Wikis

=Wikis=

Overview:
A wiki is a web page (or a collection of web pages) that anyone can edit right in their browser. Some wikis even allow you to restrict who can edit, or who can even see certain pages. Most of us are familiar with the Wikipedia which is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, but you can also create and edit your own wikis.

Objectives:

 * 1) Understand how technologies like wikis offer collaborative advantages over other technologies
 * 2) Edit, add or delete content within Wikipedia
 * 3) Create your own wiki using a free web service

The More You Know:
First, check out this short video Wikis in Plain English to get a basic idea of what wikis are.

Next, read through the 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis from Educause. Besides being one of the most well known wikis, Wikipedia is also the largest general reference website on the Internet. Its popularity stems from the fact that anyone with an Internet connection can create and edit pages within the site. Most of the pages can be edited without even logging in, but due to site vandalism they have had to require this for more controversial topics and people. Wikipedia still uses wiki markup to edit its pages (which is supposed to be easier than HTML, but still not straight forward) so changing or contributing information can be tricky at first. To get started: The wiki engine (software) that runs Wikipedia is free to use, but needs to be installed on a server that you have access to. Not many of us lease server space so we need a better solution. Enter the web-based wiki creators! The first wiki-creation website we'll look at is Wikispaces.
 * Wikipedia**
 * Spend some time reading through the tutorial on editing Wikipedia pages
 * Explore and add something to one of the pages in the Wikipedia Sandbox
 * Wikispaces**
 * You can watch a quick overview video here
 * Then use this special page for teachers to sign up for Wikispaces which don't include advertisements.

Once you have a teacher account:

If you hit a snag you can click the "Help" link at the top of each page. PBworks (formerly PBwiki) is another web-based wiki creation site that we'll explore. You can create an account and a new wiki here (be sure to select the **free** wiki!). Your wiki homepage comes with some content to get you started, but you can delete it all under the "Edit" tab and begin putting in your own content. Other things to try:
 * Follow the directions on your homepage to add some basic content
 * Click on the "embed widgets" button and flood your page with media to see how they all work
 * Add a new page and link the two together
 * PBWorks**
 * Begin your exploration of PBworks by watching their short demo video.
 * Click the "Insert Plugin" and experiment with some of the content types, such as
 * Calendar
 * Spreadsheet
 * Address link
 * Chat room
 * Edit the content in your sidebar and perhaps add a table of contents
 * Try creating a new page and choosing a template for it
 * 1) Change template
 * 2) Add Text, Links, Images, etc.
 * Organize your page within folders
 * Share files through the wiki
 * Invite collaborators and set permission levels
 * View Page History to look at the development of the wiki and as a restore tool.