Wikis can be like a big electronic playground of the mind. In this post, I’ll share how one New York State school has used a wiki to enhance already strong data based decision making and instruction practices. read more »
A great advantage of the wiki platform is that people who are literally at opposite ends of the globe can easily collaborate in the development and editing of documents. Wikis allow users to post a document that can then be edited by others. Wikis have built-in management elements that allow the wiki designer to determine WHO can edit. Wiki applications vary in terms of how complex these decisions can be, usually depending on the level of service one has contracted for. read more »
The Origins and Basics
It only seems right to turn to the wiki-driven online encyclopedia Wikipedia for a definition of wiki:
“A wiki (pronounced WIK-ee) is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG ['What You See Is What You Get'] text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems. read more »
Wikis began as simple applications that allowed users to collaboratively develop and edit documents. The applications available online now allow a much broader opportunity for communication and collaboration. In addition to providing a place to create, edit, and view the history of all who have edited a document, wiki applications may now support real-time chats, whiteboard, discussion threads, shared calendars, and other features. In addition, available themes and other options allow the wiki organizer to create a really attractive playground. Wiki applications also usually allow the wiki organizer to control access to the wiki and to pages within the wiki, allowing anything from viewing to full editorial access. The best part is that the cost to host a wiki (without ads!) is very affordable – the Wikispaces application costs $50 a year for great documentation and support with a broad selection of themes and site organization. We will be providing some tips for setting up and managing a wiki in this blog. We strongly encourage you to take a stab at creating your own wiki for practice. Why not go to Wikispaces (http://www.wikispaces.com/space/create) and try it out? You can create and launch a free wiki just for fun, or to used for personal or professional purposes. And check back here over the next few weeks while we blog about wikis.