Using+wikis

A wiki allows for world wide collaboration. Without knowing any HTML you can create web pages.

Watch this video for a basic introduction to wikis.

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The pages of this wiki can only be viewed by anyone but only members can edit.

Why do Wikis work so well?

 * 1) You edit in them in a browser, without the need for specialised programs;
 * 2) Wikis keep a chronological history for every page, so nothing is lost forever, no changes can be completely destructive, and revisions can always be undone;
 * 3) Wikis include a discussion area, so there can be a dialogue about changes before, during, and after they are being made;
 * 4) You can monitor a wiki or a particular page and receive notification of any changes to that page- - which is why an error in a site like Wikipedia can be corrected in a matter of a few minutes.
 * 5) They have the potential to save tonnes of paper and can easily be updated and are therefore far more sustainable than printed resources.

[|The Australian 02/02/2008] has an article about wikis potential for global education

How do I edit pages?

 * simply click on 'edit this page' and you can add whatever you like to the page. Click on 'save' to save your work. You will always be prompted if you forget.

How do I add a new page?

 * Click on 'new page' under Actions on the left hand side menu.
 * Once you have created the new page and named it, click on 'edit navigation' on the left hand side.
 * Type in the exact name of your page then highlight it with the mouse and click on the insert link icon at the top of the page (This is the icon with a joined chain - hold the mouse over the icons to see what they do).
 * This is an internal link. You can scroll through the page titles but you will find that the wiki automatically finds the page with the same name. Once you have the correct page name click OK.
 * Then click on 'save' to save the additions to the menu page
 * Now you should see your pages showing up on the left hand side menu under 'navigation'

How do I create links to websites?

 * In edit mode, highlight the text you want to link, then click on the link icon.
 * Select external link
 * Type the web address into the box and click OK
 * Then save the page

How do I add images and files?

 * In edit mode click on the tree image in the top menu.
 * First you will need to upload the image or file into the images and files folder that will open when you click on the tree.
 * Once it is uploaded you will be able to add it into the page you want. Put the cursor in the place you wan the image or file to go, then double click on the thumbnail of the image or file.
 * Then save the page


 * HINT - if adding pictures please make sure that you use small picture files or it may take the wiki a long time to load. FREE and easy to use picture editing software is available online at [|picnik.com]**


 * You could also experiment with inserting widgets (tv icon)

Some wiki programs freely available to you are

 * [|PBwiki] Hosted wiki ad-free for educators.
 * [|Wikispaces] Hosted wikis ad-free for educators (this site is a Wikispaces wiki - educators)
 * [|Wikispaces for teachers]
 * [|DokuWiki] DokuWiki is simple to install and use. It works on plain texts files and thus needs no database.
 * [|Zoho Wiki]
 * [|Wetpaint]

**Interested to find out more?**
http://www.wikiineducation.com/display/ikiw/Home You might like to begin exploring the wiki toolbox section (right hand side) to look at tools and wiki project examples. When you have some spare time you might like to explore some of these links below


 * [|Wikis in the Classroom] ppt by Vicki A Davis 2007
 * [|Vicky Davis] "Wiki Wiki Teaching- The art of using wiki pages to teach"
 * [|A Wiki Walk-Through], from TeachersFirst. A great tutorial about what a wiki is, why to use wikis in education, and how to use wikis in education.
 * [|Welcome to the World of Wikis] - Help pages put together to use with primary schools in the UK
 * [|Using Wiki in Education] - An article at the Science of Spectroscopy
 * [|Classroom Use of Wikis] at Teaching Hacks
 * [|Wiki While you Work] - A video tutorial lecture by Mark Wagner
 * [|Wiki Wiki, Blog Blog] An essay on wikis and Blogs, by Anne Marie Scott.
 * [|Wiki That! Education]Blog discussing the uses of wikis in Education.
 * [|Wikiweb: The use of wikis for collaborative learning], online essay.
 * Web-based Communication Graduate class wiki containing many examples of classroom wikis & blogs.