Wikis For Teachers

What are wikis?
Wikis are free, online writing spaces. Wikis use simple formatting rules, so you don't need to understand HTML or an HTML authoring tools, such as Microsoft FrontPage or Dreamweaver to contribute.
For some, wikis convey a highly collaborative view of composing and creativity. People who contribute to a wiki need to understand that their words may be deleted and changed by others. Wiki authors do not claim ownership of a text.
When writers contribute to a public wiki, their work could potentially be read by millions of readers.
Wikis give focus to the last draft, yet wikis provide a history. Each time the text is changed, a new version is saved. Anyone can go back later and see previous versions. This allows teachers and students to see the writing process in action.
Wikis are generally published online, though desktop and gated wikis are possible. Permissions can be set to limit the readers and writers who participate.
Textual authority is dialogical. Revision is privileged in the wiki. Each new reader can suddenly become a writer. The draft that matters is the last draft. Power and authority are given to the community rather than an individual or official staff.
Wikis are designed specifically as a writing space. They are not a presentation space nor a course management system. Wikis make it possible - and necessary - for writers to continually build upon, revise, and edit an emerging text.
How can teachers use wikis to facilitate teaching, writing development, and learning?
Provide a space for free writing
Debate course topics, including assigned readings
Share resources such as annotated bibliographies, websites, effective writing samples, conferences, calls for manuscripts
Maintain a journal of work performed on group projects
Require students to collaborate on documents, such as an essay written by the entire class
Discuss curricular and instructional innovations
Encourage students to revise Wikipedia pages or take on new wikipedia assignments
Inspire students to write a Wikibook
Support service learning projects (i.e. use wikis to build a website about a challenge in their city)

Here is an example of how you can set up a Wiki.



Article can be found at: http://writingwiki.org/default.aspx/WritingWiki/For%20Teachers%20New%20to%20Wikis.html