Using Wikis for Collaborative L earning

1. Using Wikis for Collaborative Learning

2. Agenda for Today’s Session • Overview of wikis • Setting up a wiki • Examples of educational wikis • Classroom wiki ideas • Questions

3. What do you know about wikis? 1 – I’ve never heard of wikis until just now 2 – I’ve heard of wikis, but I’m not really sure what they are 3 – I know what a wiki is, but I haven’t used one 4 – I’ve seen or used a wiki that someone else created 5 – I’ve created my own wiki

4. What is a wiki? • A wiki is a website that anyone can edit. • If you can use a word processor, you can use a wiki! • Teachers can control who has access to view and edit a wiki. • Visitors can see a history of changes. • Visitors can discuss the page in a threaded forum.

5. Why would you use a wiki? • Collaboratively authored class texts • Writing projects • Group projects • Sharing resources • Grade level teams • Subject area teams • Professional development • Professional Learning Communities (PLC) • ePortfolios • Clubs, PTAs, and events • Mapping of concepts, brainstorming • Presentation tools

6. NCCS and DPI Examples • NCCS Reading Foundations • Virtual Field Trip wiki • Digital Textbook • PLC wiki • NCCS Leadership • NCDPI Wiki • DPI Region 7 Wiki

7. Setting Up a Wiki • A wiki is a website that anyone can edit. • If you can use a word processor, you can use a wiki! • Visitors can see a history of changes and revert to earlier versions. • Visitors can discuss the page in a threaded forum. • Visit www.wikispaces.com • Enter Username, Password, & Email to get started • Choose a wiki name and select Private • When you enter your wiki, scroll down and click Upgrade • Request upgrade to a free educational wiki • You will receive an email notification once your wiki is approved

8. Setting Up a Wiki • Manage Wiki • Look and Feel – Change template & colors • Adding Pictures and Files-Add images and documents to your page • Permissions – Change wiki member permission on specific wiki pages • Invite People – Invite wiki members with email addresses • User Creator (icon visible once you get approval for free upgrade) – Add student users without email addresses • Members – Manage member information • Notifications – Receive updates when changes are made to wiki pages

9. Setting Up a Wiki • Pages are organized by alphabetical order in the margin of your wiki • New Pages • Click New Page to add a page to your wiki • Give the page a name and click Create • Edit Pages • Click Edit on the page you want to edit • Use toolbar to edit text, upload files, add hyperlinks, or embed widgets

10. Setting Up a Wiki • Embed Widgets • Poster – add Glogs • Video –import videos from web • Polls – embed surveys for students • Other HTML – embed other objects using embed code • Help (in top right corner of wiki) • Projects • Can add students to teams http://www.wikispaces.com/content/wiki-tour/projects-intro • http://www.wikispaces.com/content/wiki-tour/projects-nav • http://www.wikispaces.com/content/wiki-tour/projects-perm

11. Classroom Wiki Idea: 4th grade North Carolina ABC Project *Wiki page for each letter of the alphabet *Students choose an important place, person, or event in NC *Students create a wiki page *Note: Students can embed Glogs into a wiki page.

12. Classroom Wiki Idea: 10th Grade English *Literature circle discussions through wiki’s discussion thread

13. Classroom Wiki Idea: Global Energy Crisis Discussion *Teachers and students can embed objects like calendars, videos, and polls into wiki pages

14. Examples of Educational Wikis • The Wikipedia - http://www.wikipedia.org • 7thgrade wiki http://sgs7thgrade.wikispaces.com/Math+%28Esther+%26+Rafael%29 • Dave Conlay's Aristotle Experiment - http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com • A Moby Dick example - http://mdt-p4.wikispaces.com/Race%2C+Ethnicity%2C+and+Diversity+in+Moby+Dick • Eva Wagner's Houghton-Mifflin Tech Resources Wiki - http://hmtech.wikispaces.com • Eva Wagner's Technology Integration Projects for Grades K-3 - http://techtips.wikispaces.com • Leigh Murrel's wikis for Spanish class - http://lm3.wikispaces.com/ & http://lm4.wikispaces.com/ • A 5th Grade project wiki from Karen Kliegman - https://survivormd.wikispaces.com/ • Wikis for Social Change recommended by Dan Rezac - http://global-poverty.wikispaces.com/ & http://theglobalwarmingproject.wikispaces.com/

15. Explore Examples • What is a basic description of this wiki? Include such elements as grade level, subject area, or other educational purpose. • Who is the intended audience for the wiki and what would they get out of it? • Who are the intended contributors for the wiki and what would they contribute? • How does this wiki accomplish something that only a wiki can accomplish? What other websites or media could be used to accomplish the same thing? • How could you adapt this as a model for your own work?

16. Examples of Educational Wikis: High School • Bergmann Science http://bergmannscience.wikispaces.com/ • Computer Science w/ Mrs. Davis http://westwood.wikispaces.com/ • Mills High School http://milliswiki.wikispaces.com/ • Mrs. Carpinello'sWikispacehttp://misswargoenglish.wikispaces.com/ • Ms. Dunn's AP English Literature & Composition http://dunnapenglish12.wikispaces.com/ • Teaching with Technology http://teaching-with-technology.wikispaces.com/

17. Examples of Educational Wikis: Projects & PD • Flat Classroom Project http://www.flatclassroomproject.org/ • Flip Video in Education http://flipvideo.wikispaces.com/ • Twitter4PD http://twitter4pd.wikispaces.com/ • Screencasting in Education http://eduscreencasting.wikispaces.com/

18. Pause for Reflection • How can wikis be used to engage and motivate students? • How can wikis be used to provide an authentic context for student learning? • How can wikis be used to encourage inquiry? • How can wikis be used to facilitate collaboration? • How can wikis be used to prompt reflection and metacognition?

19. It’s Your Turn • What ideas would you like to share with the group? • What questions do you have about using Wikispaces? • 18 Interesting Ways to use Wikis in the Classroom