What+is+a+WIKISPACE?

=media type="custom" key="2193861"media type="youtube" key="-dnL00TdmLY" height="344"= = = =//Wikis In Plain English from Teacher Tube by Trevor67//= = = =A Definition= The word **wiki** is a Hawaiian word for "fast". According to Wikipedia, a **wiki** is a page or collection of [|Web pages] designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create [|collaborative] [|websites] and to power community websites. The collaborative encyclopedia [|Wikipedia] is one of the best-known wikis. Wikis are used in business to provide intranets and Knowledge Management systems. Ward Cunningham, developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work". The Wiki is gaining traction in education, as an ideal tool for the increasing amount of collaborative work done by both students and teachers. Students might use a wiki to collaborate on a group report, compile data or share the results of their research, while faculty might use the wiki to collaboratively author the structure and curriculum of a course, and the wiki can then serve as part of each person's course web site (excerpt from my contribution to a Business 2.0 [|article] --[|Stewart.mader] 11:35, 14 Dec 2005 (PST)) As an educational tool, wikis can offer an avenue for connection and collaboration between students and teachers that has amazing potential.

Why use this technology in a classroom?
 =Tutorials & Guides=
 * **For a Class Web Page--**Wikis can be a valuable, class specific resource. Teachers can upload a class syllabus, expectations, homework assignments, lecture notes and powerpoint presentations, handouts, study guides, etc. They can also include links to useful websites that relate to the class.
 * **For Discussion Boards **-- Wikis can be used to host online discussion topics that reach beyond classroom walls...even across curriculums and countries!
 * **For Collaborative Projects **-- students can use wikis to create and manage group presentations and projects. No longer will you hear "so and so isn't here today and he has all our stuff." In fact "so and so" can now be held accountable for contributing from HOME if absent during a group work day! This type of online collaboration can even cut down on the amount of class time spent working on group projects. Homework can become less isolated and more collaborative as students can connect with their teacher and peers anytime, anwhere!
 * **For Electronic Portfolios--**because many types of files can be uploaded to a wiki, students can create individual wikipages to host their work. Students can easily upload photostories, movies, podcasts, powerpoints, word documents, google earth projects and other files.
 * **For Peer to Peer Sharing --** because postings can be viewed by other wiki members, students can learn from each other and review and respond to each others work.
 * Wikis also increase student engagement.
 * They can be used to showcase student work.
 * Teachers have a place where files can be kept for easy access anywhere and connections to other educators for exchange of ideas can be done.
 * [|A Wiki Walk-Through], from TeachersFirst. A great tutorial about what a wiki is, why to use wikis in education, and how to use wikis in education.
 * [|Welcome to the World of Wikis] - Help pages put together to use with primary schools in the UK - Sally. Thanks to wikispaces for the help they have given me! Good Luck!
 * [|Using Wiki in Education] - An article at the Science of Spectroscopy
 * Articles and Resources in Spanish by Francisco Muñoz de la Peña
 * [|Video: Wikis in Plain English] - A short and concise introduction to wikis (3:52) produced by Lee Lefever for [|The Common Craft Show].
 * [|Wiki Uses in Education]- A collaboration of ideas from teachers on how they use wikis in the classroom
 * [|Wiki While you Work] - A video tutorial lecture by Mark Wagner
 * Waarvoor gebruik je een wiki (how to use wikis in Dutch) - A short list of ideas to use wikis in education.
 * [|Wikipatterns] This site contains a directory of patterns and anti-patterns, and a guide to major stages of wiki adoption.

=Other Collections of Educational Wikis=
 * [|Sharing Wikis in Education] - A non profit education charity wiki where teachers can create or share wikis.