WikiArchive

OK, you're reading a novel together in your English class. You may talk about the elements of plot, characters, setting, etc., as well as have a discussion or writing assignment about what motivates the characters, or how the student might have changed the ending of the story. Instead of just talking and writing about it, how about creating a wiki about the book as a class project? I chose the site Holes:http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/, which was created by a Year 8 class at Deira International School in Dubai. The wiki gives students a chance to explore their reading of the novel **//Holes//**, by Louis Sachar. Students each added their own comments about the characters and setting of the novel. A fun addition to this wiki is the section entitled Wacky Inventions, which features some real-life, but very interesting, inventions--as a tribute to the main character's wacky inventor father. By creating this wiki, students reinforce the knowledge they have learned in their discussions. In a way, it is also giving the students a chance to teach others about the novel, which--according to the Learning Pyramid--is an excellent way for kids to retain the knowledge they have acquired.
 * Reinforcing English Literature Concepts Through Technology (DP, Sept 14, 2007)**

You want your elementary students to be involved in some creative writing. Creative writing can be a bit scarey for most kids that age. When done collectively it becomes an inspiring activity. The 3rd and 4th grade classes at Bellaire Primary School in Geelong, Victoria, Australia did just that. The teacher began the story of "Terry the Tennis Ball" having just been released from the airtight cannister. http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/ Students then contributed various ideas for the proceding story line. As I viewed the samples it appeared that Terry could have a wide variety of experiences depending on the sentence each student came up with. The story then becomes a living document, with new adventures and outcomes every time. What a wonderful and exciting way to teaches students the true joy of creative writing.
 * Third and Fourth Graders Take Terry the Tennis Ball On An Adventure (MK, Feb. 11, 2008)**

There's something to be said about discovering ourselves, and a middle school teacher has offered resources for middle school kids to inspect, discover and observe our inner workings. Our systems are broken down using links that describe and show in detail how our bodies work. The site offers open heart surgery, a hands on tactic to discover how surgery would go in a coronary bypass surgery. Definitely cool! Other topics, quizzes and games are there on a subject level that 6th graders are interested in. http://codeblue.wikispaces.com/]
 * Welcome to the 6th Grade CodeBlue Wikispace (CS, Feb. 12, 2008)**
 * Addendum by RS:** CS did a great job describing the wiki. I realized that my assignment should have had more specific instructions about the information I was looking for. So here's a little more info because this is one of my favorite wikis. Good pick, CS. It is an "online medical clinic" for 6th grade students in Malaysia. The students in the class are all doctors on the the wiki and were divided into different Clinics. Within each clinic each student had to pick a Specialty (such as cardiology) and write a bio about themself. Each clinic also drew a picture for a sign on posterboard and uploaded a digital image of it. The doctors from each specialty collaborated on wiki pages about their specialty. Each clinic also had patients that the Dr's from that clinic had to work together to diagnose and write up a treatment plan.

3rd grade students will be in the loop at Twin Chimneys Elementary because their wiki has information about their classroom and subjects they are learning about. This wiki http://3rdgrade.pbwiki.com/ is easy to navigate. There is a link to either 3rd grade teacher's home page and also the subjects you want to look at. Each subject has additional helps or games that the student can do. I really like the Reading link because it is broken down to what reading level you are at and directions on how to complete worksheets after you have finished reading the book. The Spelling link has every book (which are also the reading books) that they take spelling words from and ways that you can practice. For example hangman, scrambled words, and of course the word list with what is in common with each word. This wiki is a great way to keep students learning but in a fun and enjoyable way. There are also links for the adults. The parents can click on their link and find homework explanations, lunch menus, other school sites, etc. Other teachers also have a link which is helpful for clip art and resources for teaching. This wiki is more a practice material learned in class and informational wiki then interactive wiki for students.
 * In the Loop for 3rd Graders at Twin Chimneys Elementary** **(AS, Feb. 13, 2008)**


 * Discovery Elementary, Buffalo, Minnesota Students use Class Wiki to Enhance Reading Expieriences (JB, Feb. 16, 2008)**

Students at Discovery Elementary in Buffalo Minnisota hve a wiki that allows them to live out the classrom values of the 5 C's. http://desbuffalo.wikispaces.com/ They can Contribute ideas, Collaborate with one another, Cooperate by listening to others ideas, Care about what they post, and Celebrate learning. There are Literature links and message boards the students can utilize. There are questions the teacher has posted that are dsigned to spur "Book Talk" within the message boards. Allthough there is a picture of Mrs Koopmans classroom on the page I belive it is a collaborative effort among the 3-5 grade teachers. ( this is a little unclear.) 


 * Sharing knowledge through Mr. Klingman’s wiki** **(GN, February 16, 2008)**

Mr. Klingman is a history teacher in Atlanta Georgia. http://bear-den.wikispaces.com/ He has a fantastic wiki; his students know exactly what is expected of them. Everything in the class is laid out on his page. He has blocks, rubrics, instructions, unit prep and text preparation. With this in their hands his kids know what they can do to get the grade they want. Another great thing about Mr. Klingman’s page is that he is looking for another class to share knowledge with. I think it is great that kids from different states could compare how each other is learning. There is also an interactive learning game http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/economics/trade/index.html that allows kids to understand how to trade with other countries and how to produce things that are beneficial for the fake country. Little to they know how much this game can actually teach them. It is a mini economics class. After playing the game apply supplying and demand and labor and trade to real life will be easier for the kids to understand.

Mr. Wilkof, a middle school teacher at Crestwood Middle School, has created a wiki for his students belief systems. http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com The wiki requires students to present their beliefs, or as he calls them "-isms" on the wiki with the use of podcasts, powerpoint presentations, Bubblr presentation (a tool to create comic strips by adding bubbles to images), and mind/comcept maps. He is incorporating a wide variety of other technoloiges to the wiki, as he is helping students better understand themselves. The wiki is used for students to present and defend their personal beliefs, and challenge other students' beliefs. At a time in these students' lives when peer pressure is becoming more prominent, this is an innovative method for adolescents to find out who they are and be prepared for those who might try to tear them down.
 * To Thine Own Self Be True (CZ, Feb. 17, 2008)**

Derby DHS Primary Extension teacher, Rebecca Mc Fadyen created a wiki for her students to report their findings on the impact of climate change. http://primaryextension.wikispaces.com The students use the website link's to research global warming effects on people, animals, plants and the environment. They are to offer solutions/suggestions on how we could help with problems created because of climate change. Or give examples of how the climate changing could be for the better. Students work with a partner and are responsible for creating a website on their findings. The site they are to design is to be aimed at upper primary and lower secondary school students.
 * Global Warming = Climate Change? (ML, Feb. 17, 2008)**

Bill Bishop teaches Spanish I and Spanish II at Haleyville High School. He developed a wiki for his classes to use. He also links his [|personal website]to his wiki, along with his blog, [|http://bishopblog.edublogs.org/.] I was interested to read that he received some positive PR when his wiki was featured in "Education Week" magazine, Fall 2007.
 * Bishop Blog Wiki for Spanish (SL, March 18, 2008)**

Bishop's wiki is comprehensive; he maintains a separate wiki for his level I and level II Spanish classes at the high school. He also includes links to cultural and grammatical concepts for quick references. In looking at his Spanish I wiki, I noticed he incorporated some PowerPoint, as well as other digital media on his "Día de los Muertos" wiki.

In addition to providing resources via his wiki and his website for students, Bishop also provides links for K-6 educators on his wiki page, and faculty/administration for Haleyville High School where he teaches.

It doesn't appear that Bishop's students have edited anything on his Spanish I and II wikis, but they have used the wiki as editors in some of the cultural areas, such as Día de los Muertos. It would appear to me that the students have taken ownership of their learning as active contributors to the wiki. If I were a digital native learning Spanish in Bishop's level I or level II Spanish classroom, I would most definitely become an avid user of his wiki. It is an interactive way to learn and collaborate with other students, especially when communicating and practicing using a different language. It encourages the 'shy' learners to participate, and the students can take ownership of their learning.

The name of the wiki I found is CESA 5 Math-Science Partnership and the website is http://cesa5mathscience.wikispaces.com/.
 * CESA 5 Math and Science Partnership Wiki (KH, March 19, 2008)**

The wiki that I found is simply called Study Hall and is located at [|http://studyhall.wikispaces.com.] It was created by 10th grade students at Westwood High school in Camilla, Georgia. The wiki is for all students at Westwood and covers all acedemic areas. The purpose of the wiki is to let other students know what was coming up in their classes. Students post projects, assignments, review problems, invitations to wikispaces, and collaboration on notes for upcoming exams.
 * Action Assignment #3 (RF, March 20, 2008)**

The teacher, Vicki Davis, is the overseer of the wiki. She provided the guidelines and the students did the majority of the work. This wiki also served as an authentic assessment for a computer science class she taught. According to Vicki, the students were very excited about the content placed by others to help with notetaking or studying. Some of the other teachers were interested in the project as well and was amazed at how much and how well the information was synthesized in the wiki within an hour's time.

The wiki is organized into a navigation section for all classes, a weekly calendar of upcoming exams and assignments, plus 4 other pages to access besides the home page. The links were to acedemic subjects or you could type a class into the search box. (it worked) The content was notes, outlines, and a separate section on poems. I was impressed that 10th grade students came up with so much content to benefit others. I found that was beneficial to learn this by a wiki format because you could check the links yourself and navigate around. One would not get the same benefit by looking at worksheets or watching a powerpoint. There is active participation involved.This example in my opinion was well done.

