A wiki is a collaborative site where multiple individuals can have discussions. Wiki is short for What I Know Is. When using a wiki, the user can set up preferences, add members, track history, create new pages, create projects, assign groups, and much more. Some terms that are important to learn when using a wiki as an interactive tool include: widgets, embedding, and linking. Widgets is a term used for the live gadgets that can be embedded into a wiki page, such as images, documents, or videos. Embedding is used when pictures, videos, and documents can be directed added onto the wiki page. Linking is used when a website link is shared to direct other users to go to different locations to look at other pieces or images that have been created for additional information (Tangient LLC, 2013).
One educational resource that educators can utilize is Wikispaces. Wikispaces can be accessed through the link http://www.wikispaces.com. The site is free for educators and their students. Wikispaces is an easy Web 2.0 tool to access and incorporate into classrooms. The site is safe and private for users. Preference settings can be customized to allow for further security when using the site. In order to edit and collaborate on a wikispace page, the creator must invite users to join the wiki. Creating a wikispace account is simple and only requires the user to create a username, password, and email address. Once the user has created an account, he or she can create a wiki and invite others to join. One feature that educators find useful is being able to create projects and assign students to groups. Students can collaborate with each other and pull in information to create their collaborative project. Students will find wikispaces to be an easy tool that allows them to communicate interactively with their classmates (Tangient LLC, 2013).
There are many ways that wikis can be utilized in the educational environment. First, the Grand Forks chapter of NDEA has a wiki for its members. It is a private wiki for only invited members to sign into. The wiki provides up-to-date NDEA information as well as the latest information about negotiations. Members are encouraged to participate in discussions and ask questions. Next, in some school districts, the Technology Partners created a wiki to allow users to participate in discussions, collaborate, and ask questions. Also, educators can create a class wiki for students to access throughout the school day or at home. Teachers can create projects for students to work on together and help students develop skills for being a good digital citizen. Finally, certain colleges and universities have utilized wiki sites for students to share reflective, research papers. Students are able to gain insight from classmates and provide feedback to assist others in his or her learning process (Tangient LLC, 2013).
Overall, using wikis in a classroom would be an excellent Web 2.0 tool for students. Wikis allow students to feel like a community and helps in developing 21st century readiness skills. Wikis are user- friendly and programs are easy to use and edit. Wikis have a social networking aspect that looks similar to Facebook and a formative real-time assessment tool. By using a wiki, students learn many writing, reading, collaborative, and computer literacy skills necessary for meeting 21st century learning standards as well as Common Core State Standards.
References:
Tangient LLC. (2013). Wikispaces classroom. Retrieved from https://www.wikispaces.com/
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