Wikispaces

=Wikispaces= Create free wikis at Wikispaces.

What are wikis?
Watch //Wikis in Plain English// Common Craft at @http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

Wikis vs blogs
Think of a wiki as a drawer in a filing cabinet. The pages, or files, can be taken out at different times by different people and, depending on your settings, those people can contribute to the pages. A blog is essentially a log or journal in which main entries appear in reverse chronological order but comments (possibly moderated) on the entries can be added by other people than the author at any time.

Readings
7 things you should know about wikis Review of value and properties of Wikispaces from TeachersFirst

Ideas
50 Ways to Use Wikis for a More Collaborative and Interactive Classroom

Examples
A Broken World A History Wiki From the Beginning of World War I to the Cold War. This wiki textbook is student-created. Humpback Whales Webquest WWI Poetry

Examples of use in CHS
This wiki, 2pt0-Tools-for-CHS

Thought on wikis
 **What are the possibilities for using wikis to enhance your instruction?** Having instructions and resources for collaborative work available in a wiki frees the instructor for more differentiated instruction and allows for assignments that engage students more.

 **Is it likely to create a more authentic and/or appealing learning environment for the learners? Why? How?** Yes because there is a larger audience and peer reviewing.

 **Could this technology/method help reduce your workload?** Yes, indeed. In collaborative projects the collaborators can modify, and hopefully improve, each others work and because you can observe the history of changes this would hopefully be done in a responsible manner.

 **Think about a need where you might want to have a group of people collaborate on a written document, and what that would mean if it could be done via the web. What are the advantages? Disadvantages?** Four of us work in my school library at different times and we take on different responsibilities so when we wanted to write a procedures manual we did it using a wiki with alphabetized pages.

 **How would this work as a simple way for non-technical people to assemble their own web site?** Wikis are already hosted, accessed simply through a browser and require no knowledge of html or an html editor. Useful for a teacher to assemble resources, post homework etc.

 **What would students use this for?** Working and collaborating outside school hours

 **Explain reasons why people use wikis.** Simplicity, flexibility and (lack of) cost.

Help in CHS
I think I could help. - Thelma

If you are not already a contributor to this wiki, please let me know and I will sign you up. Chelsea_Reader@chelseaschools.com