Thing #15 Wikis and how libraries are using them

Here are a few of things that I've discovered about using a wiki:
1. They encourage collaborative thinking and information sharing
2. They increase student thinking and participation
3. They can facilitate communication between teachers
4. Assignments can be posted such as homework, course materials, study guides and more.
5. Bibliographies of resources can be created with links to webpages
6. Teachers can post questions for students
7. Teachers and students can post to questions on a topic.
8. Parents can be given a chance to be a part of the classroom and stay up to date on news and activities.

To me, it is a great way to organize information about almost anything and can be updated regularly, quickly and easily. I like the fact that they can be set to limit who uses and edits the wiki. For writing, it seems like this would be the perfect way to do peer editing among students. To add even more flexibility, you could add a link from your wiki to your blog for comments to be added there.

I would like to start a wiki for book reviews such as Bluebonnet Books and maybe Mockingbird books as well. We have done a couple of book studies this year and it seems like a great way to share so that the group doesn't have to get together every time.

On-line journals could be incorporated. I think some kids that are reluctant writers might bloom with the chance to use a wiki for their writing.

I have already created a research wiki and have developed several pages on the Birth of American Democracy with resources, web-links and questions to be answered. I have posted some higher-level thinking questions for synthesis after the students have completed the basics on the rest of the wiki. Check it out at the Pbwiki link on the sidebar of my blog.