Tony Whittingham from Randwick Campus, TAFE, Sydney, Australia designed the wiki "Digital Media in Teaching and Learning," http://teachandlearn.sydneyinstitute.wikispaces.net/ to show teachers how to incorporate audio, video, and images into everyday lessons. This wiki provides an in depth look at how digital media can be used to enhance learning and teaching. It illustrates the use of digital media tools and could be used to cover all subject areas across the curriculum. This wiki is organized into sections for audio, video and images. Each page has a table of contents that allows for easy navigation to the topics covered. Within each section there is information, tutorials, exercises, and links to other resources. Exercise solutions are provided and some of them are the result of student projects. The wiki is filled with ideas that enable collaboration, communication, and creativity in the classroom through the use of digital media. It could also be a good resource for high school students providing them with assistance in creating digital media projects such as podcasting, vodcasting, and image editing. Information on this wiki can be accessed and reviewed as needed which is a major benefit over any non-technological method. There are excellent tutorials with detailed instructions and screenshots. Also, a “What’s New” section has numerous links to resources such as Web 2.0 tools, a visual web surfing tool, student word tools, a cartoon generator, drawing tools and so much more. This wiki caught my attention because of the amount of information and resources provided illustrating how to use the digital media tools.
 * Digital Media in Teaching and Learning Wiki (DF, March 21, 2008)**

The name of this wiki is “Project Challenge-Meyer Elementary, Wildflower Garden,” http://meyergt.pbwiki.com/wildflower+garden It has multiple classes using the same wiki, but I was interested in the 2nd grade Wildflower Garden. It offers great ideas for sharing student work and getting parent involvement by allowing them to join discussions or submitting feedback. The wiki also uses BubbleShare for viewing digital photos and student artwork, which gives the wiki the sense of movement. The wiki states that students are able to add and update content any time when they have access to a computer, either at school or at home. It just shows a new way for students, teachers, and parents to use computer time in a changing and educational format. It would be interesting to know how much training it took to get second graders to utilize this wiki and how much the teacher still puts into it or if the students just keep it going. This site would benefit the students by giving them ownership in their learning and would give parents an opportunity to stay involved with school when they can't always physically be there.
 * Project Challenge: Wildflower Garden (TB, March 22, 2008)**

The name if this wiki is "Classroom Google Earth." http://classroomgoogleearth.wikispaces.com/ This wiki is being used to enhance education by providing a wealth of information about how to use Google Earth to enhance learning and teaching. Google Earth allows people to explore a virtual earth from their personal computer. The wiki was created for use in a 4th grade classroom which interested me because I teach 5th grade. I provides great ideas for how to use the Google Earth program in the classroom as well as a variety of applications to use with it. The wiki provides links for lessons to use with GE, tips on how to use GE, a wealth of resources, etc. The subject areas that are covered in this wiki are obviously social studies, but also math could be incorporated when doing some calculations with distance and travel. This could become a science topic if we were to get into earth terrain or what weather is like in different part of the world, etc. The purpose of this wiki is obviously to engage students and allow them to explore the earth virtually. The teacher seems to have lesson plans already created. There are also tutorials on how to use the GE program. Students would be engaged and the teacher would be able to circulate and assist with questions. This particular wiki was created by the teacher. It is set up so that it is easy to navigate through. There are many links to other sites, she even has a link to her own blog posted. One thing that I was particularly interested in was a link to a video that she had posted, titled "33 ways to use your interactive white board." I'm always searching for new ways to use my IWB in my classroom, so this was very helpful to me!
 * Google Earth (KC, March 22, 2008)**

I think in the case of younger elementary kids it is nice to have the links to sites posted or already typed out for them when I can. So I can see how wikis would be helpful that way. I run in to problems with my class that way a lot. If we go to the computer lab for half an hour and I want my class to log into a website, at least 50% of them will type the website in wrong and it can be challenging and a bit frustrating to get them all logged in before our time is up. So I definitely like the idea of having them be able to click a link off of a wiki space. This site would benefit students by putting the learning in their hands and allowing them to take it to the level that is appropriate for them.

The wiki that I found is called Project Feel Good and is located at http://projectfeelgood.wikispaces.com/. This wiki is an online collaboration between two teachers, Kim Cofino and Chrissy Hellyer, and their sixth grade classrooms. Kim teaches in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Chrissy teaches in New Zealand. Students worked on 21st Century literacy skills, communication, collaboration, and multimedia presentations. I believe the purpose of the wiki is to raise collaboration and interpersonal skills, while including visual, informational, and multicultural literacy. Basically, this project connects kids globally, like businesses are connecting in real world situations.
 * Project Feel Good (NP, March 22, 2008)**

The teachers created the majority of the content for students on the wiki. There are areas on the wiki for students to make reflections, comment about themselves, and share their work. The project is broken into sections such as assignment requirements/tasks, safety guidelines, conference appointments, and how-to sections for those that need more help. Students would navigate accordingly through their project, checking their progress through linked rubrics. In the end the students would share their projects with everyone and peers would offer feedback.

There were quite a few links to other websites that students might need to use for collaboration and to produce their multimedia presentation. For instance, there were links to sites such as: iMovie, MovieMaker, Skype, and YackPack. There were also links to the teachers’ individual classroom wikis (http://room18tis.wikispaces.com/ and http://msit.wikispaces.com/).

The thing that really stood out to me was the collaboration with a classroom in another country. The kids got to work with students thousands of miles away in a joint project. In this particular project students were focusing on the things that make them happy. It would be neat to see a similar project where students make a multimedia presentation on their culture and daily life. Students would be able to appreciate the similarities and differences of their own culture to another. This is the perfect project to demonstrate how small the world has become.

The Wiki that I found was titled FHS Wolves Den and it was found at this address http://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com/. This wiki was created by a high school English and Social Studies teacher who teaches at Fayetteville High School located in Talladega County in central Alabama. The main focus of the wiki is to keep class members informed about class news as well as providing a portal to important study guides for class content. Most of the information is provided by the teacher but students participate by adding to classnotes to help other students and one of her requirements for her classes is to have each of her students create their own wiki which becomes an electric portfolio for the class. The teacher is also looking to collaborate with other schools in the country. Currently her classes are working on a collaborative project with Sun Prairie High School students in Wisconsin. The two schools are exchanging information with each other using VoiceThread to record details about themselves, their schools, their states and communities, as well as their thoughts on issues concerning the nation. This part of the wiki was password protected to keep the information between the participating schools. The organization of the wiki was very user friendly and the content was very mulitmedia in format including links to video clips, educational games, areas for student input, and utilizing the software Voice Thread for the collaboration with the high school in Wisconsin. This wiki page is also well linked to other wikipages within the school district as well as the school's webpage. This teacher is very committed to implementing 21st century technologies into her classes.\
 * FHS Wolves Den (SO March 22, 2008)**

My first choice of a class wiki was from the same school as a previous post, Westwood, so I decided to go with SpudBiz Wiki, located at http://spudbiz.wikispaces.com/. Upon further inspection of the site, it appears that they gave up on their efforts. However, it still shows a way to use a wiki and that’s what I have personally been trying to discover. This site is protected, as it should be, so I am not sure exactly where it comes from. Based on the cluster map (which I think is an awesome widget) it’s somewhere in the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Great Lakes Region. The wiki was started in January of 2007, by Mrs. Hagen and Mrs. Salveold’s business and technology classes. It was intended to be a place where their students could collaborate, discuss and create. The site was intended to cover the subjects of Computer Applications, Microsoft Office, DigiTools and Web Design. There is also a nice section on the home page for students to learn how to start the wiki. The help features were the items that drew me to the wiki. The teacher’s role seems to be that of monitor and teacher. She or they, I’m not sure, post the assignments. The students upload a completed assignment or respond in the discussion areas. They have created Google Earth Tours, which I can not open. They hold discussions on articles, which I think would be better done in a blog. On the Computer Application page, the students, based on the history, seem to have researched Web 2.0 Technology and created different pages with information. I believe that most of the content was created by the student. In some areas they include their names, but if you look at the history, you see different names. The information is organized on the left side with a navigation bar. Each class has its own page. Each page is organized differently. My first choice is a great example, which is linked from this site. This site is better organized and up-to-date. http://westwood.wikispaces.com/
 * SpudBiz Wiki (RA March 23, 2008)** http://spudbiz.wikispaces.com/

