Wikis+for+Uniondale

=Why Wikis?= The web has been transformed into a workspace recently coined the "Read/Write Web" and is characterized by the collaborative process at work. An example of this is a "wiki," which is created to explore a specific topic and can be updated by its users to reflect a growing body of information. You may be familiar with the most well-known wiki on the web, //Wikipedia//.

Wikis--online multi-authoring environment
A **wiki** ([|IPA]: [ˈwɪ.kiː]  or [ˈwiː.kiː] [|[1]]) is a type of [|website] that allows users to easily add, remove, or otherwise [|edit] and change some available content, sometimes without the need for registration. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for [|collaborative authoring]. (from Wikipedia, [|http://www.wikipedia.com], accessed 8/3/06). The term is taken from the Hawaiian and means quick or fast.

Teachers can review individual student contributions to wikis by examining the history. This takes the mystery out of group projects when the teacher might wonder if everyone is pulling his or her weight.

Wiki Ideas
A collection of resources Book reviews In-depth look at a topic A staff intranet Staff development delivery FAQs Conference Notes Project teamwork

Check out these links from Gail Junion-Metz (__School Library Journal__, November 2005, p.28): http://schools.wikicities.com/wiki/Main_Page
 * High School Online Collaborative Writing**

[|http://teacherslounge.edtime.com]
 * The Teachers Lounge Wiki**

[|http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/WikiBib.htm]
 * Wiki Bibliography**

http://daviswiki.org/Front_Page
 * UC Davis Campus Wiki**

Suggestions from Will Richardson (__Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms__, 2006):

[|http://planetmath.org]
 * Planet Math**

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page
 * Wiki Books**

Other ideas: []
 * Choose Your Own Wiki Adventure** (slideshow)

http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom
 * Wiki in a K-12 Classroom**

http://animallife.wikispaces.com
 * And Uniondale's first ever student-centered wiki from Smith Street School:**

Want to try one?
[|PBWiki] [|Wetpaint] [|SeedWiki] Wikispaces

We currently have two wikis. One is **//[|LITE Bytes]//**, the district newsletter for the library and instructional technology departments; the other is **Workbench,** which focuses on the idea that sharing information and developmental resources is integral to our staff and faculty's success.

You can visit the wikis by clicking on the links below:

http://workbench.wikispaces.com []

The mulit-author approach makes wikis a truly collaborative, knowledge-building endeavor. To that end, their success depends on active participation of interested contributors. An example of this kind of effort can be seen by visiting the Early Childhood page.

We invite teachers and administrators to familiarize themselves with this innovative process as we begin the new school year. Our goal is to have the current wikis grow in terms of shared information, and for new wikis to be created specifically for your school, department or class needs. To add content to **Workbench**, please email Janice Friedman, Director of Library Media Services and Instructional Integration, at jfriedman@uniondaleschools.org to obtain a username and password.