Wikis

=Wikis-=

**http://teaching-with-technology.wikispaces.com/Wikis+in+Education**
Shirley Hoelscher
 * This site is a great place to see many different types of wikis up and running. It has articles that can help educators, librarians, and others set up wikis in the library and classroom. This site gives many ways to use wikis in the classroom/library such as publishing ideas about a project students are creating, setting up collaborations between different schools in different locations after a video conference, and many others. A wiki that is available to look at on this site is //tasteach// and it is a classroom where students report about different countries that have athletes competing in the Olympics. Another wiki //4schools1planet//, shows how 4 different schools come together to help teach recycling, taking care of our planet and conserving water. This site also shows teachers sites that can help them learn how to use different Web 2.0 tools through a wiki. This site also has many examples of real wikis from real classrooms that are showing what the students have learned. In a wiki, //2 grade class wiki//, the teacher showcases what the students have learned through their literature circles in reading. I loved seeing all the examples of how a wiki is set up, added to, and how it fosters collaboration from so many others.**
 * In my library I hope to set up a Reading Review where my students can go in, read a book of their choosing, review it on our wiki and and then other students as they read the same book, they can can go in and add to the review of that story. They can share their feelings, thoughts and opinions about how good or bad the book is. They give each book a thumbs up or down. I could also go in and give book talks (and the other teachers could too) about what is out there to read becuase the students always ask, "What is a good book to read?" With this I can say, "Did you read the book review in our wiki this week?" I feel this would be a great way to use wikis and collaborate together through the library.**

=http://springfieldlibrary.wikispaces.com/= ====The Springfield Township High School Virtual Library Wiki is one of the best I've seen. It is a visually appealing site that invites you inside by just looking at the home page. They have catalog and database search options, summer reading lists, videos, search tool links, and teacher tools. There is so much to explore on this wiki that one could spend half of their day there! Even though this wiki is designed for high school students, it could be made for elementary or middle school students. At the elementary school level the students could create book talks, blog about books, and create videos. Pictures could be presented in a slide show of the activities in the library. Students could create wikis with their classes that could be linked to the main library wiki. On the Springfield Township High School Library wiki there are some great links to create a presentation and helpful research links that would be wonderful for any library wiki. I believe this is a site that students, parents, and teachers would love to visit.==== Karen Piedra

=http://bookleads.wikispaces.com/= =This wikispace has it all. //Bookleads// has something for everyone. I enjoyed the author sites. Many of them are interactive and give phone numbers and email addresses. There is even a navigation site for "Authors who Tweet." Trailers, videos, pod casts, book reviews, what more could one ask for? Well, under "Authors who Skype" there is a link to Melissa Stewart's Science Club which has spots for "kids ONLY," "For Librarians & Booksellers," "For Teahers & Homeschoolers," and even an "Enter at Your Own Risk." Just the Teachers area alone has all sorts of activities, a readers' theater, and curriculum guides to her books. The Librarians area has storytime guides and activities. You have to experience Bookleads on wikispaces for yourself.= =Incorporating this technology would be easy. The trailers and videos, for example, not only are great to show students to get them interested in a book but there is even a section on how students can make a trailer of a book for themselves. What a wonderful activity for junior high and high school students. Students could tweet with an author about a book they just read and get personal insights about the story. I found the YA author blogs interesting. It gives students a chance to see authors as real human beings not one dimensional creatures slumped over a computer. Students could write their own book blogs and share in the blogs written by others. There is a list of twenty-three blog sites not just for students but for librarians as well. There is a site called //YALIBRARIAN// with videos on different kinds of libraries, library jobs, and libraries of the future. This site could be used for students investigating careers. I spent hours on the wikispace and could keep going. This site is definitely a keeper for any librarian or anyone who just reads!= =Here is the list navigation pages.= =reading suggestion portals= =audiobooks and ebooks= =book blogs= =ebook portals= =book-related podcasts= =trailers and videos= =book clubs and discussion guides= =authors who Skype= =author sites= =YA author blogs= =for librarians= =reading promotion programs= =book widgets= =elementary reading lists= =middle school reading lists= =high school reading lists= =authors who tweet= =If you liked Twilight= =fansites=