The Wiki I found is named "Kinesiology", and is located at the web address http://kinesiology.wikispaces.com/. This Wiki has been created and is maintained by a 11th-12th grade kinesiology and rehabilitation class at Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, California. Here you will find information related to sports medicine, injury prevention, fitness training, and other related topics. The purpose of the wiki is for the class to create a site filled with useful information for the general public. Each student is responsible for a portion, and the end product is a site the public could access in order to better understand issues related to kinesiology and rehabilitation of injuries. The teacher's role is to explain the project to the students and to help students understand what is expected of them. Giving examples of creative ways to complete the assignment, as well as helping students through the process, are important responsibilities of a teacher who utilizes a class project such as this. Each student is responsible for choosing a sport they are interested in, and creating an exercise training program that includes a variety of components such as: flexibility, warm-ups, strength conditioning, cardiorespiratory conditioning, cool-down, specific drills, etc. Students will research the topics on their own, and illustrate how to complete the fitness regimen using pictures, video, text, music, etc. Next, students are required to chose an injury suffered by themselves, or someone they know, and research how the person recovered from the injury. When the project is complete, the general public will be able to search the site for specialized sport training advice and injury prevention techniques for each sport. The thing that I like most about this wiki is that the students are responsible for researching the sport that is most meaningful to them. Some of the students put a ton of time and energy into this project, and you could tell it had meaning to them. Here are two links created by students that really stood out to me: http://kinesiology.wikispaces.com/Baseball and http://kinesiology.wikispaces.com/Tennis I recommend taking a look at these two links to see the effort put forth by these students. This format for using a wiki certainly pushed students to learn more effectively than using traditional direct instruction. I assume the students are more motivated not only because they get to choose a topic that has meaning to them, but they are able to utilize the technology that they have grown up with to be creative. Just by seeing the wiki, I can tell the students have learned an enormous amount of information as well as practicing technology skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. What a great site!
 * Kinesiology Wiki (MF March 23, 2008)**


 * Teacher Knowledge- A Training Ground for Secondary Science Teachers (DW March 23, 2008)** The name of the wiki is "TeacherKnowledge" and can be found at this http://teacherknowledge.wikispaces.com/ . The class is located at the University of Michigan School of Education. The author is Jay Fogleman, an instructor in the school of education specializing in preparing students as secondary science teachers. To contribute to the wiki you must be a member, but browsing is permitted. The purpose is to communicate class information to students and provide a "resource clearinghouse" for all student teachers. Student work that matches the syllabus is present, but the majority of the content is developed by the instructor. There are many valuable links on the wiki. One feature that I liked especially was the "Classroom Technology" link http://k12online06.wikispaces.com/ K12Online2006]] which provides a practical explanation of the different types of technology (wikis, blogs, etc...), examples and suggestions for when and how to use them in the science classroom. It shows what this university is doing to try and change the way teachers develop curriculum utilizing technology. It will help me understand how teacher training has changed in my discipline, but I think it is a good source for seeing how teachers are trained today.

This is my first year to serve my district as an Integration Specialist. Because of this, I am no longer a classroom teacher (unless budget cuts put me back there). I created a wiki last summer to use for SMART Board idea sharing. It is located at: http://techteachingtips.wikispaces.com/. However, our district has recently gone to SharePoint for our Internet presence as well as our internal portal. SharePoint is a Microsoft Office product for use in creating collaborative workspaces. I work with many different sites within our school website, both intra and Internet sites. On the Internet site, I have my Technology Integration home page at: http://www.isd300.k12.mn.us/Tech_Inte/default.aspx. However, for my wiki use, it is located on our intranet side of the site. It requires a password to be able to enter this secure area. I will describe, however, how I am using wikis with my staff for great idea sharing. One of the committees I chair is the Online Committee, preparing our district to move into online teaching at the high school next fall. Part of our committee's purpose is to create a mission for online teaching. Outside of our monthly meeting time, I posted a wiki for the committee members to go into, read and add their comments to the developing mission. Internally, I have a Technology Integration site accessible only by our staff also. A sub site of that site is for our Technology Integration Initiative, ENTIC (Educational Technology Through Integration and Collaboration). I have used wikis there to gather input from the 35 members of ENTIC on the observation program in place to mentor them in their development of Technology Integration. In both of these situations, I am dealing with adults and not students so the experience is different. With our immerson into SharePoint, our staff is becoming comfortable with collaboration online. For students, it would be a great tool to get them to write in the medium they are accustomed to writing. For my role as Integrationist, it is a marvelous tool.
 * Using Wikis for Technology Integration (LC, March 23, 2008)**

The wiki I found is named "KimistryClass" and can be found at http://kimistrymeriwether.wikispaces.com/ . This wiki was created by Kim Pearson a high school Chemistry teacher from Greenville High School in Greenville, Georgia. The site was originally started as a chemistry site where all the units of chemistry were posted with notes, technology assignments, tutorials/remediation, guided practice, extending/refining, practice tests, etc. Now it is evolving into a site with teacher resources, articles, standards-based classroom information, state testing resources, and Web 2.0 postings and many more ideas.
 * Kimistry Class Wiki (JH March 23, 2008)**

Ms. Pearson's role for this wiki is to post assignments, strategies and differentiation for each unit in chemistry. Her space will also have information regarding classroom procedures, links to present and future trends in education, general information concerning EOCT and GHSGT, student help, links to blogs, etc. The site is laid out in very organized way. On the navigation bar there are links to each unit in chemistry. After clicking on each link you have options to explore the unit in more detail. There are links to the online textbook, notes, assignments, projects, handouts, tutorials, power points, etc. The students’ role in her class is to explore and use these links to answer their questions to anything that is a part of each unit. There is also a discussion section so Ms. Pearson can stay in contact with her students and her students can stay in contact with her and each other. The one thing that stood out to me on this site is Kim's humor page. She has numerous quotes and a "funny stuff" link that has jokes and other little tid bits of information that visitors and students might find interesting. I know I spent some time looking through a bunch of these.

I do believe this wiki is a great benefit for students in chemistry. Just to have all of the additional resources Ms. Pearson displays on this wiki at your disposal at any time is a great educational tool. I wish this was something available to me when I was in school. But the thing about wikis is you don't have to be a part of Ms. Pearson's class or any specific class to use these resources, any chemistry class would benefit from using her page because it is all laid out in individual units, just pick the unit you are currently in and explore.

=A Book Talk Wiki (AB March, 24, 2008)= Mrs. Koopman a 5th grade teacher in Minnesota has designed this classroom wiki for students in the classroom and possibly outside sources to read/write book summaries and to hold book talks and discussions. http://desbuffalo.wikispaces.com/

Her home page lays down the groundwork of expectations and standards for communicating and using the wiki. She has 5 C's listed as their classroom values and values for this wiki. (1.Contribute your ideas, your knowledge and your work. 2.Collaborate with one another 3.Cooperate by "listening" to others' ideas. 4.Care enouth to make your contributions the beste they can be. 5. Celebrate learning.) I feel these five standards she uses as the foundation of her classroom community and then her wiki really make it clear as to the expectations and purpose for such a tool. It appears that all feedback on the wiki first goes through Mrs. Koopman, who I am assuming proofreads the comments and work before it is posted to the site. The wiki allows the students to get feedback and share opinions and insights to books. She has a tool for students to use to help guide discussion questions. On her wiki she also has the available times during the day that students are allowed to access the wiki from school or they can update from home if they have computer access. The basics of the wiki have all been set up by the teacher. It is well organized and user friendly. The actual write ups and discussions about books are from the students. There is also a link to Maud Hart Lovelace award books. ( A Minnesota nominated book award) It provides students with a book list of quality materials to check out and read. The best features were the home page which set up the expectations of the wiki and the discussion question area which would help guide students in their questioning. It would help guide their work to a higher level of quality thinking regarding the story. It is hard to tell from looking at the wiki if it increased their learning, but there were some very high quality book review posted by students.

Allthough the stated purpose of Mr. White's Geometry Wiki (http://whites-geometry-wiki.wikispaces.com ) is to provide Geometry instruction to visitors, the main beneficiaries are his students. In this wiki, created by high school students at Stillwater Area High School in Stillwater, Minnesota, students create reviews of the major concepts of Geometry. Some reviews are as simple as a list of vocabulary words with definitions. The best reviews, however, go on to describe the major concepts, insert pictures that demonstrate the major concepts as seen in the real world, and contain links to games and websites that further explain the concepts. While the students created most of these reviews, the latest two units seem to have been created by the teacher. Perhaps, the students are meant to replace Mr. White's work after they have learned that content. In addition to the reviews posted by students, the wiki contains links to other resources, a challenge link, and links to other classes taught by Mr. White. The resources include homework help (although this one is not functioning now), a link to Mr. White's e-mail, and a link to his school website. The challenge link contains questions that Mr. White has posed to students. Mr. White also has a link to his Probability and Stats class. Students in this class post work on current projects. A link to the Independent Computer Studies (ICS) class brings viewers to images of student 3-D graphics projects. Students discuss their progress (and challenges) using Cinema 4-D to create the images. The best feature of this wiki is the student content. The students who put in the most effort seemed to link Geometry to the world around them through the images they placed in their wikis. They often found what they considered to be "cool" links to learning Geometry on the web. These students learned to go beyond rote memorization of Geometry concepts to a deeper understanding.
 * Mr. White's Geometry Wiki (BT March 24, 2008)**

The name of the wiki that I looked at is msit8. The wiki can be seen at http://msit8.wikispaces.com/ The teacher of this 8th Grade Information Technology class uses her wikispace as a student portfolio. Throughout the 9 week exploratory course students keep track of the skills learned as well as uploading samples of their work. The teacher also leaves tips, terms, and online safety advice in this area. I cannot tell where the class is that created the wiki, it appears that the teacher wanted to keep in private. She has placed lessons throughout the wiki where students can get them and then the students complete the lesson and give feedback including samples of their work. It appears that the students have contributed most of the content in this wiki, but it is definitely teacher led. It appears that the students learned from this format, but it is a couple of years old and I do not know if they continued it. What stood out most for me on this wiki was the skills area where the teacher could electronically walk them through the different skills needed for learning flash and other electronic media. She left some good links for the students to gain additional knowledge.
 * 8th Grade IT class Wiki (RS March 24, 2008)**

