Wikis+in+Education

=This wiki created by students in EDTEC 448 Summer 2007. Dr. Fritz added 4 links: one under Student Work and three under Teaching Students to Wiki. =

What is a Wiki? Watch the 2nd video in this blog post from my blog to learn more about the Wiki! http://mokmfritzblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/love-these-videos.html =Are Wikis being used in education?=

**Wiki Use in the Classroom toc**
Wiki can be used in education in a variety of ways. The most practical use for a wiki in our classes would be to allow students to collaborate outside the classroom without needing a face-to-face meeting. In addition, some teachers are creating wikis with students all around the world for their students to work with. Students not only gain a unique content perspective in this environment, but also can learn about other places in the world and different cultures.

TeachersFirst.com offers a wonderful website for teachers, with great ideas for using wikis in the classroom. There is a very simple step-by-step tutorial for beginners. Here is the link to these [|elementary ideas]. It is very easy to navigate the site. I especially like the "Family Twaditionwiki" idea to post families' Thanksgiving traditions as well as using a wiki for students to post book reviews. Ideas are also broken down by subject area for math, science, language arts, and social studies. The TeachersFirst main website (link) is a wiki that you can join for free. Teachers can post their ideas and share at this site.

Some ideas for wikis that Teachers First lists in the tutorial include: posting ideas for a reference sheet for a quiz/test or important chapter ideas for a chapter test, listing topics throughout an AP course that will be on the exam, adding to steps of a complex or length problem or procedure, rewriting mathematical proofs, writing about real life encounters with classroom topics.

**Student Work**
There are many examples of student wikis on the web. Not only can a wiki be used to converse and share information with other members of a class, but also, teachers can have students complete assignments by using a wiki. This can allow students to ask each other questions about what they are doing or view other student's work to enhance their own performance. The key element in this type of situation is communication. A wiki can be used as a vehicle to promote communication amongst students, which hopefully makes their learning experience better. Since I teach math, I tried to find a few wikis that were devoted to math. One of the better ones I found was [|http://dedworthmaths.pbwiki.com/.] Not only was this a pretty cool wiki, but I liked it because it had a picture of Chewbacca on the home page. Here is another site with examples of students working on wikis:


 * __//**http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples of educational wikis> **//__
 * __//** (Click on the Ex of educ wikis link on the left hand side of the screen.) **//__

**Student Publishing**
Wikis could very well be the next step in student publishing. From a positive perspective students are more technology savvy now than in the past, so using this type of format to create student work is an idea that I think students would favor. In addition, students can work collaboratively and also view other students work that hopefully will help them produce a better product. On the other hand, obviously there are issues with students having access to the internet, integrity concerns and a whole new set of rules and guidelines for how to publish on the web. An argument can be made on both sides, but with the pendulum swinging towards more technology use in the classroom and the student's eagerness to use it, this idea may not be as far away as some people think.

=Teaching Students to Wiki= 
 * [|The art of using wikis to teach]
 * [|Best educational wiki award]
 * [|http://www.ikiw.org/2006/06/03/vicki-davis-westwood-wiki-7-what-skills-do-students-learn-from-using-the-wiki/]

Before asking students to wiki, it's important that teachers set basic expectations and guidelines. Some suggestions are: = =
 * All postings on the class wiki must be school appropriate.
 * Welcome peer revisions and understand that modifications to our page are not a personal criticism of your writing style and efforts.
 * Use school grammar and language (not IM speak).
 * Visit our wiki often to see changes and additions.
 * Take pride in our wiki; work hard to make it complete and useful.
 * Remember to practice online safety. Do not post personal information on the wiki.
 * Be respectful and polite. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
 * Always cite your references.
 * Invite parents to view the Wiki and become familiar with expectations, both content and safety

= = =Elementary ideas= Differentiated instruction continues to be a hot topic in elementary education - ASCD is making a lot of money on their conferences with Carol Tomlinson, and she has a lot of valid information that transcends the ages. I have a Wiki that I would like to share that may be of interest to people whose districts continue to work with this framework: http://tech4di.wikispaces.com/

Wikis can be a great way of introducing new concepts and vocabulary to an elementary unit. Reading about the class's collaborative efforts towards new content can make for an entertaining and schematic anticipatory set. These wikis can then be adjusted and redefined as more is learned throughout the unit. Take a look at what students are constructing at Bellaire Primary School in Australia: http://middlej.pbwiki.com/

= = =Wiki for Moodle Users=

For schools that use Moodle (a type of course management software), students can wiki within your class Moodle page. Using Moodle Wiki will ensure that only classroom members post, reducing the chances of inappropriate postings and vandalism. Additionally, the wiki page can only be viewed by course members. For younger learners, this is especially beneficial for safety reasons, although older students may benefit more from public wikis.

To add a wiki, make sure you have turned editing on. Add a wiki as illustrated below. Once you've created your Moodle Wiki, it's time to teach the students how to use it. U.inTEC developed a very detailed [|How To Wiki in Moodle]Guide for students.

In addition to the security feature of a Moodle Wiki, the "unconventional" nature of the Wiki as supporting classroom instruction may be very aptly suited to alternative setting students already familair with the Moodle format. Because the Wiki topic can be created on any topic of interest, otherwise unmotivated and academically disinterested students could create a Wiki relating to a more real-world situation they may find themselves in outside of school. For older students, for example, a Wiki in which they share resources about ways to secure desired employment, how to "come across" in a job interview, basic "do's and dont's", or a type of "best practices" for how to really complete a job application in a professional, inspiring manner, could be researched and shared. In this way, the Wiki is not something altogether new to their computer lab instruction. More importantly, students in alternative settings who very often have short attention spans, or who struggle when gratification is delayed, stand a good chance of deriving pleasure of the ownership nature of their Wiki because their "online text" (Richardson, 2006, p. 65) can be published and/or edited instantly. =Teacher resources= http://wiki.math.yorku.ca/index.php/Main_Page This is a site used by a university to post information. It has a great deal of information on it, but what I liked was the "what we did today in class" and how students contributed to the entries.

This is a great resource relating to our class: http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/ It contains information on incorporating technology into the classroom, has tons of resources, videos, examples, and links!