What is a Wiki?

You have heard of Wikipedia. It is the largest wiki on the web. A Wiki is a site anyone can edit, although you can control who edits and have ultimate power over your wiki. It is great for collaborating on documents, assignments and completing tasks. Watch this video to get an idea of how it works.

(Wikipedia is actually a good resource. You can see the edits made and see previous versions. Try this. Go on something you know about, change some facts, and see how long it lasts online before someone else corrects it. Check out this article.)

How can I use wikis in my class?

Here are some ideas...

1. Create a collaborative study guide that students edit.  You provide an outline of topics and let them fill in the notes.  Here is one I plan to do with my AP World History class. I created it using GoogleSites using my gmail account http://sites.google.com/site/rodriguez207/

2. Post an essay with hidden errors and have students edit the page to fix errors or add information.

3. Have students sign up for projects or create wikis on topics they like to write about.

4. Work on collaborative documents, lesson plans, WASC reports, or create pullout agendas.

Resources

Wikispaces

PB Wiki

Wet Paint - check out their Wikis in Education site and see a sample wiki on Anatomy - http://anatowiki.wetpaint.com/?t=anon

http://www.wikiineducation.com/