The name of the wiki that I looked at is //__CodeBlue.__// The wiki can be seen at http://codeblue.wikispaces.com/ This is a site for a 6th grade glass. I can not tell where the classroom is located. It appears to be a protecte site so the information about the class is kept private. I would assume it is a science class. The students learn about the humand body as well as opening their own online medical clinic. The teacher uses this wiki space to provide useful links for the students to learn all differnet aspects of the human body including health related issues such as smoking and drugs. The students become "doctors" for determined medical clinics or specialties. The students then given a patient and a symptom with diagnosis and students answer questions about the cure and possible results. It looks like the majority of the information on this wiki site comes from the students themselves. They introduce themselves as the doctor and list information about a specific problem. The thing that stood out to me the most was the diagnosis and cure for the symptom. The students had to do research to answer specific questions such as what would happen if the patient stopped taking a drug. The students also reported on the effects of the drug on different parts of the body. It appears that the doctors of each clinic worked collaboratively to "educate" about the specified problem. I think using this technology was/is very beneficial to the students. Not only are they linked to many resources in one space, but they learn how to use technology. Doctors do have to type medical charts as well as be able to communicate possibilities to their patients. I am very impressed.
 * CodeBlue Wiki Page T.P. (March 24, 2008)**

The wiki I choose to view was managed by a 7th grade science class. The wiki can be found at http://ashscience7.wikispaces.com/ The subject(s) that was covered is Classification of Life with links to everything from bacteria to animals. The purpose I see is to have the students prepare an informative site that discusses all aspects of our classification system in science. The site is interactive with quizzes and tutorials, there are great color photographs of each Kingdom of Life and more, and also music. The site makes learning fun. The teachers role would be more managerial and guided discovery. The teacher may also construct the quizzes, but students could do this also. The site has a Home page and then off to the left side provides links that you can go to. The content links are; Classification, Facinating Fungi, Scratch Biology Projects, Video Clips and Quizzes. The feature that stood out to me the most at first was the music and the writing of the information. They both were equally enjoyable! I think that the students learned a tremendous amount of science along with an equal amount of technology. This is a site I will put on my blog to have the students visit to enhance their learning!!
 * Classification for Life (KT March 24, 2008)**


 * A Hub for My Class (WQ March 24, 2008)**

This Wiki can be found at http://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com/. The class is located in Folleyette, Alabama. The high school recieved a grant to become a 21st century school. They have incorporated the use of technology wherever possible. This Wiki is used as a hub for many of the classroom activities. Commonly used links, blog areas, maps, games, and general classroom information can be cound here. This is being used for a high school history and english class. The teacher plays the role of an administrator and the students contribute some of the material. Mostly, I think it is a place for students to retrieve information more so than present it. The Wiki is set up more like a website. One major feature that stod out at me was the fact that the teacher could facilitate more in a setting such as this. I think there was a big benifit in this assignment. I made me take an in depth look at these Wikies. I actually found a design that would suit my class schedule.


 * US History - Beginnings to 1914 (JA March 24, 2008)**

Mr. Armstrong’s US History Wiki is a rather impressive wiki located at http://armstrong-history.wikispaces.com/. Mr. Armstrong’s Wiki is used for his 8th grade US History (Beginnings to 1914) at Korea International School. Mr. Armstong is the task master of this wiki and the author for the majority of the content on it. His wiki isn’t a forum to share knowledge, but more of a launch pad to send students on guided lessons. (His wiki does provide links to class discussions on his blog though.) Judging from the postings I have seen on the class blog this is a very effective tool. I think a kid could take this class without even being in the room because this wiki grants students/parents full access to all notes, worksheets, rubrics, and what he calls immersions. Very organized and user friendly. I was very happy to find this wiki – especially after stumbling through many BAD wikis. Good way to learn about wikis.


 * The Discovery Utopia Project (JM March 24,2008)**

The Discovery Utopia Project is a wiki created by Mr. Wilkof at Cresthill Middle School. http://discoveryutopias.wikispaces.com/ This wiki is a language arts project on Utopias. The purpose is for the seventh and eighth grade students to learn about Utopias and to create a "pluralistic vision of perfection." The teacher Mr. Wilkof plays the role of facilitator in this project, while his students are the self-learners filling in the template given and adding media to the final product. Most of the content on the wiki was created by the teacher. Which included the template, instructions, resource page, but there weresubmissions by the students and of course each of the student's Utopia page.

I thought the wiki was very organized and clearly laid out. The left side bar included pages for the template and other releveant information. There was also a box on the right of the page that gave additional information including submissions by students for extra resources and more. The content included links to Wikipedia for Utopia/Dystopia book discussions and some had links so students could listen or read. There was a page with resources from the teacher and also pages with student found resources. Many of these had to do with adding multimedia to the project. I found it interesting there was a link to this Gabbly chat room where the students could chat, and I found that most of the chat was completely unrelated to the project. Each student had their utopia project posted but I was not sure whether these were completed projects or still in progress. In viewing these projects, I would have to believe they learned a great deal. Even the ones that had very little multimedia still had a lot of written information on utopia. Others had lots of color and pictures included and were quite interesting to read.

The benefit I see to doing this project on the wiki is the availability of the information from the computer and the use of the multimedia format. If this were not a technological project, it would take a long time to find the information needed to fill in the template and to create the pictures to display with the information. I would have to believe kids spent more time searching through information to make the justifications they did for their utopias. This wiki located at http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com/ is by a fourth grade teacher (Mrs. Scheftel) with the help of her students. A charming class photo is posted on their home page and I found the wiki very easy to navigate. This fourth grade class is at Sandberg Elementary School in Centennial, Colorado with Littleton Public Schools. Its main purpose is to provide the students and parents with information about the classroom happenings and give the families resources with activities to promote classroom learning. The teacher created most of the information here. The teacher's role is to update the wiki with information (the homework link already had homework listed for the week of March 31) and generate discussion with her students. For example, aside from the subject pages, there was a "Take a Poll" link that asked students their favorite animal or what they were doing for spring break. In addition to visiting this site regulary that is taylored to just their classoom needs, the students' role is to participate in polls, and check the homework page regularly. There was also a page of stories (student work) that would help the students and parents see what other peers in the class are doing. The teacher states that the submissions of student work are changed on a regular basis.The educational links include Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies. Within the links are interactive activities of all sorts and various links to go even deeper into a subject. For example, in the Social Studies link there is a list of sites just for Colorado history and still another for U.S. Regions. The wiki also offers class schedules and school information at the viewer's fingertips. The feature that stands out the most to me is just the never-ending list of resources and acitivites for both parents and students to enhance learning. If a student took time each day to discover at least one additional resource for the purpose of practicing or enhancing skills already taught in the classroom, I believe that he/she would benefit greatly from the wiki experience. As far as a benefit is concerned, I am sure students would love to practice math facts via a video game versus a timed fact sheet. I checked out several wikis and I appreciated this one because it is "elementary friendly." I have yet to discover an elementary art wiki. Perhaps mine will be the first!
 * Colorado Elementary Students Learn From Each Other (LG March 25, 2008)**

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 * An Elementary Wiki That's More Than Just Elementary (R.B. March 25, 2008)** Welcome to the Webster Class Wiki!! 2007-2008 (http://mswebster.wikispaces.com/) This wiki shows the information and ideas expressed by second and third graders in Southern California who are using technology to help them share what they are learning with the world! It includes many links to various subject areas including: math, reading, english, inquiry, writing, science, social studies, health and p.e., art and music, technology, and peacebuilders. The teacher and main contact for the site is Ms. Webster. She seems to be the facilitor for the site, and it appears that she comes up with the questions and topics for each subject area. The writing section is full of student writing samples. The student work contains individual "work in progress" that others can access and respond to via a discussion area. The wiki is organized mainly by the subject headings previously mentioned. Its content includes a helpful link regarding wikis, http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/, as well as links to vocabulary/definitions and examples for the students to use in understanding different concepts. The feature that stood out most to me was the individual student writing. I liked the idea of parents and students being able to view each other's writing, and providing feedback in an e-mail type fashion. It is hard to tell what the students may have learned from the wiki. I think this would depend on how often each student accesses the site. The benefit of this wiki over a conventional format, would be that students can access the information from home, granted they have computer access, and that parents can see what students are learning and reinforce these concepts at home while utilizing technology. ======

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 * Seymour High School Cross Country Wiki (CK March 25, 2008)** I found a wiki for a high school cross country team at http://seymourhigh.wikispaces.com/cross+country. This high school is located northwest of New Haven, Connecticut. The wiki is used to communicate information for and about the high school cross country team members. The coaches are the ones who created this wiki and post routes, statistics, and meet information. I tried many of the links on the site. I believe students use the site primarily as a resource to obtain information such as pace calculators, maps of routes to run, state ranking information, and nutritional information. All of the information has been created by one of the cross country coaches. There are summaries of the boys and girls seasons followed by defined sections specifically for team members, routes, and miscellaneous links. Most of the links are to outside websites like pace calculators and google maps which give a visual on a map of specific routes in the area. This page looks like a work in progress but I like the organization of this wiki site in terms of its simplicity. It's not hard to find what you are looking for partly because there isn't an overwhelming amount of content. I believe students can get basic information about the program quite easily from this site. All of the information is in one place and can be accessed easily. If this information was printed and handed out to the team members, it has an excellent chance of getting lost. The routes portion of the site would be tough to present visually to students without using a site like google maps. This way is much more efficient and students could add their own routes throughout the year.======

