using+wikis

**What is a wiki?**
A wiki is really just a web page that anyone can edit/add to. You don't need html and permission can be given for members to do this.

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Why do Wikis work so well?

 * 1) You edit in them in a browser, without the need for specialised programs;
 * 2) Wikis keep a chronological history for every page, so nothing is lost forever, no changes can be completely destructive, and revisions can always be undone;
 * 3) Wikis include a discussion area, so there can be a dialogue about changes before, during, and after they are being made;
 * 4) You can monitor a wiki or a particular page and receive notification of any changes to that page- - which is why an error in a site like Wikipedia can be corrected in a matter of a few minutes.

**How might my students and I use them?**
Without knowing any HTML students and teachers can create web pages. These pages can be edited anywhere and, if you choose, by anyone. A wiki allows for world wide collaboration. Group work can be compiled on the same wiki page. Students can even work together to write up their project. Students like using wikis because they can work on them 24/7.

You can use wikis for:
 * Class Notes
 * Parental / Student Communication
 * Lesson Summaries
 * Handouts
 * Course Syllabus
 * Course Links and Resource Notes
 * School or class calendar
 * Collaboration of Notes
 * Concept Introduction and Exploratory Projects
 * Dissemination of Important Classroom Learning Beyond the Classroom
 * Teacher Information Page
 * Student written books
 * School Newspaper
 * Showcase for student projects
 * Platform for peer review of student work

**How easy is it to set one up?**

 * Once you have created a new wikispace - simply click on edit and you can add whatever you like to your home page. Click on save to save your work. You will always be prompted if you forget.
 * Then it is a matter of adding new pages by clicking on 'new page' under Actions on the left hand side menu.
 * Once you have created the new page and named it click on 'edit navigation' on the left hand side. Type in the exact name of your page then highlight it with the mouse and click on the insert link icon at the top of the page (hold the mouse over the icons to see what they do).
 * Now you should see your pages showing up on the left hand side menu under 'navigation'
 * You can also add images, files and urls by clicking on the tree image in the top menu in edit mode
 * You could also experiment with inserting widgets (tv icon)

Some wiki programs freely available to you are

 * [|PBwiki] Hosted wiki ad-free for educators.
 * [|Wikispaces] Hosted wikis ad-free for educators (this site is a Wikispaces wiki - educators)
 * [|Wikispaces for teachers]
 * [|DokuWiki] DokuWiki is simple to install and use. It works on plain texts files and thus needs no database.
 * [|Zoho Wiki]
 * [|Wetpaint]

**Interested to find out more?**
http://www.wikiineducation.com/display/ikiw/Home You might like to begin exploring the wiki toolbox section (right hand side) to look at tools and wiki project examples. When you have some spare time you might like to explore some of these links below


 * [|Wikis in the Classroom] ppt by Vicki A Davis 2007
 * [|Vicky Davis] "Wiki Wiki Teaching- The art of using wiki pages to teach"
 * [|A Wiki Walk-Through], from TeachersFirst. A great tutorial about what a wiki is, why to use wikis in education, and how to use wikis in education.
 * [|Welcome to the World of Wikis] - Help pages put together to use with primary schools in the UK
 * [|Using Wiki in Education] - An article at the Science of Spectroscopy
 * [|Classroom Use of Wikis] at Teaching Hacks
 * [|Wiki While you Work] - A video tutorial lecture by Mark Wagner
 * [|Wiki Wiki, Blog Blog] An essay on wikis and Blogs, by Anne Marie Scott.
 * [|Wiki That! Education]Blog discussing the uses of wikis in Education.
 * [|Wikiweb: The use of wikis for collaborative learning], online essay.
 * Web-based Communication Graduate class wiki containing many examples of classroom wikis & blogs.