Thing 8: Wiki, Wiki, Whack!

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content. Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and likely the most well known of these knowledge-sharing tools. Wikis have many benefits, are easy to use, and have many applications.
Some of the benefits of wikis:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Tracking tools allow you to easily keep up on what has been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be rolled back and viewed when needed.
• Users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content.

Schools and educators all over the country have begun to use wikis to collaborate and share knowledge. Among their applications are pathfinder or subject guide wikis, book review wikis, staff handbook wikis, and best practices wikis. As you can/will see when you view the wikis in the list below, the content of a wiki depends on the knowledge and commitment of participants.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Watch this Common Craft Video on Wikis. It is a great (quick and easy) introduction to wikis. (If you prefer reading to watching, check out the resources section below.)
   
2. Take a look at some wikis. Here are a few examples to get you started (and then find some on your own!):
3. Create a blog post about your findings. (If you're stuck on what to blog about, check out the prompt ideas below.)
   

• Moving Forward A huge list of fantastic educator examples of wikis
• Using Wiki in Education a wiki (about a book) for educators
• Web 2.0 wiki A primer for these fantastic Web 2.0 tools: wiki-style.
• The Chauncy School supplements textbook learning by adding resources, quizzes and notes to their wiki. It’s a great idea to create a new page for each unit and attach classroom handouts making them accessible from anywhere (from pbwiki "Educator examples")
• Professor Nana high school class uses PBwiki to build an online course guide. The syllabus is posted online and students are encouraged to share class notes, post questions, and build on each other’s work. The result is a fully formed analysis of course sections, and a great study guide for the final exam. (from pbwiki "Educator examples")
• Book Lovers Wiki - developed by the Princeton Public Library.

Here are some Minnesota wikis:

• Educational Heritage Project, a wiki from Minnesota Literacy Council
• Minnewiki from Minnesota Public Radio
• Beekeeping in MN wiki
• MN 150 wiki from Minnesota Historical Society

Resources

Use these resources to learn more about wikis:

• Using Wikis to Create Online Communities – a good overview of what a wiki is and how it can be used in libraries.
• Wikis: A Beginner’s Look – an excellent short slide presentation that offers a short introduction and examples.
• What is a Wiki? – Library Success wiki presentation.

Blog Prompts

• What did you find interesting about the wiki concept?
• What types of applications within schools might work well with a wiki?
• Many teachers/faculty "ban" Wikipedia as a source for student research. What do you think of the practice of limiting information by format?