This wiki is called Adams News Wiki and the web address is http://adamsnews.wikispaces.com This wiki is produced by Mr. Woodward's students at Adams. Adams **Middle School** is located in Redondo Beach, California. Some of the subject areas that are covered are parenting advice, schoolnotes, homework club, current events, school events, and contests. This wiki serves the community as a post to go and find out school happenings. They can find current events news such as the "shift Happens" video. Community members, family, and students can keep current on The Adams Middle School by clicking and surfing the wiki. Mr. Woodward is the teacher that oversees the student maintained wiki. This wiki is completely maintained by the middle school students themselves. It is unclear to me who was in charge of creating the space or who decided what content would be addressed. The layout of the wiki space is easy to move about. It has clear headings and the colors where chosen carefully. All other links to other sites are color coded and easy to link to. The feature that I really liked best was the extra curricular activities practice and events schedule. As a parent this information is crucial in planning and picking up students and this allows a parent to plan at the click of a button. I believe the students will learn organization and informational skills from maintaining this wiki space. I enjoyed having to go out and look at other wiki spaces. If this wouldn't have been part of an assignment I may have not made the extra time to search them out.
 * Adams Middle School Students Keeping The Public Informed (A.H-B. March 25th)**

The wiki is called Lois Lowry Author Study and is located at http://loislowryauthorstudy.wikispaces.com/Pictures+and+Artwork. This wiki is used in a seventh grade classroom at an alternative school in Georgia. Students use this wiki in their language arts class to compare two novels that they read, __The Giver__ and __Number the Stars__. The teacher provides information about the author, Lois Lowry, character profiles, discussion questions, and journal prompts. The students use the wiki to answer the questions provided, and students post chapter summaries to the wiki. My favorite part of this wiki is the way it's organized with menu buttons for numerous items such as character profiles, chapter summaries, areas to compare and contrast __The Giver__ and __Number the Stars__, the author profile, and the links that will take you to Lois Lowry's home page. I do find it beneficial to have all of this information available for a novel study unit. I do feel that the students are learning from the wiki, but my students read __The Giver__ in my class and complete relatively the same type of activites without using a wiki. Students respond to journal prompts about the book daily, answer discussion questions, learn about Lois Lowry, etc... With a wiki though, students would be able to learn at their own pace. I find this to be a beneficial wiki.
 * Lois Lowry Author Study comparing __The Giver__ to __Number the Stars__ (CH March 25, 2008)**

This wiki is called Reich-Chemistry and the web address is http://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/All+Chem+21+Classes+422-002%2C+422-003%2C+422-004. More to come later
 * Reich-Chemistry (ES March 25th)**

This wiki is a very neat tool for seniors in English at this school. http://trcsseniors.wikispaces.com/ is the link to the wiki. It looks as though the students use it in english to enhance learning, but it's also used as a senior page in general, for things like student council as well as graduation announcements, etc. This would be perfect for parents as well as kids to be able to be a part of. The teacher adds a lot of content to the wiki with subject specific facts and due dates. It seems as though the teacher created the majority of the information. My favorite part of the website was how there was information about other clubs the seniors were involved with, and not just senior english. This would be great, because if a kid is interested in looking at extracurricular information, maybe it'd motivate them to be involved with the actual content of the class too! What a great idea. There was a benefit here, as the students posted notes and questions as they were doing their reading. this makes it much easier for them to respond, answer and ask questions.
 * TRCS Seniors Wikispace (JG March 25, 2008)**

**Information Technology wiki** **(AS March 25, 2008)**
http://msit.wikispaces.com/ This is a great site to have students and parents alike access the web to find out what this middle school is doing in their Information Technology class. The class is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the Mont'Kiara International School. This wiki is for middle school class’s 6th – 8th grade. The subjects being covered are Information Technology, which from what I can tell is a little Tech. Ed. and Computer Classes mixed in. The purpose of the wiki is for the students and parents alike to have full access to class’s curriculum, assignments, and tips for school work. The teacher puts it all out there for the students, allowing them to have full access to the class not only at school but at home as well. From what I can tell this wiki was designed and maintained by the teacher. The wiki is very organized and information can be found even if you are a novice at the wiki world.

This site is dedicated as a place for JoAnne Hoeffner's 8th grade students to display pictures and findings from their science projects. Created by Hoeffner in Mardela Springs, Maryland, it’s located at http://mmhsearthkam.wikispaces.com/?responseToken=e8e89f678bbc86a0da97ce637a4054a1 It is used by her class to display research found from the missions of NASA's EarthKAM. EarthKAM is what it sounds like, a camera attached to a satellite that takes pictures of the Earth. Currently, students are using it to investigate, explore, analyze and annotate images from previous EarthKAM and NASA missions. Specifically, they are examining the relationship between deforestation and climate change. On the page, Hoeffner has given students instructions, an example project, links to NASA and EarthKAM, as well as links on how to annotate images and make a bibliography. There are links to each of 22 groups of students from all of Hoeffner's classes. These links take you to their satellite pictures, explanations of what you are seeing in the pictures, and information on how the Earth is affected by what you see. By far the majority of the content on this site is student created. The 1st page is an explanation of the project. To the left, you find links to the student resources and their projects. The main content of this site is the satellite imagery and information placed there by the students. What stood out to me was the simplicity of this site and its ease of navigation. Several others I looked through were not organized as well. The students seem to have taken the project seriously and definitely learned from it. Benefits from Hoeffner going about the project this way would be having the students try something new and feeling like they are working on something together with all of their classmates.
 * Earth Klimate Analysis Mission (JC March 25th, 2008)**

http://haugen.wikispaces.com/?responseToken=0dacdf85173d06b99730786d531ccbde This wiki is used in a high school chemistry class to facilitate learning. This wiki is a sight where students can go to get a lot of information about their chemistry class. They can go to the wiki to look at the course syllabus along with assignments and when they are due, they can also look through PowerPoint presentations that were used in the class. The students can look at the lesson plans the teacher put up so they can find out what they did in class if they missed or to refresh their memory of the lesson weeks later. The site is also used by the students to post their assignments for grading. I found one assignment where the students had to do a group project, create a PowerPoint presentation and then post the presentation on the wiki where the teacher and other students could look at them. It appears that the teacher's role on the wiki is to provide information for the students that will help them do the best they can in the chemistry course. The students appear to have multiple roles on the wiki. They can go to the site to look at information posted by the teacher, they can add their own information to the wiki and they can post assignments on the wiki that are eventually checked by the teacher. Since the students have multiple roles the content of the wiki is not just created by the teacher for the students to look through. The students play a role in the information that is being posted on the class wiki. The wiki is organized to highlight the important features of the class, there are different pages for the students to look through (all chemistry, discussion, history and notify me). The main page with the most features is the all chemistry page, this is where the students can go to look at assignments, PowerPoint presentations, lesson plans, a link to the class blog, and even information associated with the whole school and not just the chemistry class. One aspect of the wiki that I found very beneficial to the students is the assignment list and course syllabus for the students. This way they can go on-line to check their homework assignments if they missed them in class or even if they didn't write it down and forgot what they had to do. This is just another way of making the students responsible for their learning, they shouldn't have a good excuse for not having their assignments done if they can go online to check when it is due. They can quickly go to the wiki when they are online checking their facebook account or their e-mail. This class wiki is beneficial for the students when it comes to whether the learning activity includes technology or is done in a non-technological manner. The assignment where the students posted their PowerPoint presentations could have been done without the wiki, the students could have just presented their projects to the class and then the students would probably forget about them the next hour. With the presentations being posted on the wiki, the students can access the presentations repeatedly, therefore being exposed to the information more than once.
 * Haugen's Tech Tips Wiki (JC March 25th, 2008)**

The wiki that caught my attention was a science wiki (of course) through East Side Community High School in New York City. I think this may be an online school. The specific wiki I looked at was titled "Center of Mass" and is part of a Physics course for juniors and seniors in high school. This wiki is set up as a primary source for "lecture materials" that includes supplemental links and images. There is also a section for applications and brainteasers that correspond with the specific topic. There is also a tab for discussion. I assumed students had instructions on how they were to respond to the material on the "article" tab. The role of the teacher seems to be the provider of information as in a traditional classroom and students are responsible for going though the provided materials and repsonding in the discussion area which is monitored by the teacher who then responds to their comments and questions. The majority of the content seems to be from the teacher and I am not really impressed with this particular wiki, but I did like the way it was organized. I could see taking this to a much different level. I am not convinced that these particular students learned from this wiki experience based on some of their comments, but I can see modifying this format with specific expected outcomes for students and clear criteria. One benefit I see from this wiki is the chance for students to discuss and ask questions in a non-threatening environment, which you could just as easily do on a blog. However, this wiki did get the ball rolling in my mind for how I might be able to use this in my own teaching.
 * Science Wiki - Center of Mass (JV March 25, 2008)** http://schools.wikia.com/wiki/Center_of_Mass

