Wiki+Resources

=Wikis=

Wikis are an online space for students to write and collaborate. They are many free wiki sites, although free sites usually have advertisements on them. Most wikis have editing tools similar to typical word processing software programs so they are easy to use. Students need to understand that what they write may be deleted and changed by others - it is a collaborative and creative effort where many people create the final product. Wikis keep a history and all versions are saved, so students can go back and view a previous version and in some wikis, the owner of the wiki can revert to a previous version.

Wikis are a great collaborative environment for students to work and share information. I have found that several students can **not** be editing the exact same page at the exact same time. Wikis are good if students from different periods will be collaborating on a project or I had the Technology Coaches create different pages so each small group could all be working at the same time. I still might recommend a backup plan by copying or typing in Word until everything goes smoothly so the students don't lose their work.

My favorite Wiki site is [|Wiki spaces] although for free it does have ads. The first 100,000 teachers can get an ad free space at [|WikiSpaces 100K]. Wiki spaces has some great [|tutorials] that you can use to learn from and to share with your students.

[|For Teachers New to Wikis]- Provides information about wikis and ideas for using them in the classroom

[|Wet Paint]- Free Wiki website - two of my Tech Coaches explored numerous wiki sites and felt that Wet Paint was the site they liked best. As a teacher you can request a free site without ads.

[|Will Richardson Wiki on Wikis] - provides information, educational examples and resources on wikis.

From Holly: You are all welcome to visit my wiki at hreynolds.wikispaces.com. I started working with the wiki last year when I had two students out for 8 - 9 weeks due to injury and health problems. I started with one page where I added daily work as attachments and then had the students email me - sort of a bulletin board. Then, the unintended occurrences began: parents started checking the page to make sure they knew what we were working on so that they could help their student stay on track; students began checking the page to get work from an absence. It grew from there.With the help of the wikispaces folks, I created a page for collaborative research projects that only the kids could view and edit (separate from my pages which I did not want students to edit at all). My most recent addition is the "Tool Box"page where I provided the link to zamzar.com since I was so impressed with it at our last meeting (we have had compatibility issues, and this will be a tremendous help. I also provided links for writing, including Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL). It is still very much a work in progress and far from perfect, but this is what I've done so far. I can't help but believe that it will continue to evolve over time. Maybe something you see will trigger an idea about how a wiki can work in your own classrooms.
 * Examples**

Cross Data Project

IRHS AP Physics Wiki

Amphi Tech Coach Wiki

Reynolds Project