Wikis

~Wikis are fascinating. They can be used by a variety of different people for many different purposes. Wikis are a great way for many people to work together to create something or organize a group activity.  It was fun exploring the links on week 4 of the learning2.0 blog.

~I explored several different wikis. In the process, I learned that wikis are easy to create and navigate. Depending on how the settings are arranged, different people can be allowed to edit or not edit a page as well. Attaching links on a wiki page can be helpful. I also learned that wikis are great ways for people to work together, especially in long distance situations.

~As I explored several different wikis, I discovered that there was one wiki in particular that I liked, the Kearns High Library Wiki. I loved how this wiki had great links for both teachers and students, which included the following:

      --Great links with help for teachers:

            -Grade books

            -Canvas

            -Microsoft office/outlook

            -Googledocs

            -And more…

      --Great links for students:

            -Citation machine

            -Information sources, such as Pioneer website

            -Club information

            -Literature information

            -Big6 research skills information

I especially liked that the librarian also gave a way to contact her electronically if students or teachers needed additional help. I learned that the librarian did not create all the sites she linked to, but rather took advantage of the myriad of helps that exist on the Internet and provided links to those.

~I learned more about how different people use wikis as I explored several wikis from the Wikispaces Best Educational Wikis for 2010 blog link. I explored Metasaga, which is a wiki where people who have traveled to similar places share their experiences; Celebr8U&MeDigitally, which is a wiki where two teachers from different countries communicate and allow their students to communicate; and Wissahickson School District’s eToolBox, which is a school’s virtual toolbox.

~Wikipedia is one of the most famous wikis, and I find myself using it often, even though it has a reputation of being unreliable. It can be used as a secondary source and to get an idea, although another source would be more reliable for getting more information about a topic.  I understand that it is becoming more reliable, and I love that people post citations for information sources so that people can check the reliability and accuracy of the information.

~After exploring several different wikis, I discovered that it is important to have information stated clearly. I also like the idea of having great links, such as the ones at the Kearns High wiki, to help both teachers and students. I realize it is a good idea, as the school librarian, to have my contact information on the wiki in case teachers or students need an explanation or clarification beyond what they find at the links provided.

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