, Providence Christian Academy
 * Teach Social Studies - Mr. J. Kelly, Camden HS, Camden, NJ
 * Whats the BEEF - Darin Harris, Camden High School
 * CraftsForAll - Shellie Sclan,Professional Children's School
 * Loving Web 2.0 - Pattye Bright, King's Ridge Christian School
 * Amazed and Amused - Cay Maddox, Providence Christian Academy
 * Imagine It! - Sarah Feldman, Poughkeepsie day School
 * NormAtNite - Norman Constantine, Wakefield School, The Plains, VA
 * Walking in a Wiki Wonderland - Judy Guebert, Marist School, Atlanta, GA
 * Summer Learning - Susanne Greenwood, Marist School, Atlanta, GA
 * Makin' a Personal Page - Joel Enoch, Wakefield School, The Plains, VA
 * Old dog,new web tricks - Brenda Clinton, King's Ridge Christian School, Alpharetta, GA
 * My,My,My...- Karen Slade,Camden High School, Camden, New Jersey__
 * Let the Fun Begin - Lisa Skinner, Providence Christian Academy
 * Steve's Wiki Page - Steve Shaw, The Schenck School
 * The Road Less Traveled - Shelley Robinson, Mill Springs Academy
 * Under the Sea - Dee Dee Branham, Brookstone School, Columbus, GA
 * Geekwannabe - Jennifer Rorabaugh, Athens Academy
 * Playing in the Sandbox - Maris Frederick, Providence Christian Academy
 * Something Wiki This Way Comes - Suzanne Friedman, The Davis Academy
 * Oil on the Beach -Tracy Freeman, Camden High School__
 * Into the future and beyond - Sue Minkin, McLean School
 * INCHmetric - Christine Hunt
 * WiKi WhAt? - Jennifer Salmenson, The Davis Academy
 * What the Wiki? - Kimsey Silverboard, The Davis Academy
 * Live Your Dreams - Nancy Langdon, Providence Christian Academy
 * Musicmaker - Janet Hunter, Providence Christian Academy
 * Bill Cosby says it's OK to eat cake for breakfast - Melissa Nevarez, Pinecrest Academy
 * We Think in Words (wiki version) - Tutt Stapp-Harris, Wakefield School, The Plains, VA
 * Winfield's Wiki - Diane Winfield, Mount Pisgah Christian School
 * ¡A mí me gustan los Wiki! - Janice Ribeiro, Waynflete School
 * Cabinet of Curiosities - Katie Hutchison - Wakefield School
 * Jane - Martha Muir, Mill Springs Academy :)
 * GO Fish! - Kim Kershaw, McGinnis Woods Country Day School, Alpharetta, Ga
 * Getting' Wiki With It - Kristen McCollum, Hudson Valley Writing Project, Cornwall, NY
 * Mi sitio - Ana Lizarraga, Wakefield School, The Plains, VA
 * Providence Soccer - Todd Henry, Providence Christian Academy
 * Learning to think and thinking to learn - Pam Hull, Providence Christian Academy
 * Too Blessed to Be Stressed - Vicki Smith, Providence Christian Academy
 * Sam's Wiki - Samantha Beckman, McGinnis Woods
 * ReadytoFly - Chris Chase, McGinnis Woods Country Day
 * ReneeKropff - Renee' Kropff, Bright School
 * Hot Fun in the Summertime - Kelly Shaffer, McGinnis Woods Country Day School, Alpharetta, Ga
 * Circle Game - Jan Campbell, Poughkeepsie Day School, Poughkeepsie, NY
 * Changing with the Times - Marlene Baumann, King's Ridge Christian School, Alpharetta, GA
 * Random Acts of Kindness - Paula C. Lucas, Camden High School, Camden, N.J.
 * Wiki 1 - Mary Stockmeyer, Waynflete School, Portland, Maine
 * dalytimes - Laurel Daly, Waynflete School, Portland, Maine
 * WikiWiki____WikiWiki__ - Lisa McGuire, King's Ridge Christian School, Alpharetta, GA
 * Summer Technology Fun 2010 - Connie Hamlin, Angleton Christian School, Angleton, Texas
 * Shifting Sands - Nancy W Smith, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, Rabun Gap. Ga
 * I Made Her Bed with Stars Today - Stephanie Foerster, Wakefield School
 * SUMMER'SChOOL! - Teresa Young, The Heiskell School
 * Going Paleolithic - John Dicasali, The Galloway School
 * Jenn's Wiki World - Jennifer Evangelista, McGinnis Woods Country Day School
 * STARS Stars stars--infinity - Diann Ashton, Camden City Schools
 * Live in the Moment - Diane Kemp, The Bright School, Chattanooga, TN
 * MMannPCS Photosharing - M. Mann, Professional Children's School, NY, NY
 * Mary, Mary, quite contrary... - Marion Barrack, Providence Christian Academy
 * Technology Meets Media - Jeanette C. Russell, Camden High School, Camden, NJ
 * Educating Students in the 21st Century - Debbie Gaskins, Camden High School, Camden NJ
 * James Patterson's Mysteries - Geraldine Hobbs, Camden High School, Camden, NJ
 * Math and Music - Kenneth Miller, Camden High School, Camden, NJ