A Wiki is a mean of
communication for multiple users to edit pages or create pages on a certain
subject or topic. There is an unlimited amount of ways that Wikis can be used
for. Lots of businesses, teachers and media
specialists use Wikis to collaborate with other users.
Wikis were created in the 1990’s and have drastically evolved
since then. There are many features
that Wikis allow their users to incorporate such as bulleted items, hyperlinks,
adding of multiple pages and embed images.
They are also very accessible. Creators and users are able to edit and
view from any network connection. Although
Wikis can be created by anyone, some creators can make their Wikis private and
users can only view their page by invitation.
Creators also have the option of making it public for anyone to view. Wiki pages allow its users to post
information, ask questions, and respond to original posts. This allows communication to flow easy
between the creator and the users. There
are no rules or regulations for formatting or content that is required for a
Wiki, which allows its users to talk about a wide variety of topics and/or
provide information.
There are many ways a media specialists can use Wiki pages
in their media center. Some ways might
include:
- · Collaboration with teachers and students
- · Promoting upcoming events and news
- · Policies and procedures of the media center
- · Orientation
- · Information students need to know about how to use the different tools in the media center
- · General information about the media program
- · Lessons for different grade levels
- · New and deleted items/books/materials of the media center
- · Information about the school that students, teachers and parents should know about
Wikis can also be
used by classroom teachers. Some ways
might include:
- · Classroom rules and regulations
- · Homework and homework policies
- · Information on academic subjects
- · Upcoming events and dates for the classroom and/or the school
- · Special “shout outs” or notifications for students and parents
- · Orientation
- · An area for students to post questions about homework
- · Class discussions
- · Links to favorite academic websites
Overall, Wikis are easy to create, navigate, and is a great
communication source. It is a wonderful
way for people to comment on certain topics and provide instant feedback to questions
from its users. They are also a good
source for storing information and gaining information as well. With Wikis the possibilities are
endless.
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ReplyDeleteI was happy when Wikis were introduced to the world. It replaced our drab webpages on Frontpage. They are easier to manage. They can be interactive and that's important for parental communication. Because they are interactive, they can be fun as well as informative. This is a great tool for a media specialist to use. I really like the idea of privacy. That is necessary at times when you want only certain users to have pertinent information.
ReplyDeleteWikis are a wonderful addition and I am glad to see the school systems using them! I found alot of ideas for ways to effectively use a wiki while researching for this blog. You did a great job listing the many uses of the wiki. I hope my post can add to your post above as you hit on so many of the positive uses and aspects of wikis.
ReplyDeleteGreat information about wikis. The only time I've ever used wikis is with our classes with Dr. Cooper and I think they are really interesting. Of course, I have looked things up on Wikipedia and it came as a shock to me when I found out that the information found there was information that anyone in the world could add, but this makes wikis an interesting form of communication between individuals. I think that this could be added to media centers for many different uses, just as you have mentioned above. I also think these are great resources for teachers and students to use. I would like to see how high school teachers incorporate wikis into their classrooms and curriculums. I would like to use wikis in the future and hope that through learning about them and becoming familiar with them they will no longer be intimidating.
ReplyDelete