Handout

=//WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A WIKI?//=

//“Literacy has always been about using the most powerful cultural tools available to make and communicate meaning. At the present, those tools happen to be multimedia tools that use video, graphics, sound, and traditional text in a hypermedia format. If we or our students don't know how to critically use these tools to their fullest meaning-constructive potential, then we—and they—are illiterate” (Jeff Wilhelm, 2000, p. 7).//

= = =Guiding Questions=


 * What is a wiki and in what ways is it different from a standard website or content management system?
 * Why might students, teachers, and community members find wikis compelling?
 * How are wikis transforming possibilities for learning, teaching, and professional development in K-12 settings around the world?
 * In what ways might you envision using a wiki in your own teaching context?

=What is a wiki?=

A wiki is a type of social software that allows multiple people to easily and collaboratively create, edit, discuss, and share multimedia content online using a web browser. Many wiki providers (such as Wikispaces or [|PBWiki]) make this service available for free to anyone who has access to an internet connection, charging small fees to those who prefer additional features such as ad-free spaces, custom themes, or increased security options. It is also possible to install wiki software (such as [|MediaWiki]) on a server.

=How do wikis work?=

media type="youtube" key="-dnL00TdmLY" height="355" width="425"

http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

=Why do elementary teachers use wikis?=

> International Collaborative Wiki - Jerusalem, Italia-Austria Intercultural Project >
 * Collaborate on intraclass, interclass, interschool , and international projects - Code Blue, Monster Project, Flat Classroom Project
 * Communicate with students, parents, and community members - Arbor Heights Elementary School Wiki
 * Design motivating learning environments and materials - [|3rd Grade Wiki]
 * Engage students in real world, social issues
 * Evaluate student understanding and progress
 * Facilitate student clubs and professional learning communities - Educational Wikis, Toni Theisen's PLCs
 * Improve personal productivity and organization - [|Cool Cat Teacher Blog: My class notes wiki], Our Wiki Home
 * Scaffold the development of student writing - Smithclass 4th Grade Wiki
 * Support action research, collaboration, and professional development
 * Transform what it means to teach, learn, and understand!

= = =How do you make a wiki?=

It is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1) Compare - Wikimatrix - http://www.wikimatrix.org/index.php

2) Create - PBWiki - http://pbwiki.com OR Pikiwiki OR Wikispaces - http://www.wikispaces.com

3) Click - Edit, (Type your text or upload your files and photos), Save


 * //**Want to create your own wiki for use in your classroom?**//

Wikispaces is giving [|100,000 free spaces] for teachers.

[|PBwiki]

[|PikiWiki] ||  ||

Useful information on usernames - http://www.wikispaces.com/help+Teachers

=What about assessment?=

Wikis allow for students to interact with real audiences for authentic purposes. Consider how a "real" audience "assesses" a performance. What kind of feedback might performers expect? How would a director assess a performance? What kind of feedback would the director provide? How might you use those principles to inform the way you use the features of the wiki to assess students?

Kasumi Kato & Lauren Rosen's Rubric (in English for a Japanese class) - http://www.actfl.org/files/public/updatedrubric.pdf

Vicki Davis' Wiki Assessment Rubric - http://k12online.wm.edu/WikiGradingRubric.pdf

=**What about copyright?**= __[|Copyright Free Images]__ Copyright friendly images free for any use.

[|Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers] - A nice, one-page chart (in PDF) that summarizes copyright for teachers

[|Public domain definition] - What is public domain and how and when works become part of the public domain?

[|Jamendo] - Copyright safe music you can use online

[|Stock Xchng] - Copyright safe images you can use online

[|Public Domain Images] Several thousand top quality public domain images nicely organized in folders, free for any personal and/or commercial use, credit or back link is not required.

[|More information on copyright]


 * References**

Wilhelm, Jeff. (2000, March). Literacy by design: Why is all this technology so important anyhow? //Voices from the Middle, 7//(3), pp. 4-14. An intriguing article that makes a compelling case for why teachers should consider making space for alternative writing places, spaces, and tools in 21st Century classrooms. He also outlines the benefits of using design-based curricula with students. http://mwp.cla.umn.edu/techtraining/wilhelm.pdf

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