17 Interesting Ways* to Use a Wiki in the

Classroom

*and tips

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 License.

I THINK THE BEST REASON IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE

DOING RIGHT NOW! 

COLLABORATING....

"Wiki" is not a tool.It's a way of working.

It's a way of collective reflection around an object. 

#1 - Create a subject-specific repositoryGet students to write their own revision materials!

1. Sign up for a free 'education' wiki with Wikispaces(see link below)

2. Make the wiki only open to those you have granted access.

3. Get students to sign up for a Wikispaces account

http://wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers

4. Make students    responsible for their    own pages. 5. Students can      collaborate and     become 'experts'

Doug Belshaw

#2 - Ask for student response

• as collaborative project o And To Think That I Saw It On My Way To Schoolo Love That Dog

• to bookso Civil War Novels o Ghost Cadet

• to classwork/class discussionso WikiWorld!o Emma's Politics Page

• To Canadian mentoro Di Hengen and student conversations

Paula White

#3 - Show off Student Work

• to demonstrate understandingo Fractions, Decimals and Percentso Consecutive Numbers

• for an audience (reports and projects)o Landmarks and Matho Discrimination (check out Japanese Americans)

•  for advertising purposeso 5th Grade Fundraiser    (see menu on left)

• To meet someone (in this case, our mentor introducing herself)o Dionne Hengen

Paula White

The Rotunda Charlottesville, VA USA

Scott Stadium At UVA Charlottesville, VA

#4 - Allow Students to create pages:

• Just For Funo 5th Grade Student pageso Drew's Games

•  To communicateo Summer Activitieso Spring Break

• To relieve stresso Going to Middle School

• To organize for presentationso School Board Links

Paula White

#5- Publish Training VideosUse Jing and Wikis together to learn and review

• Students:o Researched/mastered assigned objective for

MOS Certification testo Wrote scripts with step-by-step instructionso Used Jing to record screencastso Used a Wikispaces wiki to upload video and

add script• Wiki is now a source for learning and reviewing

MOS test objectives• Has also been shared with school staff for

quick how-to reminders

Heidi Van Riper@hlvanrip

#6 - Post PodcastEmbed  Podcast

• Create podcast and embed on pageo SES Computer Lab

We use Podomatic to create ours, then embed the code in the wiki.

Barb Smith

#7- Sharing teaching techniques among staffInvite staff to share ideas that work and build up a library of techniques

For example• Good practice in teaching pupils with SEN•  Ideas for stetching the most able• Ways of integrating thinking skills / MIs into lessons

 Advantages • Easy access to staff when it's convienient to them• Quickly builds into a valuable resource• Some staff will contribute and this builds shared

sense of ownership

Dave Stacey@davestacey

#8 A wiki as a forum for pupils to air issues relevant to teenagers.Create a wiki for a group of teenagers.

• Pupils create seperate wiki pages relating to certain issues:o Bullyingo Drugso Peer-pressureo etc

• Pupils include links to resources, helplines, fora etc.

• Pupils use the Wiki discussionso Pupils use the discussions in addition to the pages

themselves. The discussions allow conversations around the issue.

 Submitted by Dughall McCormickTwitter: @dughall

#9 - Where can I get a wiki?Three companies offer ad-free wikis to educators. Each offer different features, which may make them suitable for specific purposes

http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachershttp://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com http://pbwiki.com/academic.wiki

Dave Stacey@davestacey

#10 - Interactive Sub (Supply) PlansCreate a page with sub plans and post for class

• Create voki and read plans to class

•  Post Schedule and show class

• Require at least one assignment be done using wiki creating virtual classroom teacher can look in on

Sub (Supply) Plans Sample Voki

@mwackerMichael Wacker

#11 Create a collaborative dictionary.

- Create an English or foreign language dictionary to catalogue new words encountered each week:• Have a new page per topic area.• As an extension, students add what type of word it is, i.e.

noun, adjective etc, genders (for MFL), and an example of its use. 

      

Submitted by Catherine ElliottTwitter: @catherinelliott

#12 - Classroom Site

I use a wiki as my classroom website, where I can post PDF files of assignments, an archive of assignments (for absent students and for parents), section notes, worksheets, etc. I find that it saves so much time. If students want to know what they missed while they were gone, I can direct them to the website. If students lose their handouts and want a new copy, I can direct them to the website. If parents want to know what we are covering in class… you guessed it!... I direct them to the website. For me, Wikispaces, has been an amazing tool! This year, I’m also using Wikispaces to create a collaborative mythology “Wikipedia” that we can refer back to throughout the year, and to create online e-portfolios of student writing.

Please feel free to visit any of my online wikis:www.pilgreenenglish.wikispaces.comwww.pilgreenspeech.wikispaces.comwww.pilgreenbritishliterature.wikispaces.com

      

Submitted by Jessica Pilgreen

#13- For Learning JournalsStudents can reflect on their learning

• Each student has a page or pages each.• They can write freely about how they learn, not just

what they learn.• The teacher and other students can comment on the

associated discussion page.• Students learn more about reflective writing by

studying entries by other students.• Teachers could create a page template to provide

prompts if required.Colleen Younghttp://colleenyoung.wordpress.com/

#14 - Digital Class Book• Assign each student a letter of the alphabet, word, or

topic and a wiki page• Each student builds a page about a word related to the

class topic• Students can embed Glogs, upload photos and videos, and

add text to their pages• Use wiki's discussion thread for students to comment on

each other's wiki pages• Content ideas:

o ABC wiki about any topic (page about a word related to the topic starting with each letter of the alphabet)

o 50 stateso Chemical reactionso Historical people, places, or events

                                                                             Jayme Linton                                                                                                @jaymelinton

15 - Wiki Skills Progression

1. Add text to a prepared wiki page.2. Add text and graphics to a prepared wiki page.3. Create link to a new wiki page.4. Create link to an existing wiki page.5. Know when to create a link to a new page and when to link to an existing page.6. Create a wiki with several interlinked pages.7. Put version comments to explain the changes that have been made.8. Add to a wiki page that has already had content added, making positive changes

and explaining what has been altered.9. Use the history to check previous versions and adding or removing information as

appropriate.

#16- Create a Class "Folder"

• Each one of my blocks has a page on our Science Wiki and members of the class are responsible for adding information to the pageo Digital Glossary of terms used throughout the yearo Notes on topics being discussedo Students peer edit information that is posted

• Group pages are linked to the block pages and are a way for groups of students to display their final work from a project or lab

• I also have included basic information about the course of study, classroom expectations, basic explanation of Project Based Learning, etc.

            http://mrsfranksciencewiki.wikispaces.com/Elizabeth Frank(@EliFrank23)

#17- Homework Spreadsheet

• Our students have six different classes and they used to have to check six different websites for HW. With this Homework Wiki, we created a centralized location for all HW, assignments, project due dates, and up coming events for the entire 7th grade. Parents LOVE it!

            http://7thgradehomework.wikispaces.com/  

Elizabeth Frank(@EliFrank23)

If you would like to: • Contribute your ideas and tips to the presentation.• Let me know how you have used the resource.• Get in touch. 

You can email me or I am @tombarrett on Twitter

Thanks for helpingTom Barrett 

Image: ‘Sharing‘

If you add a tip (or even if you don't) please tweet about it and the link so more people can contribute.

I have created a page for all of the Interesting Ways presentations on my blog.

The whole family in one place :-)

Have you seen Maths Maps yet?