Wikis

Url: www.wikispaces.com
 * 1) 2 review Web 2.0 tool Wikispaces

Wikis are part of something called the read write web. Depending upon what type of access is given, in some wikis anyone can contribute to them (public). Others, have selected members that, are invited to them and are then allowed to contribute toward the Wiki's content. These are in a sense private. The last type is titled as a Wiki, but in essence is really a sharing web page. No one but the author is allowed to alter its contents. Any of these wikis can be a single page, or as many pages linked together as are needed for the group's objectives. It is a nice method of dissemination and in some cases actually gaining information. Additions made to these sites via discussion boards can be monitored by using RSS feeds to the composer's email account.

For educational purposes these sites can be used as modified websites to inform parents overall of school activities, along with links that may help their child academically. At a teacher level, it could also be used to inform parents as to what upcoming assignments are and again where they and their student can go to for help or for drilll and repetition. Additionally, the teacher can use it in the classrooom itself as a class built Wiki for a project around certain subject matter, or to communicate and build collaboratively a site among specific groups of colleagues.

A class built Wiki with the teacher as a faciliator lends itself to possible types of differentiation. The teacher could approach the tasks based upon different academic or intellect aptitudes, of different interests and learning styles. Tasks could then be appointed acommodating these differences with each student contributing, but doing so in some predicted comfort level. In addition, with the links provided to other web learning resources if varying learning styles are kept in mind students could individually access either at home, or in the school, ways to review and/or relearn the material form class. Furthermore, if discussion groups were set, with defined parameters of behavior, students could post questions or responses within a fairly private site.

Caution, would best be, that only students in the teacher's classes be invited to class Wikis with defined expectations of use. In addition, modeling what types of uses the discussion board is for, should probably be shown, I would probably refrain form pictures of students as this eliminates one problem.

The main advantage can be one stop shopping for help in individual classes.