Wikis

//"In using wikis, students are not only learning how to publish content; they are also learning how to develop and use all sorts of collaborative skills, negotiating with others the to agree on correctness, meaning, relevance, and more. In essence, students begin to teach each other."// (Richardson, 2005, p.19) toc

What is a Wiki?
A wiki is a web site that lets any visitor become a participant: you can create or edit the actual site contents without any special technical knowledge or tools. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection. A wiki is continuously “under revision.” It is a living collaboration whose purpose is the sharing of the creative process and product by many. One famous example is [|Wiki-pedia], an online encyclopedia with no “authors” but millions of contributors and editors. The word "wiki" comes from Hawaiian language, meaning "quick" or "fast."

**//What is the difference between a wiki and a blog?//**
A blog, or web log, shares writing and multimedia content in the form of “posts” (starting point entries) and “comments” (responses to the posts). While commenting, and even posting, are open to the members of the blog or the general public, no one is able to change a comment or post made by another. The usual format is post-comment-comment-comment, and so on. For this reason, blogs are often the vehicle of choice to express individual opinions. A wiki has a far more open structure and allows others to change what one person has written. This openness may trump individual opinion with group consensus.

Source: http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki

[|Wikis in the Classroom] Video by Vicki Davis media type="youtube" key="-dnL00TdmLY" width="425" height="350"
 * Wikis in Plain English Video on YouTube**

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 * Wikis in Plain English Video on TeacherTube**

[|Wiki Walkthrough]

Using a Wiki
Learn how to use a Wiki with an activity called Favorite Holiday Wiki Help on this site, and Wikispaces help (which is very good) is located on the top of each page. [|Wikispaces Tour] Here is an interactive tour that introduces you to the functions of Wikispaces and demonstrates how to create your own wiki. Choose a topic from "Choose a Tour" from the top of a page to see the demonstration. Expanding the Story A lesson using wikis

//"For a wiki to work it requires active participation by many people, building a resource that participants and observers view as having value and being worthwhile."// (Stephens, 2006)

Examples of Wikis Used for Education
Many Examples of Wikis Used in Education Terry the Tennis Ball Wiki The Wright 3 Wiki Unsolved Mysteries Wiki CSI Wiki Pirate Wiki Flat Planet Wiki of Ancient Egypt [|Primary Math Wiki] This wiki has been set up for primary classes to share their math learning with other classes around the world. [|The 100th Day Project] [|Welcome to Room 15 Wiki!] This wiki is a classroom wiki. It is used for sharing student work, class happenings, and homework. DIgital Citizenship Wiki An example of collaborative research and authoring Mrs. Maine's Wiki Mrs. Barwick's Island Wiki Spice it Up a Notch with Nutmeg! Wiki  [|Creating Community Builders] Outdoor Culture and Technology Class [|Bayou St. John Wikipedia Article] written by students Westwood School Wiki [|American History 7th Grade Wiki] [|Pre-Cal Solution Manuel] This is a place for students to help each other learn by writing a collaborative solutions manual! [|AP Cal Exam Prep Wiki] [|Applied Math Solutions Wiki] [|Storybookipedia] Foldables Wiki YouSay EASTCONN Tech Council [|Wiki Grading Rubric] EO Biology Arts in the Afternoon Voices of the World Voices of the World is a global project that unites children's voices from around the world. [|Free Reading] Open resource and community for early literacy educators [|Freedom Train] A site where students share what they have learned about the quest for freedom and equality


 * How to Create a Free Ad-Free Wiki** Directions for getting started.[[file:How to create a wiki.doc]]

[|Free Wikispaces for K-12 Teachers] (no advertising) Click here to sign up for a free wikispace. [|PB Wiki] Free wikis for educators

Wikispaces Frequently Asked Questions for Teachers

[|Color schemes for your wiki] Customize your colors by creating a color scheme here. Then copy and paste the code into your wiki look and feel page.

[|Cascading Style Sheets] (CSS) Information on CSS Structure and Rules and basic introduction on what it is and what it does.