Wikis

"Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and cross links between internal pages on the fly".

This you tube clip simplifies on how to use a wiki and its benefits:



The difference between a blog and wiki is the different uses each website have. A blog is a journal diary of one person information, where a wiki is for a group of people to share their information.

I signed up for a wiki using the website wikispaces, this was easy to set up, but as yet have not found my around the website easily. I will keep trying and familiarise myself on how it all works. My wiki url is http://tigz23.wikispaces.com/. I have added a posting on different types of ICT's that are beneficial in the classroom, I have named a few, feel free to name some more.

Kearsley & Shneiderman's (1999) Engagement Theory Framework states that, "Students must be engaged in their coursework in order for effective learning to occur". Using interactive ICT's with students instead of the usual handouts of paper with activities and the copy and write procedure will engage the students and this will have better outcome.
I will definitely be using a Wiki in my classroom, as a digital tool I see the benefits of using it in group work or a class project to get all the necessary information needed. Wiki's also "has the potential to transform the schooling experiences of children living in rural and remote areas" (Krause, Bochner, & Duchesne, 2003, p 330) to connect to people that they would not otherwise would have. A wiki would be ideal to use if two schools who are in different states to organise an excursion together. Each school can add or rearrange information to get the best outcome.

I wish I knew about Wiki's earlier as this would have been great to do when I was in a group , gathering information from other people, instead of using emails, to present information to a class. This would have been faster and easier.



References

Wiki. org (2001) What is Wiki Retrieved from http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki 18th August 2010
Kearsley, G & Schneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning
YouTube (2007). Wikis in Plain English, Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY 18th August 2010
Krause, K.-L., Bochner, S., & Duchesne, S. (2003). educational Psychology for learning and teaching. Southbank, Victoria: Thomson, Nelson Australia Pty Limited.