Wikis

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=What is a Wiki?= A wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify the content. This site itself is an example of a Wiki. Wikis are surfacing more and more frequently in education as a means of collaborative communication. With a Wiki, simple web pages can be created, allowing student groups, colleagues, educators, friends, and families to create, edit and work together. Wikis are designed for read/write web technology, allowing for easy, fast, and collaborative websites to be built without the need for specialized software or intensive training.

=How Can Wikis Be Used?= Wikis not only generate world wide collaboration, but appeal to today's 21st century, diverse learners! A Wiki can be used for: =Wikis Impacting & Benefitting Education= There are several components to a wiki that make it so powerful in teaching and learning: =Wiki Examples= Wikis are beneficial for all levels. Take a look at some of the examples below: [|Alphabet Antics]: Created for primary-aged students to share their learning about the alphabet. Anyone can contribute and edit this! Jerusalem Wikispace: An international collaborative project between Israeli and Canadian classes [|Welker's Wikinomics]: The winner of the 2007 "Best Educational Wiki" award. Designed for students and teachers of Economics 5th Grade Wiki: Created, designed and maintained by a classroom of 5th grade students Mrs. Maine Academic Biology: A space where the teacher and high school biology students work and communicate Kinder Kids Draw : Kindergarten children from around the world drawing, reflecting and communicating with one another
 * Class Notes
 * Parent/Teacher/ Student Communication
 * Summarizing a lesson
 * Providing a course syllabus and/or class calendar
 * Collaboration of notes
 * Breaking information down in a comprehensible manner for diverse learners
 * School newspaper
 * Generating input across the globe
 * Combining research to present information in multimedia modes
 * Showcasing student projects
 * A platform for reviewing examples and/or student work
 * A means of building home-school communication
 * Wikis are collaborative! A Wiki can be constructed, designed, and managed by just 1 or multiple people ([|Wikipedia] is the original example).
 * Wikis can be edited in a browser without specialized programs. This means it is easy for students (And teachers) to quickly and easily create and build upon web pages
 * Linking is simple! TONS of resources can be brought in to further support the purpose of the Wiki
 * Wikis maintain a history for each page. This means changes made will never be fully destructed, and revisions can be undone
 * Wikis have a discussion area, initiating collaborative dialogue about changes before, during, or after they are made
 * Instructors can keep a close eye on how much involvement each participant has in the project, including how long the students worked on the project, the frequency of edits, and by which participant - all simply by clicking the "history" tab at the top of the Wiki.
 * A Wiki can be worked on 24/7 - allowing individuals to work on their own schedule and in their own space (No need to arrange meeting times and places)
 * Wikis build learning communities by encouraging communication
 * Wikis provide a place to store resources, projects, lesson plans, course materials, and so much more!

=Create a Wiki= Try creating a Wiki of your own! They are FREE for educators! [] [|Wiki-Walk-Through] for teachers: Learning the basics Learn more about the power of [|Wikis in Education]

=More About Wikis: Article Links= EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (2005). [|7 Things You Should Know about Wikis] EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (2005) [|7 Things You Should Know About Collaborative Editing] [|Making Wikis Work for Scholars April 2008] - A discussion on the use and abuse of Wikipedia in academia.