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//Welcome to our class wiki. This is a place to practice how wikis may work for you but of course a class wiki will be very different. **Enjoy the experience and don't forget to initial your post because unless you have an account with wikispaces your post will be tracked as "guest" in the history area. (AK)** //======

Here's a quote from a teacher who is using wikis in his classroom:

"Because the wiki is a common space that anyone in our classroom can contribute to, it becomes much more than a set of notes, it becomes an evolving, communal collection of our knowledge and understanding that grows in "depth" and "scope" as our understanding does. It is a collaboration in the true sense of the word. Where else can several parties contribute equally to the same idea be it right or wrong? **Nowhere. This is an exceptional experience for students and teachers alike, and students will not quickly forget this experience. (****EM)**. However, while presenting the benefits of the wiki (or any other document that is 'live') students need to understand that a wiki is simply a repository of information. The content cannot be used as a formal part of the curriculum as there is no way to determine whether the content is valid at any given time without reviewing it all (SD) **__It should also be pointed out to students that a wiki should NOT be used as a source when writing a paper for that very same reason! (JP)__** It offers students the chance to share their learning with their peers, parents and guardians (LF) and interact with their teacher through an online experience, ​They have the ability to (LF)  expand the learning beyond the classroom walls to anywhere, anytime. (RM) Building upon our current state of technology, a wiki is a common ground where people are brought together by an idea or topic of interest. **Wikis can be a wonderful tool when used wisely** and attentively.(LF)  ** It is a excellent educational and collaborative tool for students because we can see the evolving thought processes for the writers as the text (essay) is being developed. Besides students, teachers and administrators (LF) can use a wiki as a collaborative project possibly in creating a reading list, course syllabus or for getting input for a research project. (PB) **

I would suggest that wikis are well suited for project work, where students, teachers and parents can watch as the information and project work builds up over time, and each student can be assigned a section to work on. I would also suggest that they offer students an opportunity to be lazy and accept the first material they come across. Having the ability to permit editors (like this wiki) goes some way to reducing that problem (SD). Students should be encouraged to voice their thoughts and knowledge on a given subject and know that their ideas will be accepted. Wikis should be used both for sharing information and learning new information by the student. The classroom becomes an environment of learning in the constructivist model, where students and teachers learn together; moreover, the wiki experience allows students to learn from each other and at their own pace with minimal constraints. (RM)  Involvement in a classroom wiki changes the focus of learning from a passive nature to an active one in which the student becomes a researcher and evaluator of information. (LP)  Using a wiki in this way also allows students to determine the importance and validity of information. Over the last unit of study, students were forced several times to confront the fact that they had posted information online that was not completely correct. They were forced to revise what they had written and rethink their understandings. Sorting, validating, and exposing overwhelming amounts of information are skills that simply cannot be demonstrated or practiced using text that is not electronic. **Parents will appreciate the exposure given to children through these types of lessons and experiences. (EM)** " Wikis is an excellent way to bring learning outside of the classroom into the very homes of our students. Imagine a student running home excited to show mom or dad what he/she learned in class today because it has already been posted on the "world wide web?" Imagine the parent(s) being able to see the very lesson that was taught? Wikis can be an incredible way to bring parent involvement and encouragement back into the lives of our students! (LF)

//Wikis can be used as a part of the Writer's Workshop. Students can create a wiki for any type of writing, not just expository, such as poetry or a personal narrative. Using a simple color code, such as red for revision and blue for editing, both teachers and students can assist in the writing process. Students will then have immediate feedback about their writing, rather then waiting for a peer or teacher to sit one-on-one with them in the classroom. Students can monitor their progress over time and parents can see their child's growth.// (FM)