I was actually looking for a site that would have ideas for kindergarten teachers and was rewarded with this site sponsered by the Clark County School District in Nevada for teachers of kindergarten through twelfth grade. The site invites teachers to explore even if not teaching in Nevada. The creators of the site inform visitors that they will monitor the content of the resources by determining value and relevance. The site is supported by the Clark county School District’s Curriculum and Professional Development Division. The site is laid out in a very user-friendly format. Teachers can look for lessons & units; unwrapped standards, best practice videos; or create a new account and become an active participant. -In the lessons & units section users can search by Keyword; Grade Level (a drop down menu for kindergarten through grade 12); Resource Type (drop down menu for lesson plan, unit plan, assessment and misc.); and Content Area (drop down menu for specific subjects). -The “unwrapped standards” section explains that the curriculum developers are looking at the state standards and working to clearly define expectations and will provide information as it is available. -The best practices video section features teachers modeling activities or procedures for Reading/ELA, Mathematics, Classroom Management & Tracking, and Planning. One Video under Reading/ELA - is supposed to feature a kindergarten teacher explaining how she uses her word wall and integrates it with writing and her morning procedures. My computer did not allow me to view the video but there was even a tab for standards met by the lesson being modeled. I will try to see this video in the future. -In the new account section contributors are asked to provide information about themselves and are informed of the terms of agreement of the site expectations. The Wiki-Teacher site offers options for viewers to help keep the site successful and provides a link to those areas. Participants are invited to contribute resources; help sort, rank, and find content for users; and promote the site by inviting friends to join. I only got to explore for a short time but came away quickly with a math activity for my kindergarten class. The nice thing is the inclusive atmosphere to hear from teachers around the country, it would be interesting to explore further and see if there are any global connections.
 * A Teaching Wiki** (LL March 25, 2008) [|http://www.wiki-teacher.com]

The wiki that I foudn was [|http://www.JenuineTech.com] The wiki was created by Jennifer Wagner from Corona California. She is not a teacher but assists teachers on ways to use technology in the classroom. Her wiki has many ideas on how t implement creative ideas in all curriculum areas. Fron online projects to celebrate Dr. Suess to using Oreo cookies t teach tally marks and other mathematical concepts. She also has ideas to use egss to teach meansurement. Jennifer has also developed art projects and lessons based on the story the "Incredible Journey: The purpose of this lesson is to allow students to send three friends (stuffed animals) in the mail to another school in the country. they can develop stories of the adventure and activities for other students to enjoy. Jennifer has related ideas for other books such as "Charlotte's Web". She has over 50 projects for teachers to use. From what I can see from this wiki it is a very useful tool for teachers. It really helps teaqchers develop meaningful lessons and you can adjust the activity to the students to meet their needs no matter if they are first graders or sixth. One thing that stood out to me waqs the fact that Jennifer created a wiki that a teacher can access to gather ideas for every content area.
 * The Incredible Journey (AB 3/26/08)**


 * A wiki used for 2nd and 3rd Graders (JD, March 26, 2008)**

The wiki is called the Webster, [|http://www.mswebster.wikispaces.com.] The wiki is used for 2nd and 3rd graders in Southern California. The wiki covers math, reading, inquiry, writing, social studies, science, health, physical education, art, music, and technology. I really liked the purpose of the wiki. The goal was to help share what they are learning with the world and to promote communication with other students via email as well as invite other schools to discuss material with them.

The role of the teacher when using a wiki for such a young age is going to be a little larger than that of the middle/high school students. Her role was pretty large in the wiki as a fascilitator and overseer of the wiki. It appeared that anything that was going to be posted on the wiki was emailed to her first and then she would put it on the wiki. It also appeared as though she was responsible for the majority of the content on the wiki, though there was a good amount of student work that was posted in the different subject areas.

The framework of the wiki was very organized with all kinds of different links to go to. The subject areas were layed out nicely and the content inside the subject areas was good. I liked how some of the links took you to the students work. I was really neat to read some of their definitions of the vocabulary. Ms. Webster also had different links to some useful sites as well, google gadgets, and http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki. Two of the features stood out to me on this wiki. One was the student's work that was in each of the subject areas and also the google gadgets in the math section. It was pretty fun to play.

I would say that the students are still learning from their wiki experience. Any time that you can integrate technology into the different subjects the students are gaining a valuable learning experience. I also think the availability of viewing other students work and being able to discuss things via email will help the entire class grow. I am always in favor of using technology in the classroom. I believe that is the way the world is heading and by giving the students every chance that we can to use technology in the classroom is a benefit in my opinion.

**Quest II, Senior Thesis Research 2007 (NA, March 26, 2008)**
http://seniorthesis2007.wikispaces.com/
 * Location:** Springfield Township High School, Pennsylvania
 * Grade:** 12th grade
 * Subject:** English
 * Purpose:** Presentation tool for instructions and specific guidelines
 * Role of teacher:** Provide guidelines for project development, provide comments on student blogs, track student project work
 * Role of students:** Use wiki directions to document the development of their thesis
 * Content created by:** Teacher
 * Framework:** Students are given directions for research using this wiki.
 * Content:** Each week students are given specific research guidelines for their thesis based paper.
 * Feature, Learning & Benefit:** The students use individual learnerblogs to document their research progress. The wiki holds all directions (teacher managed) and the student blogs carry documentation of their progress, reflection, and needs. A teacher can easily use a bloglines reader to keep track of student blog entries. I really like the mashup of wiki-blog-rss reader and how it enhances student learning. Students can create entries anytime, anywhere. If I was collaborating with as a teacher librarian, I would love to add comments, suggestions and encouragement to the student blog entries. It is usually very difficult to determine if students are “on track” when they work on thesis papers because classroom contact time is limited. This wiki and the student blogs break through those time and place barriers.

=Mr. Monson's Grade 5 Classroom Wiki: Thousands Project Ideas(JR March 25, 2008)= This wiki page http://monsonclassroom.wikispaces.com/Thousands+Project+Ideas was created by a fifth grade teacher from Nettleton Magnet School in Duluth Minnesota. The reason why he created it was that he was looking for a creative way to interact with students and teachers around the world. Each month a themed question is generated where you can respond personally or give a class consensus vote. The goal is to generate at least 1000 responses throughout the month. The responses can then be used for multiple purposes such as viewing pleasure, discussion, gathering and organizing information, writing topics, and so much more.

When you log onto the site, you will be glad to see that the format is quite user friendly. On the left side bar, you will see a list of the monthly generated themed questions along with a link to a favorite bookmark site of the creator. In my opinion, it's great to explore sites that other teachers at my grade level find interesting and useful. You never know when you'll run into something worthwhile!

The site was basically created by the teacher, but the students and other classrooms add to,or use the information from it on a monthly basis. There are step by step directions listed in which guide you through uploading personal responses to the themed question. Beyond sharing class responses, I can see many of the topics generated would serve as great spring boards for writing journal topics. Graphing responses mathmatically could also be another option.

The feature that I thought was the most intriquing was that you could post options for future monthly questions. If my class were to participate in this activity, I know they would want to post a question of their own and gain valuable feedback from the participants. The sites interactive nature generates student interest and being that it is an online format, it allows so many others to benefit at the same time. Eventhough some of the facts or information posted can be quite basic, the opportunities and uses are endless!

Discovery Ism Project http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com/ (K.S. March 26, 2008)
 * Discoveryisms**

This wiki was created by math teacher Kimberly Brown from Haultain Community School, Grade 6 and 7. Saskatchewan, Canada. This teacher has a seperate page for different mathematical topics, general math, data analysis, numbers, graphing, and algebra. The purpose of this wiki is to provide extension information for students. There are several slide shows on this space for math review. The teacher is responsible for keeping this space up to date and posting new extension information as the students move through the curriculum. There are several ways the student can be involved on this space. The only role where the students edit this space is responding to the math trivia questions. The students can view the tutorial slide shows and visit the linked pages for more information. The teacher created all of the information on this space with the exceptionof the trivia questions. The information on this space is divided into ive paes based on different mathematical topics. The slideshows are fro WizIQ and were created by other teachers. There is only one link to an external site, it is to a Web 2.0 graphing site http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx At this site students can create customized graphs. This wiki has not been updated this year and seems like it may no longer be used. I think it would be used more frequently if the teacher was not responsible for the majority of the editing. The feature that stood out to me was the first page with the trivia questions. The questions were number oriented but not necessarily math related. This would intrigue students who are not necessarily interested in math and they may look at the other pages while they visit the trivia page. The students review more on this site instead of learning new information. There are benefits of having this information technologically available. Some students don't take the best notes and can easily forget their notebooks at school, they could easily go on-line and look up the information and review for a test.

http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/index.htm This wiki is about Mrs. Newingham's 3rd grade class at Hill Elementary School in Troy Michigan. The purpose of the wiki is to keep parents and students up to date on the happenings of the class and to introduce viewers to the class members. The content is posted by the teacher, but you can tell many of the words came from her students. The site contains many pages and a lot of information. She covers topics such as curriculum for each subject, daily schedule, driver (student) of the week, teacher resources links, and special events. There are class projects and videos posted on the site as well. You can also view pictures of their classroom and take a virtual tour. The whole site is done in a racing theme, an interest of the teacher. I enjoyed looking at the student of the week section. It included pictures and information about each child and what their favorite part was about being student of the week. It also included a guide for parents telling them what their child would experience being child of the week and how to write the surprise parent letter about their child which the teacher reads during the week. The teacher resources section which she created for teachers visiting the site included information relating to all the core areas and ideas on movie making, hosting special school events, and making a class newsletter. This section also has links to other sites useful to teachers. I think the students would be very proud to see their pictures and movies on the wiki site. It would be a great bonding experience for the class to create a site like this all about their life at school. My only concern is the amount of personal information about each child that is online. They did only use first names, but had birthdates, pictures and information about their family members which may not be allowed in some school districts.
 * Meet the Drivers- Mrs. Newingham's Class** (PM March 26, 2008)