**Katherine Bennett**
Wikis http://slis5720summer10.wikispaces.com/ This wiki is used to evaluate and recommend credible websites for research. On the home page, there is a list of guidelines to go by when deciding if a site is reliable. Students are encouraged to contribute their own evaluations of website which are grouped into topics. It is a great way for students to learn a concept, show their learning, and build something that is meaningful and useful for the future. As a teacher librarian I would use this technology to teach website evaluation skills with checklist and tips. And wiki building by having the students contribute their evaluated websites on the appropriate topic page. Jennifer Moore

Wikispaces [] This website lists several suggested uses for wikis in a school library. The list includes using wikis to: organize research databases and library resources, share student work, provide an additional entry point to the library's materials, and provide a space for collaborative editing. Another suggested use is allowing students to post book reviews. I am currently a middle school science teacher. I would love to create a science wiki for my middle school that would allow students to share hypotheses and explanations for phenomena they have observed both inside and outside of the science classroom. For example, every year I teach a lesson titled "What's in the Box?" I put an object in a box and allow students to ask questions about the object. I answer their questions honestly and objectively, but the only questions they can ask me are those that I can answer by observing the object while it is in the box. The objective is for the students to guess what the object is inside the box. There's a catch. At the end of the class period, I do not tell the students if their guesses were correct, nor do I tell them what was in the box. I want them to understand what it's like for a scientist to study an object through indirect observations. Because they always pitch a fit, I agree to tell them what was in the box if they contact me in three years. You wouldn't believe how many students I have that do just that! It is a lesson they never forget. I would love to have a space on a science wiki where students can put their guesses and their evidence to support their guesses and collaborate with their peers from different class periods and even different grade levels. I think it would strengthen an already strong lesson and add the component of collaboration which is also very important in the scientific community. Lara Isbell

[]
 * LIbrary Success: A Best Practices Wiki**

This is a great wiki resource for librarians. The goal of this particular wiki is to organize an area for others to post information, ideas, and links that would be useful to librarians.This wiki contains a wide variety of topics such as Mangement and Leadership, Programming, Readers Advisory, Resource Sharing, Selling Your Library, Training and Professional Development, and Technology. I found this wiki to be very easy to navigate. It has lots of information broken up into useful catagories. A user can find informational articles, links to succcessful library websites and blogs, and links to meaningful resources. These types of resources can help librarians to make changes and inspire new ideas that can keep a library relevant to it's users.

I see this wiki as a great example of how professionals can share ideas that all can benefit from. I enjoyed finding new tidbits within this wiki and cannot wait to have the opportunity to try some of them out on my own. I also think that this wiki shows me the benefit of colleagues having a convienient, easy-to-use space in which they can collaborate and share. I can see creating a wiki for the school staff as a great way for the school community to share ideas and resources with each other.

Monica Jackson

**Decatur High School Library Wiki**
http://dhs.wikispaces.com/

The Decatur High School Library Wiki is an excellent example of how a library Wiki can be used to benefit students, teachers, and the school library. The home page features five links for Research, and these links give users access to the library catalog, databases, and handy resources for conducting research. The next section of the home page is dedicated to Pathfinders, which are created either by the librarian or by a teacher for the purpose of providing a jumpstart, direction, and goals for research. One of the great things about the Pathfinders is that they can updated constantly as new sources are found or new questions arise. Students can leave comments on the discussion page associated with each Pathfinder, and these discussions provide an outlet for students to be actively involved in the Wiki and in their class research. The home page also provides prominent links to Summer Reading lists, "Senior Project Research Help," and a guide to citing sources. The Pathfinders are grouped by subject matter and, in a few instances grade level. The home page also links to the library's blog, which provides more opportunities for the library to reach out to teachers and students and to let the school know what's new at the library.

