Wiki What?

You, like me only a short time ago, may have heard the word wiki and really have no idea what it is, but guess who does know? Probably your students. Technology is ever changing, and students have a way of staying on top of all of the latest technological developments. Tapping into this natural interest and excitement is a great way to engage your students.

In this post, I want to talk a little about wikis (because a little is all I know!) and how they might be beneficial in your classroom. I am deeply indebted to Lori Langer de Ramirez's book Empower English Language Learners with Tools From the Web. This short and highly relevant book has helped me to understand what a wiki is and how it can be integrated into your classroom.

A wiki is basically a webpage that, depending on your settings, can be edited by anyone. It is a quick and convenient way to add content to the Web. Basically, if you are authorized to make changes, you click the edit button, add the content or make the changes you would like, and then save. The wiki keeps a history of who made what changes to the site. You can also easily create links to new pages.

Wikis are nice because they provide a fast and convenient way for students to "work" together or with their teachers. Due to the lack of face to face time, they may also allow students, particularly ESL students, to interact and contribute more than they might otherwise.

De Ramirez gives the following suggestions for ways to use wikis in your classroom:

• Webquests
• Collaborative projects
• Coauthoring of essays or reports
• Interactive games (i.e. "what would you do next..." games)
• Planning for a class event
• Sign-up sheets for events
• Quick and easy Web sites with links and resources
• Online study communities
• A place to post and share student work

Join me in learning more about wikis and sharing tips and ideas on how to use them!