Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

By Michael PetersHS Technology Integration SpecialistCollegio Americano de Guatemala - 10/28/2009

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

Outline1. What is a WIKI? 2. The Basics – adding pages, sharing files, links, security and

user management3. Organization – folders, tags, menus4. Masters Class – Embedding Other Gadgets and External

Services5. Best Practices For Education

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

DefinitionA wiki is a website that allows visitors to add their own content to the pages on the site. The most well known example is Wikipedia – an encyclopaedia totally written and updated by users.PBWorks, the service that CAG uses, is one of many companies that provide wiki services.

The word wiki is Hawaiian for fast, and refers to the streamlined way that content is created and edited with this type of site.

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

Wiki

Blog

Website

•Informational – one way communication.•At least some technical expertise required.

Website

•Simplified interface for “non-techies”. Publishing for the people!•Very personal, mostly one-way communication, some capacity for author – reader interaction.

Blog

•Collaborative Workspace – many users share and contribute. •Flexible set-up, can be used for many purposes.

Wiki

Web 1.0

Web 2.0

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

Interesting, but how does this help me get the most out of my Wiki?

Don’t think of your Wiki just a simple website. Really think of the Web 2.0, collaborative possibilities.!

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

The Basics1. Adding pages and sharing files2. Links3. Security and user management

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

Organization1. Folders2. Tags3. Menus

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

Plug-ins and GadgetsA plug-in is a computer program or service that interacts with a host application (in this case, PBWorks) to provide a certain, very specific, function.

This allows third-party developers (i.e. Not the people who operate PBWorks) to extend the functionality of the host application.

In the case of PBWorks, this usually involves inserting a bit of programming code in the page telling PBWorks to access, or activate the new service. This is called EMBEDDING.

DON’T WORRY – YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PROGRAM!

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

Plug-ins and GadgetsThis means ...

1. Using plug-ins sometimes requires signing up for another service, and/or getting the EMBED code (via copy/paste) from another location.

2. Plug-ins can vary A LOT in terms of quality and appropriateness, depending on who wrote them. This is especially true for Google Gadgets.

DON’T PANIC: PBWorks includes some simple, well-tested, plug-ins to cover most things teachers might want. (Video, Audio, Presentations, Slideshows etc.) Your TIS can support you in getting them working.

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

BEST PRACTICES1. Include detailed WIKI instructions and provide time for practice.2. Post WIKI conventions/etiquette and require participants to abide

by them.3. BE PATIENT, and realize that students may require technical

assistance as they learn how to participate.4. Create a culture of trust within the WIKI.5. Provide clear and explicit course expectations.6. Assign meaningful, authentic activities.7. Include a common goal for collaborative activities.8. Define and identify roles, activities, and assessments.9. Remind students of course schedules and deadlines.10. Model examples of collaborative activities.

Original list by Barbara Schroeder "10 Best Practices for using wikis in education", TECHNOLOGY TEACHER, http://ictboisestate.wordpress.com, May 21 2008

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

ACTIVITY IDEAS Collaborative study guides and vocabulary lists. (Jose Luna!)Collaborative writers workshop: editing and revising (Kelly Nichols)Student-created web-quests or virtual field-trips.Collaborative FAQ’s or KWL’s . Current event responses.Community book reviews or author studies.Class wikipedia on a unit of study.Working with international penpals on a project.Posting observations from experiments, field studies.Hosting podcasts or videocasts. (Lowell Hendrix, Miriam Castellanos)Wiki-debates. Virtual art galleries.

Getting the most from your classroom WIKI

RESOURCES

Check out my Delicious Page (WIKI Tag): http://del.icio.us/michaeljpeters/wiki

And my PBWORKS Wikihttp://misterpeters.pbworks.com