I think that this Wiki shows great ideas for how a Wiki can benefit a library and a school. In conducting research, students would much rather consult online resources than to look at a paper printout, and the Pathfinders that are posted on a Wiki allow students to access resources and to interact with others in the class. The teacher may also assign students to research particular sites or sites of their choosing, and then post their comments or reviews to the Wiki. The Wiki allows teachers to take an active role in the functioning of the library and may encourage them to see the library as an essential part of their students' academic experience. Administrators can also use the Wiki to check in on the library and see how its resources are being used and how the librarian's services are advancing students' reading, researching, and information literacy skills.

Boyd Waltman

Cypress Fairbanks PBIS Wiki
https://cyfairisdpbis.wikispaces.com/

What is PBIS? Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, a research-based, school-wide systems approach to improve school climate and create safer and more effective schools. It focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach expectations and support positive behavior for all students. It also provides systems for schools to design, implement, and evaluate effective discipline plans for student behavior in the library. PBIS is a team-based process for data review, data-based problem solving and intervention, ongoing planning, and monitoring of interventions. Its implementation includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for all students and staff in every setting.

The PBIS Wiki used by Cypress Fairbanks ISD teachers and employees include the following nativational tools on the website: Home Mission Statement Discussion Instructions Classroom Management Active Supervision Data Media/Technology Student Incentives Teacher Incentives Fundraising Lesson Plans/Lessons Community Outreach Share Session Posters Links Forms and Presentations PBIS Review Surveys Beacon

Whle this Wiki is mainly used by librarians and staff members to create a learning and supported atmosphere in the library, it also contains student-created videos to support appropriate behavior that students are free to watch.

Karen Green

http://scienceinquirer.wikispaces.com/


One of the functions of the school library is to support educators as well as students. Therefore, a website which provides teachers with educational information and/or resources can be a valuable asset. For science teachers, the // Science Inquirer // is a great example of such a website.

One of its primary features is the “Free Stuff for Science Teachers” page. The wiki boasts that it contains “274 Resources and growing.” The no cost materials are divided into helpful categories such as podcasts, posters, foldables, kits, videos, lesson plans, print material, and computer related materials. A “New Items” section is also highlighted. Another invaluable page displays an array of podcasts centered on science misconceptions, including “Air is mostly oxygen” and “ ** The material to make a tree comes from the soil ** ."

The wiki also exhibits a webpage dedicated to providing information about educational grants for science programs. Bank of America Foundation, National Education Association Foundation Grants, and Captain Planet Foundation Grants are just a few examples of the links listed on this page. “Slow Motion Videos” are useful tools for demonstrating science concepts such as a soda bottle rocket launch, alcohol combustion, and tuning fork vibrations. Mr. Horton presents digital microscope photographs of insect and plant structures, a list of helpful links for earth science teachers, and several of his professional presentations at California Science Teachers Association (CSTA) conferences. Science Inquirer also offers its Quarterly Newsletters dating back to 2007.

// Science Inquirer // is current and comprehensive. Websites which offer a link to this wiki include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Community Blog  (  []), Popular Science (  [|http://www.popsci.com]), the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Education Services ( [|http://www.wswheboces.org]) and the New Jersey Education Foundation ( []).

The applications for the information and resources provided by // Science Inquirer // are endless. Science educators may access lesson plans, copious free materials, podcasts/videos/photos, and educational grants information. In my opinion, the //Science Inquirer// wiki would be a valuable asset in any school library collection.

