wikis

=Wikis in Education:=

Wikispaces lets you create simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together.

H = High School
Provide a space for free writing Debate course topics, including assigned readings Share resources such as annotated bibliographies, websites, effective writing samples, conferences, calls for manuscripts Maintain a journal of work performed on group projects Require students to collaborate on documents, such as an essay written by the entire class Discuss curricular and instructional innovations Encourage students to revise [|Wikipedia] pages or take on new wikipedia assignments Inspire students to write a [|Wikibook] Support service learning projects (i.e. use wikis to build a website about a challenge in their city)
 * Ideas from [|"For Teachers New to Wikis"]

Ways to use Wiki in Education From [|The Science of Spectroscopy] : (ALL)

 * **Easily create simple websites** Typically when students are asked to create web sites as part of a class project, they have to rely on the chance that someone in a group knows how to make a web site, or that some sort of training is available. The wiki eliminates both obstacles, because it provides a ready to use site with a simple user interface, ability to easily add pages, and simple navigation structure. This allows students to spend more time developing the content of the site, instead of trying to learn how to make one. The simplicity of the wiki syntax, or language for formatting text, inserting images and creating links, means students spend less time trying to figure out how to make the site do what they want. As more organizations adopt the wiki for collaboration & information, students will be well prepared to use it in their careers.


 * **Project development with peer review** A wiki makes it easy for students to write, revise and submit as assignment, since all three activities can take place in the wiki. A student can be given a wiki page to develop a term paper, and might start by tracking their background research. This allows the teacher, and peers, to see what they’re using, help them if they’re off track, suggest other resources, or even get ideas based on what others find useful. Next, the student can draft the paper in the wiki, taking advantage of the wiki’s automatic revision history that saves a before & after version of the document each time s/he makes changes. This allows the teacher and peers to see the evolution of the paper over time, and continually comment on it, rather than offering comments only on the final draft. When the student completes the final draft, the teacher and peers can read it on the wiki, and offer feedback.


 * **Group authoring** Often groups collaborate on a document by “pushing” it out to each member - emailing a file that each person edits on his or her computer, and some attempt is made to coordinate the edits so everyone’s work is equally represented. But what happens when two people think of the same idea and include it in different ways in their respective copies of the file, or when one group member misses an agreed upon time to finish their changes and pass on the file to the next member? Who decides what to do? Using a wiki “pulls” the group members together to build and edit the document on a wiki page, which strengthens the community within the group, allows group members with overlapping or similar ideas to see and collaboratively build on each other’s work. It also allows all group members immediate, equal access to the most recent version of the document.


 * **Track a group project** Considering students’ busy schedules, a wiki is very useful for tracking and completing group projects. It allows group members to track their research and ideas from anywhere they have internet access, helps them save time by seeing what sources others have already checked, then gives them a central place to collectively prepare the final product, i.e. write and edit a group paper or prepare the content of a powerpoint or keynote presentation.
 * One way to do this is to give each group a wiki page in which to write the paper itself, and give each member of the group a separate page to track his/her research and ideas for the paper. The “paper” page lets you see how the group is working collaboratively to construct the paper, and the individual pages let you track how each group member is developing his/her contribution to the paper, and gives you a place to leave feedback and suggestions for each student. If you use the individual pages this way, you may want to restrict view access for each student’s indvidual page to only you and that student.


 * **Data Collection** Because of its ease of editing, a wiki can be very useful for collecting data from a group of students. See "Introduction to Sleep" and "Personality and Clinical Assessment" in the **Courses using Wiki** section below for examples of data collection. The wiki best suited for this right now is [|JotSpot], which has a data collection tool you can install with just a few clicks.


 * **Review classes & teachers** Students at Brown University started CAW - Course Advisor Wiki, a place for students to collaboratively write reviews of courses they've taken. I've seen sites like [|[1]], but CAW gives reviewers flexibility to articulate their impressions, and readers get richer reviews that combine multiple impressions and perspectives.


 * **Presentations** Some people are using a wiki in place of conventional presentation software, like Keynote and PowerPoint. Here's a presentation from [|Brian Lamb] of [|UBC]: [|What blogs, wikis, and Soylent Green have in common...]


 * **Tracking progress in your research group**

Quick Ideas Around Classroom Uses of Wikis From [|TeachingHacks.Com] (ALL)
11. Choose a topic on [|Wikipedia], break the topic into facts, students verify the facts using their information literacy skills, and make changes accordingly (Citing sources).
 * 1) Use for student projects where group members need to contribute at different times and from geographically diverse locations.
 * 2) Use for collaborating on ideas and organizing documents and resources from individuals and groups of students.
 * 3) Use as a presentation tool where those who attend a workshop can contribute to future versions of the workshop.
 * 4) As a group research project for a specific idea.
 * 5) Manage school and classroom documents.
 * 6) Use as a collaborative handout for students.
 * 7) Writing: student created books and journaling. (i.e. [|Wikibooks])
 * 8) Create and maintain a classroom FAQ
 * 9) As a classroom discussion and debate area.
 * 10) A place to aggregate web resources.

