Wikis

Basics
//Wikis// refer to a special type of website that allows anyone to edit the page they are visiting. The term originates from the Hawaiian language and actually means “rapidly”. Different from a normal website, wikis offer the user and the viewer some unique advantages. It used to be that only those who knew how to code in html, the web language, could post information on the internet. Enter the wiki-space. Without much more than a basic knowledge of how to enter and format text, any user can view a wiki space, edit the content on a wiki space, or create a new space to post on it whatever the user likes. Wikis also offer a convenient tabbed feature where in addition to the main page where the content is, the user can discuss the page content, view source code, edit the page, check the content history, and sometimes even be notified when the content has changed. The history feature is probably one of the most important parts of wikis, a feature which helps to keep them authentic. Whenever a user changes content on a wiki, the change is saved in the history log. Anyone is then able to view what the page looked like before and after the change. Because the wiki offers collaborative authoring, this feature allows users and/or viewers to check what exactly was changed and therefore (theoretically) discourages users from purposely falsifying information they post. Wikis show collaborative knowledge sharing and acquisition at its best in a convenient easy-to-use format
 * ===//Open to All//===
 * ===//Special Features//===

Teacher-oriented uses
Wikis provide a collaborative arena for teachers to work together on a variety of projects. Planning or publishing professional development presentations could be accomplished through the use of a wiki. Teachers who may be team teaching or participating in a Lesson Study can use the wiki to provide updates and modifications of ongoing document development. More traditional hard copy school newsletters could be replaced by a school wiki in which teachers and staff had the opportunity to edit and update as necessary. Teachers could also collaborate with colleagues when publishing documents together as well.

Student-oriented uses
//Wikis// are versatile websites that allow students to work collaboratively. The simplicity of the website allows students to build up a space of information that allows them to show their evolving knowledge as a group. Although some educators may be concerned with the loss of individuality in a wiki space, its purpose is to contribute to the community (Wiki Space). As students add content and others edit or remove from the site the resulting piece of "work in progress" is a piece of writing that has been authored collaboratively.

Other ideas for student use could be using the wiki space to jigsaw information. Each student or groups of students could research a component of a topic, then put all their knowledge together in a group wiki with many subsections, much like the one we are doing now. These spaces also might be a great area to have students study together over the internet. For instance, in math, the students could post links to helpful websites covering the topic they are studying, or online quizzes the students have found. There are many posibilities for students using a wiki space!

Resources to learn more

 * [|7 Things You Should Know About Wikis] Aimed at educators, this article is a succint look at what wikis are and how they are useful in teaching and learning.
 * [|For Teachers New To Wikis] Another great informational website about wikis aimed at the education
 * [|The Glorified Whiteboard] An online article of practitioners using Wikis in the classroom.

//(One link you might check out and perhaps add to this list//: [|Using Blogs and Wikis in Education] (Rebecca Frazee)

Resources/examples of this technology in education

 * [|Wikipedia] is perhaps the most widely known and used wiki on the internet. Like an encyclopedia, wikipedia has articles on numerous and varied subjects. Certain users even involve themselves in subject-specific projects such as //**[|WikiProject Disney]**//, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to articles on Disney on Wikipedia.
 * [|High School Wiki Pages] is a great outlet for secondary teachers who want their classes to participate in wiki collaborative writing. Anyone can browse through the collection of articles written by high school students.
 * [|How to use a wiki to facilitate learning] A great website dedicated to the use of the wiki for learning and Wiki page examples.

Research on this technology in education

 * [|Wiki as a Tool for Web-based Collaborative Story Telling in Primary School] This Canadian case-study examines wiki-use in 5 elementary classrooms over the course of 5 years (2002 - 2006). It finds that even at a younger age (grade 4-6) students are able to effectively use wikis in the classroom to collaborate with one another. Although the article does not speak about math or science specifically, one could envision how using this communication tool could be useful in creating a class wiki on certain topics in either of these areas - even with younger students.