Mary Kelch Sobhani

http://elementarylibraryroutines.wikispaces.com/
 * Wiki for Elementary Librarians **

This site provides basic information for beginning librarians or those librarians who wish to polish their rouitines. It opens to a home page that describes how it began and then asks you to join and contribute. It provides 26 separate pages for a variety of basic routines like entering the library and what to do if you forget your books. It also has 13 pages on information for administrative procedures like inventory, parent contact, and programs. It has 4 pages on curriculum, and 3 pages on promotion. It also has two pages for must see wikis and wiki tips for elementary. Finally it ends with elementary librarians on Twitter. It is set up through wiki spaces so the format is very user friendly, and the wealth of information that is provided is astounding. I think this site would benefit all librarians, but also those who are just getting started.

This same wiki could also be applied in the basic classroom. Because it began as short twitter dialogue and praise for Harry Wong's teachings, this site could be modified or used for suggestions in the regular classroom. Many of these same procedures and routines are also useful in elementary classrooms. It could also lead the way for a school to create their own site with basic routines and procedures for each level of education taught: K-3 routines, 4-6 routines, Jr. High routines, high school routines. It would help any new teacher to the district as well as new teachers to the field. It might also be useful to help parents understand how their chlid's classroom works. I was very impressed with this site and hope that it helps other new teachers and librarians become masters in their fields.

Jessicah Morgan Benton

LibraryZone http://libraryzone.wikispaces.com/

LibraryZone is the designated wiki for Kowloon Junior School Library in Hong Kong. Through use of LibraryZone, students are able to collaborate with one another on educational related topics and/or assignments. Students may work collaboratively on research projects. Through the collective efforts of students, a detailed list of information sources can be created. Stories, assignments, and projects can be uploaded and shared with other members of the wiki. Members have the option to provide feedback to individuals on specific projects and assignments. Wiki email and discussion pages are also provided for the continuous exchange of ideas among individuals. This particular wiki organized information into categories based on curricular content. Examples of such categories include weather, dinosaurs, and ladybugs. Within each category, students are given the opportunities to add personal notes and interesting facts relevant to the topic. Information resources on the topic can be uploaded as can stories that students have written.

The use of such a wiki will prove beneficial in the classroom environment. Categories can be modified to better reflect current classroom instruction. Students can upload stories, assignments, and projects in much the same manner. Discussion pages can be used to elicit conversations on homework assignments, project requirements, and upcoming events. When uploading information sources for topics, students may be required to follow certain criteria for evaluating the reliability of information. The use of wikis can, furthermore, prove beneficial when extended beyond the realm of one’s classroom. Wikis can be used to elicit collaboration among members of differing classes. It can be used to elicit discussion between members of different schools and geographic areas. In doing so, a vast array of information sources will be obtained and understanding of differing perspectives and viewpoints will be gained. The possible use of wikis in the classroom is endless. Regardless of the method in which it is used, wikis will promote collaboration among members of a learning community.

Natalie Stewart

ATN Reading List
http://atn-reading-lists.wikispaces.com/

The ATN, or All Together Now, Reading List is a wiki wherein members can add suggestions for books. The wiki began in 1996 as a collaborative project among librarians and has moved into wiki format to facilitate that collaboration.

The wiki is organized into the following categories: Authors Focused Reading Skills Genre Online Videos Professional Reading Read Alikes Read Alouds Readership Targeted Lists School Subjects Themes Values

The wiki is currently used as instructional support for teachers. Within it are recommendations for resources according to the categories. As new resources are discovered they are added to the wiki.

The ATN Reading List can continue to be used as support for teachers. With the time constraints on librarians, the wiki allows teachers to consult a virtual librarian to locate resources. Certainly the librarian would still be available in the even of need, but the wiki gives teachers a starting place to locate resources.

A school library could set up its own wiki in the same spirit as the "Read Alike" category. Students who enjoy one book could edit the wiki to add further, similar suggestions that they have also enjoyed. As a classroom teacher I have noticed how difficult it is for students to locate that next great book. The sheer number of objects in the library can oftentime prove daunting. To have a starting place in the form of suggestions from peers would serve students well. Additionally, after reading the suggestions, other students could also add their input in the form of a rating system to continue to aid others as they seek out books.

Lea Ann Coffey