=Wikis and Social Studies (ALL)=

From [|Teaching Hacks]
Students make notes about the different units that they that are reading, in order to help to consolidate their knowledge around the concepts they are learning. http://studyingsocietiesatjhk.pbwiki.com/

Creating a resource for students and educators with references back to social studies curriculum expectations. http://gps7socialstudies.pbwiki.com/ http://gps8socialstudies.pbwiki.com/

Timeline using Grandmas. (You just need to see it, to understand) http://cmstimeline.pbwiki.com/

= = =Wikis and Math (ALL)=

From [|Teaching Hacks]
Using a wiki to review concepts learned in class through the creation of a solutions manual. A few questions are given for each unit that help students review and share what they have learned.
 * http://pc40s.pbwiki.com/

A wiki for working on mathematical proofs.
 * http://planetx.cc.vt.edu/AsteroidMeta/HomePage

This is a place where you can share teaching ideas around the seventh grade mathematics curriculum in Alabama.
 * http://7math.wikispaces.com/

This website features a large collection of free animated math videos. [|http://www.math-videos-online.com]

Screencasts (screen movies of writing with voice) that focus on mathematics. There are a large selection of screencasts organized by topic, type and course.
 * http://www.mathcasts.org/

A place to post and do homework for a seventh grade students at this school. http://dedworthmaths.pbwiki.com/

=Wikis and Writing (ALL)=

From [|Teaching Hacks]
These projects reflect a writing where group members learn from collaborating through the writing process. They build on each other's contributions, which helps these wikis to grow. http://schools.wikicities.com/wiki/Main_Page http://middlej.pbwiki.com/ http://schools.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
 * Group Writing Projects**

6 Year Old's Reflections - http://kittens.pbwiki.com/ http://epochewiki.pbwiki.com/AlliSon
 * Students' Writing Using A Wiki**

3rd and 4th grade students using a wiki to write a choose your own adventure story http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/

http://books.editme.com/
 * Book Reviews**

http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/
 * Collaborative Storytelling**

http://danarichardson.pbwiki.com/ Uses the discussion area under each book for student conversations.
 * Literature Circle**


 * Student Newspaper**-Our seventh grade newspaper staff is developing a wiki to aide them in the writing of their paper. This enables them to participate colloboratively in their writing and in editing activities. http://huskypawper.wetpaint.com/

https://libraryzone.wikispaces.com LibraryZone is a virtual space of Year 3 students in Kowloon Junior School Library in Hong Kong. In LibraryZone students learn about wiki and how to use it. They work collaboratively on research projects, create information resources, write stories and exchange their ideas through wiki email and discussion pages.
 * Wikis in Libraries**

= = =Wikis and Science (ALL)=

From [|Teaching Hacks]
Using wikis as a classroom activity to review concepts learned during a unit of study. In this example a statement of what was learned, is followed by a few sentences that support the statement. The activity is completed with an inquiry statement of what the students still want to learn. http://rockhound.pbwiki.com/

This wiki is the beginnings of a review of information that was learned in class. The content on this wiki is very sparse. http://soundsgood.pbwiki.com/

Code Blue!: **Wikis in Science**: In order to develop an authentic assessment for a project about the human body systems, we decided to have the students create an online medical clinic in the form of a wiki. This was an exciting project because students were able to collaborate across class sections (even though they never actually sat in the same classroom at the same time, they were able to work on the same wikispace).

Are You Ready?: **Wikis in Study Skills**: As students learned about different study skills to make the transition from elementary to middle school easier, they collaborated on a wiki to help other sixth grade students at school and around the world.

Where in the World?: **Google Earth in Social Studies**: Students began their geography unit by researching different countries and marking them on Google Earth (still looking for a way to post this online).

Strings Online: **Wikis in Orchestra**: A unique way to present personal projects on musicians. Students research their choice of artists and then post individual project pages online. The discussion tool is used to create an online version of classroom discussion.
 * Cross Grade Level**:

//So what about a __WIKI__ then? I think there is potential here too...what ideas are out there?//
From Classroomblogging


 * Explore an existing piece of writing as a text, sentence or word level activity in Literacy. Edit it and then republish.
 * Use it as a place to create shared writing throughout a week of work. Comment and revise it as the work continues. This process could be shared between 2 classes or even schools. Link it back to the blog to ensure that it is seen.
 * Sharing intial thoughts and what children already understand about a topic. A simple concept map in the form of a list. "What do we all know about Ancient Greece?" with the children working simultaneously in a suite.
 * Literacy - Biographical writing - "Let's write a biography together" post a photograph and some starter information and invite children to research and add to the biography.
 * Local history study - linked with some internet based research - produce an information wiki about your local history.
 * What about a class building a town - they describe all its features, build characters etc then create stories from this?
 * Looking at the example of Wikipedia, it needs to be a more substantial and permanent piece of work than a blog. So I would suggest that wikis are suitable for children to collaborate on producing their own revision notes or their cumulative knowledge on a classroom topic. For example, studying the Romans, they could start with an introduction putting them into historical perspective, add a piece about dress, their military exploits, food, type of government and bio pics of some emperors. The wiki could develop over time, perhaps a term or the length of a project. A wiki is to a blog as a novel is to a short story.