The site Westwood Computer Basics at http://westwood.wikispaces.com/Computer+Basics is a high school Computer Science classes of Westwood Schools in Camilla, Georgia taught by Vicki Davis. Students share the information that they glean from the Internet in a collaborative method with one another as the class builds their knowledge base. The teacher has the basic information, resources, rubrics, handouts and tests all linked to the location. She posts questions which students enter their ideas and thoughts. I like the hall of fame, a place where she list student’s outstanding contributions. It looks to me like the teachers has been developing this wiki for sometime there are a lot of links and information. Students also need to do a lot of posting, test taking and using the content of this space for their class. This is a technology class so it only makes sense for this type of learning should be in a technological format.
 * Westwood Computer Basics** (cm 3/25/08)

The site 1000 Names http://1000names.wikispaces.com is a site created by a 1st & 2nd grade teacher for a math lesson to show the students how many 1000 is. The teacher set up the page with a grid format so that people could log on and add their name to the page, and the teacher and students are both able to edit and monitor the page. There are 1000 grid spaces so that the students would be able to monitor the page and eventually see what 1000 different names looks like. I like the way it is easy to access and view. I would like to use it in my classroom when we celebrate the 100th day of school. It would be a great way to show what 100 names look like and then continue scrolling down until the students see what 1000 names look like. The site also has links to a dinosaur, food graphing, and collaborative story writing site. I could not find where the teacher and class is located, but it is not necessary to use the site effectively.
 * 1000 Names** (JB 3/26/08)

It took for ever to find a good site but when I found this site, http://mrspowell.pbwiki.com/, it was a good example of what I'd look for in a wiki that could be used in the classroom. (Even though it needs updating and a little work) The __8th Grade Technology Explorations__ wiki was created by a technology or a computer literacy teacher to keep students on track from anywhere that has internet access. The teacher posts assignments and important dates on the calendars. Students could also post important events such as sporting events, birthdays, etc. Teacher monitoring would need to be done daily, but I think this would be a great way to keep students involoved in the class and with classmates. With a large calendar on the page the teacher could create a class syllabus. The calendar was the main reason I chose this wiki. I'm also teaching a Communications class to my 8th graders and have been looking for good blogs and wiki's to use as an online syllabus. More links could be added to this one by students or the teacher, especially if it's a commonly used site in the class. With some work this format would work great......of course it would need a "joke of the day" link!
 * Technology Explorations** (PO 3/26/08)

FHS Wolves Den (TP 3/26/08) The wiki that I found to my liking was http://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com/. The wiki was created by Mrs. Barnett a teacher at Fayetteville high school located in Alabama. I'm not sure what grade level it is directed toward but the subjects it most recently is used for is History, English, and Advanced Studies. The purpose of this wiki is to allow students easy and quick access to classroom activities, rubrics, handouts, links, and it also allows them to discuss topics related to class. Mrs. Barnett serves as the main facilitator on the wiki posting most of the links, handouts and other class related activities. However the students are active in discussions and other interactive activities on the wiki. The one thing that stood out to me personally was the way the wiki was laid out. As far as I can see it would be very easy for students to navigate to whatever information needed. I think this wiki really benefits the students because it allows them to access information pertaining to class at any time. I think this would also save teachers some headaches of students constantly telling you that they lost the assignment, rubric or whatever it maybe.

**MRS. ABERNETHY'S CYBER CHICKENS (AP 3/26/08)** After exploring lots of wikispaces I stumbled upon a real gem. The teacher that created the wiki is Mrs. Abernethy in Greensville, PA. She is a fifth grade teacher who is obviously well versed in technology! Her address is http://jabernethy.wikispaces.com/. The title of her wikispace is Mrs. Abernethy's Cyber Chickens. The purpose of this wiki is to allow students to learn through the use of technology and to post their work and to explore other people's work as well. There are also links to teaching materials and teachertube videos for the students to view.

Mrs. Abernethy has created the site and seems to be the one facilitating the wikispace. She has set up several categories on the navigation menu: Our class on the wiki, By students, For students, and For teachers. Both students and the teacher create the content. However, it is evident that the students are very involved in the creation of the site. There are lots of projects that are displayed in powerpoints, blogs, podcasts, video, bubbleshare photos, and more! Students also have their own wikispace as well. The students have imported booktalks, fictional stories, editorials, informational pieces, and artwork. There are also links to informational sites that the students can visit to participate in games or lessons. The teacher has also included links for learning about podcasts and other technology skills.

It is obvious that the class spends a great deal of time working on their projects. I really enjoyed reading about their projects, especially a local cause called "Project S.C.A.T" -- Stop Contamination at Trinity. Trinity is a place near their school where they used to build trains. Also, the booktalks on the Series of Unfortunate events was very creative. The students made podcasts from the point of view of the characters of the series. These activities and projects have a lot of depth to them and it is obvious that the students are motivated and very committed to their work. What a great way to learn!


 * Inclusion and Differentiation in the Classroom (KM 3/26/08)**

The wiki that I looked at is one that a colleague of mine has created. The address is [|__http://slsed460.pbwiki.com/__] The name of the wiki is slsed460. The wiki is designed for students who are enrolled in education courses at Silver Lake College. Two of my colleagues are teaching a course. There are a few purposes for the use of this wiki. Step one is to have students collaborate on some of the key issues discussed in class. Step two is to get the students comfortable using a wiki and to ultimately have them set up their own individual wikis and share these with family and friends. Finally, step three is to have some of our remaining staff join in the discussions that have been started on this wiki. This is a new assignment for these Silver Lake students, so not all steps have been completed at this time. It is a work in progress. This wiki has a nice framework, however. One that I hope to copy in my organic farming seminar. What I really like is the idea of having some experts in the field adding information right along with the students. Another feature I liked in this wiki is that the students are encouraged to start their own wiki. The hope is that when these students become instructors, it is likely that they will use the wiki as a teaching tool. I believe that there is learning taking place. The discussions the students have seem genuine. The students seem to be committed to the lessons taught. The idea of the lesson was to model technology use, so there was a definite need or benefit to posing this lesson in this format.

Wikis in Medical Education (MR, March 25, 2008) This medical reference WiserWiki is located at [|www.wiserwiki.com]. Base content for this site came from the “Textbook of Primary Care Medicine” (3rd Edition) by John Noble and is supported through Elsevier Book Publisher. Although you must be a credential holding M.D. to add data to the site, the information is available to the public for medical reference on a variety of health issues and is written at college level making this reference great for more detailed anatomy, pathology and current medical procedures to include diagnosis and treatment. Information is categorized by body systems and provides current normal values for medical testing. This is a reference site for Second Life Ann Myers Medical Center which is a virtual training hospital for medical students and physicians worldwide; where intern meetings, case study presentations, discussion groups, diagnostic images, videos and weblinks are all part of the learning activities. Students may wander through the hospital learning environment at [|http://ammc.wordpress.com]. For the average K-16 educator, this wiki serves as a substantiated site to locate updated medical information regarding diseases, diagnosis and treatments.

**Fossils with the Butter Kids (JL, March 27, 2008)**
The wiki site that I found is almost like a classroom webquest where students can explore fossils and how they are made. The web address for this wiki is http://butter26.wikispaces.com/Fossils. This wiki was created by Mrs. Butterfield at Woodrow Wilson Elementary. However, I believe this is a classroom wikispace because there are links to all of the different subjects and other things for the class. I believe the grade level for this wiki is 4th grade and even though I chose to use the science subject with fossils, there are all elementary subjects included in the space. The wiki is set up so that the class can do webquests through subject material and it is also set up as a line of communication with parents. The role of the teacher for this wiki is they are the facilitator whereas the students are the users. It looks as though the teacher created a majority of this site if not all of it. The site for fossils is broken up into two separate days. This first day the students are to spend 20 minutes viewing and making observations on three different sites about how fossils are made. The second day the students need to use Inspiration to separate fossils into different categories. There are also some other web sites for students to visit. One thing that really stood out to me about this wiki is that it's a classroom wiki. Mrs. Butterfield uses this page just like a classroom web page. I think that's clever and easy. I do think that the students learned from their experience and I think the benefit to using this wiki space for these students would be that the teacher already has these sites picked out. Where students might just do a search on the Internet and who knows what they might find there. I also think that students benefit from learning the lesson this way because I would rather experience it on a wiki that in a book. Students would much rather use a computer and the Internet than to open up a book. Welcome to the 21st century!

