Wikis

Many tools can be used for collaborative creation and maintenance of websites. Wiki-based systems are popular because they are simple to install and contributors don't need special software.

A wiki is a type of website that uses "open editing" collaborative software technology to provide an easy way for multiple participants to enter, submit, manage, and update a single web workspace. Users make changes by selecting from options and filling in forms on a web page. Authorized users can add and delete links, pages, and content. In some cases, a moderator approves changes before they are posted. Some wikis also provide a way to track changes and view earlier versions of pages.

Examples

1. Wikipedia, Wikimedia, Wikibooks, Wikijunior, Wikia, WikiTravel
2. Third Grade Wikis from Grandview Library (under development)
3. Student Projects - The Wright 3 and Greek Mythology and ReadWriteWiki and WikiLit
4. Literature - A Wiki of Unfortunate Events: Lemony Snicket (About), IPL's Teen Poetry Wiki, Civil War Literature
5. SciFi/Fantasy - Redwall Wiki, SciFi/Fantasy Wiki, StarBase 118

Practical Projects

1. Book or literature circle (i.e., Chocolate Books)
2. Local or state interest (i.e., historical building, location, event, noteworthy person, oral history, Indiana (Historical Theatres of Indiana, Historical Preservation, Hoosier Music, Hoosier Round Barns, Indiana Artists)
3. Creative works (i.e., choose your own adventures, invented world, poetry, short stories, artwork, step-by-step instructions)
4. Comparisons (i.e., then/now, what ifs, local/national/global parallel timelines, pros/cons, issues and perspectives, compare companies)
5. Evaluations (i.e., critical reviews, analysis of a company)

Advice

1. Unique Content. Why recreate the Web? Focus on a unique topic to avoid "copy and paste" issues
2. Structure. An effective wiki makes good use of hyperlinks to connect information and ideas. One idea is linked to another so that people can see the forest and the trees.
3. Flexibility. Avoid starting a wiki with all the information in place. If it's complete, then why not just create web pages? Although structure is important, it must be balanced with the opportunity to expand and dig deeper into the content. Make use of the HISTORY option where you can trace each student addition.
4. Synergy. When a group of people work together toward a joint goal, the result is often bigger and better than when people work independently. Although wikis work fine with just a few people, larger projects require more committment by individual group members or a larger writing pool. Consider expanding your contributors by inviting some of the following people to join projects: different class periods, schools, or countries, different ages, varied perspective, different geographic areas, varied cultures, different academic fields.
5. Enthusiasm. Participants need to be passionate about the content or the project will quickly become a chore rather than a quest for knowledge. One way to maintain enthusiasm is through questioning. Consider some of the following questions as you worth through your wiki project:
   • What questions do we have about this topic?
   • What do we still need to learn?
   • Where can we go to collect more information?
   • What can we create ourselves?
   • What are different ways we can tell our story or share our information through text, visuals, audio, or other modes of communication?
   • How can we refine or expand what we have?

Tools

• Wikispaces Teacher Page (MY FAVORITE)
• JotSpot (Now owned by Google) (no ads; free for 5 users, 10 pages, 5MB file size, 100MB space)
• Nexdo (free for 5 users; 10MB server space per team)
• PBWiki (free for Google ad-based, 10MB)
  • Check out an example created for Teasdale, Utah.
• SeedWiki (no ads; free users, pages, limited access to page stats)

Learn more at High Tech Learning: Collaborative Web and Wikis.

Find more examples at Read Write Wiki and Wiki World

Brainstorm!
Where is there a need for quality information? Brainstorm ideas for a book wiki, literature circle wiki, or local history wiki. Or select your own topic. Discuss categories, organization, and interrelationships among information. Create a concept map showing potential content.

 

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