What+is+a+Wiki?

What are wikis?
Wikis are collaborative "[|Web 2.0]" (the read & write web) tools. They look and feel like a webpage, and have many of the same features. The main difference between wikis and traditional webpages is that many people can collaborate on a wiki - think [|Wikipedia].

====One of the best know Wikis is Wikipedia. "Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge. That's what we're doing," Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder (2004).====

Great video explaining -- How a Wiki works (... in plain English)
A short explanation of [|wikis] and how they can be used to coordinate a group.

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Here is another great [|video about what Wikipedia is and how it works].

Who uses wikis?

 * [|businesses]
 * [|higher education]
 * individuals

How are wikis used in education?

 * as a way to gather and share research information (e.g. class research projects)
 * as a tool for global collaboration
 * to organize and disseminate information (e.g. an interactive classroom webpage)
 * to teach classes or workshops
 * to organize professional work or professional development

Why use one?
>> Don't make your wiki into just one more task you have to do -- make your wiki work for you!
 * a wiki allows you to gather resources on the fly, post them, and share with others
 * they allow you to collaborate with colleagues
 * they require no memory space to store your most needed documents and resources
 * they can be edited anytime, anywhere you have an Internet connection (no software is needed)
 * they allow you to add in "[|widgets]" which add visual or audio impact to your work (e.g. calendars, videos, maps, etc.)
 * Things to keep in mind...
 * Have a focus (How will you use it?)
 * Have fun and be creative with your wiki

What tools are available?

 * **Wikispaces** http://www.wikispaces.com/
 * **PBWiki** [|https://pbwiki.com]
 * **List 1:http://www.benh.org/techblog/2007/08/top-5-open-source-wiki-engines/**
 * **List 2:** **http://mashable.com/2008/07/29/wiki-solutions/**

= = =Free Download=

[[file:UsingWikiInEducation_StewartMader.pdf]]
Download the free book from Stewart Mader: Using Wiki in Education. Mader is an author and an expert on technology adoption in organizations. He also published, Wikipatterns, and and has written for Science Magazine, ZDNet, The Content Wrangler, and Software Development Forum.