Wow them with Wikis and Blogs...

These tools can be used in a similar manner but each has its unique characteristics.  Wikis are web pages that anyone or multiple people can edit. According to David Jakes, a web 2.0 guru, "A blog is short for Webblog.  Basically, it is a platform for personal publishing".  A variety of tools can be imported into both a wiki and a blog and both are web based. Another neat concept about these tools is that people can subscribe to your blog or wiki and be contacted when you update your blog or wiki. The possibilities for integrating these tools into the curricula are limitless. This page attempts to shed some light these tools and provide some resources for the tools and their applicability in the classroom and beyond.

Blogs in plain English

Ideas/Thoughts for Blogging:

• Boggled by Blogging? David Jakes has complied some great info on blogs here.
• More info on blogging in Education can be found here.
• This link to a tech learning article, Writing with Weblogs by Kristin Kennedy includes information regarding assessing blog writing.
• Consider the policies that will be affected by blogging
• Teachers should establish a code of ethics for using blogs with students in the classroom. When designing your blogging ethics with students, be sure to include the following
  •  identity protection measures
  • teach students never to publish personal identifiers about themselves
  • etiquette for responding to comments
  • standards for writing in the blog-(i.e. no shtcts on wds; no abbrev. like what's used im)
  • be very clear about expectations of use

Ideas/Thoughts about Wikis

Wikis in Plain English

Want to read about Wikis? Jakes is as it again with his wiki about Wikis.

Really like to read? Go here to Educause: Wide Open Wikis: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0452.pdf 

Educause also has some thoughts on wikis and blogs. Check out these links:

7 Things that You Should Know About Blogs

7 Things that You Should Know About Wikis  

Blog Samples:

• See how a math teacher, Darren Kuropatwa, is integrating web 2.0 tools (including wikis, photosharing sites and blogs into his curricula)
• Check out how the second grade students in Room 209 are using blogs to reflect on their learning.
• This seven year old is letting her voice be heard too. See Abby's blog to learn more
• Tech Learning shares an article, Blogs for Teachers and Administrators. This article outlines the uses this tool can have as well as highlights some sample blogs.
• Check out Mark Ahlness' Blog on class blogmeister.

Subscribe to Blog Feeds

Want to learn more about great web2.0 tools and how to integrate them? Follow these experts in their conversations with the world on their blogs: Alan Levine, David Warlick, David Jakes, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach 

Wiki Samples:

• Paul Allison at East Side Community School in Manhattan hosts a wiki for over 100 students and teachers who are adding various topics to this wiki: High School Online Collaborative.
• Sixth grade teacher Rob Lucas, hosts the Teacher's Lounge, where any teacher can come and leave a lesson plan for other teachers to share.
• Planet Math is "a vitual community which aims to help make mathematical knowledge more accessible." This group has collaboratively created a math encyclopedia and anyone can participate.
• Room 15 is an example of an elementary student-generated wiki.

Play in the Sandboxes:

 Wikis http://wikisandbox.pbwiki.com/ 

 Blogs: Poynette Playground

Create your own with my favorites:

PBwiki

Blogger 

Find More Blogs, Tags and Wikis at this place:

Technorati is a resource to conduct real-time searches for user-generated media (including blogs) by tag or keyword. Also provides popularity indexes.

Gather Your Feeds in these places:

Bloglines

Pageflakes