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Dr. Christie's Internet Safety Guide:Wikis |
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What are Wikis?A wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable any user to contribute or modify content. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites or to power community websites. The collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia™ is one of the best-known wikis. |
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A wiki enables documents to be written collaboratively, in a simple markup language, using a Web browser. A single page in a wiki website is referred to as a "wiki page", while the entire collection of pages, which are usually well interconnected by hyperlinks, is "the wiki". A wiki is essentially a database for creating, browsing, and searching through information. Begin by viewing CommonCraft Vidoe: Wikis in Plain English.
The term “wiki” comes from the Hawaiian word for “fast.” A wiki is essentially a webpage with an edit button. Although wikis are similar to blogs, they have one significant difference. Wikis allow “anyone and everyone to create content online” using basic knowledge of word processing and internet usage (Jakes, 2006). Information posted can be added, edited, and deleted on a continuous basis by anyone that has access to the wiki. Another way that wikis are different from blogs, is that wikis are organized by subject and pages rather than chronologically (Trinkle, 2007). This allows older information to remain as new information is being added. Pitfalls and Perils
Many educators are suspicious of wikis specifically because of one of the greatest advantages of wikis: they are collaborative work spaces where anyone can contribute. Many educators fear that students will read wikis and locate extraneous or incorrect information and discontinue their inquiry without confirming the information they located through a wiki.
Possible problems or dangers when students read wikis:
Possible problems or dangers when students contribute to wikis:
PotentialsOne of the most exciting Read/Write Web technologies that is available for educator use includes wikis. Wikis allow people to collaboratively edit and work on a series of web pages. Perhaps, one of the best examples is the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Teachers and media specialist are finding ways to use wikis to better communicate and meet the needs of their students. No longer is the writing experience independent but a social process. Wikis require students as well as teachers to “negotiate, cooperate, collaborate, and respect one another’s work and thoughts” as they contribute in the writing process (McPherson, 2006). The process of using wikis allows all contributors to “express themselves using multiple modalities (McPherson, 2006). Photos, music, podcasts, and video can be added to prepare a multimodal composition allowing for a variety of way to express ideas and communicate.
Below are just a few ways wikis can be used by teachers and media specialist in the educational environment:
As with any technology, wikis do require monitoring. Even though wikis can be password protected, there can be inappropriate material posted. Wikis have the capability to allow the administrator of the wiki to see who has posted any and all information (Jakes, 2006).
Wikis that educators use to create classroom wikis:
Examples of Classroom WikisDurant Road Middle School Wikis
Resources
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