Wikis+and+Blogs

__**What is a Wiki?**__ If you have found this site then you have gone some way to understanding wikis. Obviously a Wiki is a website. However, unlike typical websites which are created on a computer and then uploaded to the internet, a Wiki is created live on the internet. No special software is required to create a Wiki apart from a connection to the internet and Web Browser software such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. Wikis are also designed for collaborative internet publishing - this means that you can have many 'authors' contributing to a Wiki site.

The most famous Wiki site is [|Wikipedia].

media type="custom" key="4276649" __**What is a Blog?**__ A Blog is short for 'Web Log'. A Blog is a website that is organised usually as an online diary or comment site. The author(s) of a blog would make regular contributions to the Blog. A Blog can include other media apart from text such as pictures, video, sound and downloadable documents. Wikis and Blogs are related in that they operate very similarly. You do not need any special software to create a blog, just an internet connection, a web browser and a blog hosting site.
 * Wikis in Plain English (Common Craft [] )**

media type="custom" key="4276665"
 * Blogs in Plain English (Common Craft [])**

__**What does Wiki mean?**__ Wikis is the Hawaiian word for 'quick'. Ward Cunningham the developed the concept in the late 1990's around the idea of 'quick web' - a way to build websites quickly. It is also an alliterative substitute for World Wide Web. ie: Wiki Wiki Web.

__**How do I create a Wiki site for education?**__ The easiest way is to create one through Wikispaces.com which is where this site was created. As long as it is used exclusively for educational purposes then the site remains free of cost and free of advertising. Firstly, for Victorian schools, check out the Department's [|Global Teacher] site for more information. They provide a link to the Wikispaces sign up page and some other thoughtful information on using Wikis in schools.

You will need to register with Wikispaces.com to [|create a site]. This registers your email address and gives you authoring rights on your wiki site. Of course you will need to name your site as well. Choose a name that reflects the content.

__**How do I create a Blog for Education?**__ Go to the Department of Education [|Global Teacher site] for more information. The site provides links to site that provide free Blogs for teacher and students as well as other information on Blogging for education. [|Edublogs.org] is a very good site for creating blogs for educational purposes.

__**Who can edit my Wiki site?**__ That is entirely up to you. For example;
 * Your wiki site can be completely private - so that only registered users of the Wiki site can view the content. You as the creator would be the only person who could edit the site.
 * You can create a site that is public to view but can only be edited by you.
 * You can create a site that is public to view and can be edited by registered users of the site.
 * You can create a site that is public to view and can be edited by anyone.

Obviously the choice would depend on the purpose of the site. Considering the audience of this FAQ is P-12 educators in the Southern Cluster, then I would recommend the site be completely private initially, with a small number of registered authors, so that the content creation is an accountable process. When the site is ready then make the site public to view, but keep the editing restrictions.

__**Where can I find some examples of how Wikis have been used in education?**__ One place to start is at the Department's website at the [|Global Teacher] site. There is also a Wiki site on Wikispaces.com that list many educational wiki sites where you can get some inspiration. Go to educationalwikis.wikispaces.com. This site provides links to other sites with tutorials, articles about Wikis and Blogs in education as well as links to many Wiki sites setup by teachers and students.

__**What problems are associated with using Wikis and Blogs with students?**__ There are a number of issues that need to be addressed or at least thought through. Sometimes being aware of the issues is enough to start.
 * **Make sure that your wiki or blog site is not blocked by the Department's filtering software.** I have found that in Cluster schools that use the Department's **Education Channel Cache** to access the internet, wiki sites setup through [|wikispaces.com] **will be blocked**. However, many teachers don't realise that sites can be added to the cache quite easily. Just go to the [|Department page] and fill out the online form to **suggest the site** be included in the cache. I found that a response is forthcoming quite quickly.
 * **Make sure you have a legitimate and sustainable educational purpose for creating the site.** Sometimes these sorts of projects get started and then just fall apart because of inadequate planning or commitment.
 * **Do not publish any personal identifiable information on students on wiki or blog site**s. Use photographs of students only if essential and then only if parental permission is sought and only for as long as necessary for the project. If the site is going to be for public viewing then make sure parents are aware of the site - they will be interested to see their children's work.
 * **Think about the process of creating content and editing the wiki site.** If you are going to allow students to collaborate on creating and editing the site, how will you manage that process. One suggestion would be to register the students who will have editing rights. Do not allow anonymous editing. That way you can track who makes changes and when and minimises frivolous or objectionable content. At least register student groups if it is too difficult to register all students.
 * **Divide the task amongst the students involved.** Give responsibility for different parts of the site to different students or groups of students. This may avoid some issues with students changing other student's content.
 * **Make sure you do the pre-planning.** Use graphic organisers or other planning templates to create the structure of the site before you begin. Get students to do their editing offline. When ready, then it should be a simple matter of copying and pasting text and uploading prepared graphics.
 * **Make sure you acknowledge any references used and copyright issues are addressed.**
 * **Get clearance from the school administration.** Remember that your wiki or blog sites will in some way represent the school, so it is important that the school administration knows what is happening and can approve the content.
 * **At the end of the project, if the sites are no longer needed then remove them.** This will prevent any ongoing issues with out of date information remaining on the internet.