=**Technology Education (Shop Class) (SH, March 27, 2008)**=

Finding a wiki site devoted to Technology Education / Pre-Engineering / Industrial Arts / Wood Shop was difficult. Many student pages would come up but I did manage to find an untitled page of a Tech Ed. Teacher. His page is at the following URL: http://schaulsj.wikispaces.com/ The location of the class is not listed, but it came up in a search for "Technology Education Wisconsin". It is for a middle school Technology Education classroom. The purpose is to display information to students and to be a online gathering ground to view video clips, due dates, assignment details, etc. The teacher acts as the page owner and has various parts restricted. Students can "join" and have access to comment and add materials to the pages. The teacher is the main page creator. His ID is schaulsj. Mr. Schauls has created a bar on the left to organize information in 6 major divisions (pages). He has a CADD, CO2 Crash Video, Pre-Engineering, Tech Applications, Tech Article Review, and Web Page Design sections. The content is oriented for students to successfully complete various classroom projects and to gain ideas. They can easily find sources for information and inspiration of their work. The feature that I like the most was the imbedded YouTube videos. I cannot fully assess weather students have learned from use of this wiki but the instructor has updated it frequently according to the update log. That provides evidence that under his judgement it is effective. I do believe that if the instructor were to display this information in other formats, it would take away from the learning experience greatly. It provides a source for finding things of various media formats that the student can truly use.

The wiki site that I found isn't for a specific class but rather the whole school of Quarter Mile Lane Elementary School. I searched to find a physical education class wiki site but had no luck. This is an interesting site of an online syllabus and various links to other activities going on in the school. The site is http://qmlphysicaleducation.wikispaces.com and has information on what each grade level is going to be doing over the year. To the left is links of things that are going on in the school as far as athletics and upcoming events in the school, which is very useful for both the student and a parent to know. The one thing I found in reading about the 6-8 classes is that they are creating a fitness portfolios. Included in these portfolios is the students own fitness data. The data includes such things as height, weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, target heart rate, etc. An idea that could help create student interaction online after having their fitness portfolio filled out would be to have them journal online their improvements. They could use the discussion area to list goals they have for the school year in physical education and write in their personal achievements throughout the school year. I think that would be a great tool that Quarter Mile Lane Elementary School could place into their wiki space.
 * Physical Education(TS, March 28, 2008)**

Mrs. Sheftel has a wiki at Carl Sanburg Elementary School in Centennial, Colorado. In this wiki, students and parents can access assignment requirements, classroom information, and links for subject enhancement and games. The web address is as follows: http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com/. The site is for elementary classes and emphasizes language arts skills. The purpose is for students to share their original stories and for reinforcing requirements and general class information. The teacher creates the first set-up of the wiki, and students add their assigned work to share with others. At first the teacher has most of the input, but as the student contribute, their work is the majority of the wiki. The framework starts with a class and wiki introduction and then offers links to assignments and important information for parents and students. The content includes assignment expectations, the student input, and links for enhancing student work. The feature that stood out for me was the class picture. It is a wonderful way to empower students and, I can imagine, makes them feel a part of the group. I think the students found the can very useful, as they learn various skills while creating their stories. The benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to non-traditional format exemplifies the power of the wiki. The display of the stories must encourage the enthusiasm for this assignment, as student go on-line to present their powerpoints and enjoy the contributions of their classmates. I may use a similar format and have my older student share their powerpoints for their original poetry. The wiki site I found interesting was Classroom Queen, and the site is http://haultain-math.wikispaces.com/. The class is located in Saskatchewan, Canada at Haultain Community School, Grade 6 & 7. It covers all subject areas, as it could be incorporated in to all curriculums. The teacher uses the space for collaborative research projects, story telling, math and science problem solving. She also invites other middle school students and teachers to add to their wiki pages. The specific page has a list of genius questions that she assigns after each math class. The first student to return to class with the answers gets a prize. The teacher is the director of the page and posts the questions for the kids to solve. She also creates slide shows in the in specific areas of mathematics, such as Data Analysis. The kids view the slide show and learn about different number theories and solve problems related to real-world applications. One feature that stuck out to me was the link to a graphing site where the kids can create their own graphs. I also enjoyed viewing the slide show with math terms and definitions. The slides had example problems with specific terms so the students could see the term in a mathematical context. It seems like the students are actively involved in the learning process while using this site. The student can post questions and help each other solve problems when they get stuck on a question. I think the benefit from learning the different math concepts on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format was the support the students have when learning different mathematical concepts. There were videos and slide shows they could view on various problems solving techniques, and they could get help from each other through the discussion boards.
 * Mrs. Sheftel's Class Wiki** (lhMarch 28)
 * Classroom Queen (LA 3/28/08)**

The wiki I found is located at http://woodlawnschool.pbwiki.com/ and is simply called the Woodlawn School Wiki. I becames more and more impressed with this wiki as I browsed through it. I was primarily looking for a science class wiki, but this is one for a whole school. It looks like all classes are required to contribute to the wiki, but you can see some edit theirs more than others. The opening page states that the wiki is being used on an experimental basis, but I'd say they will probably call it a success. Some of the classes use this wiki in much the same way our eighth grade team is using our blog. They include weekly schedules and any links that may be helpful for each class. Woodlawn School is a private school covering grades 2-10 in Davidson, NC. This wiki covers all classes in all grades at the school, but I mostly looked at eighth grade science. The wiki seems to be being used as a way to maintain parent/home contact. It has many updates and resources parents and students can see from home. The teachers are the people who maintain the wiki. They add the content and make links available. Students don't seem to play much of a role other than observer in this wiki. However, knowing that this wiki is and experiment for the school and seeing how thorough it is, I'm fairly certain at least some classes will add a student generated component in the future. All of the material I've found so far is created by the teachers and the district itself. There is a main page for the school wiki which has links to the various classes that are offered. most of those classes then have several pages such as a course description and weekly schedule. Within these pages, they have links to many of the resources they use. One particular example is a link to the home page of a guest speaker they had. I guess the main thing I liked was the detailed daily descriptions and links to resources. The information students gather from this site and the links it offers functions as an enrichment to what is being taught in class. The wiki wasn't used so much for lessons as it was for keeping track of what is going on in class and adding enrichment materials. I do feel that it would be a great benefit to students and their parents though. If students are gone or forget their work, they can simply visit their class wikis to get what they missed and they can visit the suggested links to enhance their classroom experience.
 * Woodlawn School Wiki** [|**http://woodlawnschool.pbwiki.com/**] **(TM, March 28, 2008)**

=Bauer Elementary Third Grade Wiki http://blogs.oaisd.org/wiki/doku.php?id= (KM 3-28-08)

The wiki doesn't state where it is created but from reading some of the discussions, I may venture to guess-Michigan. It's created by a third grade class (students and teachers) at Bauer Elementary. Writing and Science are the current focus; however, there are several pages that are under construction, as well. This wiki's purpose seems to be used for mostly communication. Students post writing and teachers and older students help edit their work. It seems to be collaboratively done as it is a third grade wiki but a sixth grade class helped proof some of the third graders work. There is a "student private page" that is unavailable to the public, it would be interesting to see what the content of these pages are. Here I would assume the teacher posts feedback on assignments. The teacher gives feedback on "for my friends" page where kids communicate with the rest of the class and/or anyone signed into the wiki. I noticed one of the students (Emma) must have recently moved away because there were many posts from her and some poetry written about her. The kids primarily made the wiki with some feedback and obvious instruction from the teacher. Parents also used it. It is under construction and I look forward to seeing it grow as there no outside links to websites. The links all lead to kids' work and evaluations from peers and teacher. I was impressed with the content of this wiki and its 21st century concept. Obviously, the teachers involved are technologically sound and I find that inspiring!

=The Progressive Era Wiki= This wiki on the Progressive Era was created by Chuck Taft of the University School of Milwaukee. It can be found at http://progressiveerausm.wikispaces.com/ and was brought about as a way for eighth grade students to learn of, teach to, and interact with their peers concerning problems of the Progressive Era. Mr. Taft organized the wiki so that each of his classes would address the same topics but through the wiki format be able to show different findings. The overall umbrella wiki has "sub-wikis"? (each of his classes) within its confines. Each of the classes (within its own construct) strives to explain problem topics of the age such as consumer issues, temperance and Prohibition, inequality of wealth, race relations, monopolies and trusts, the urban poor, conservation, labor issues, women's rights, and government corruption. Students were given a format in which they (in groups) addressed one of these specific issues. The format first called for them to define the problem(s) associated with their topic. Next, they detailed solutions (both private and governmental) that were proposed/implemented to deal with the problem(s). Also, they included images such as political cartoons to help pictorially represent the problems. Finally, before their citations they built in a section called "Primary Sources" that I thought was particularly interesting. This portion took excerpts from literature, governmental findings, media publications, etc. of the day showing how people viewed and responded to what was happening. One article looked at the problem of food contamination quoting from __The Jungle__ and the "then-infant" FDA. Students seemed fully in charge of the information that was presented. The teacher acted as facilitator and obviously created the parameters for the overall organizational scheme. Mr. Taft created a clear-cut statement of purpose and a user-friendly page of topical links (which the students collaborated on) nicely organized to aid in further inquiry (rather than links appearing haphazardly throughout the body of the work). In addition, there was a sample provided, a list of books used in the class, and a grading rubric. Beyond this, the students seemed to control the project. Through the use of available technology the presentation was most professional. I especially liked the fluency of the project. Because the boundaries were specific, it was easy to look at a number of students' works and compare them. This seems like a project that students felt they had great "ownership" in and learned a great deal because of this. This is my first real exposure to wikis, and honestly, I had been wondering how they could really play a significant role in education. I mean, students can post to a webpage, they can e-mail, etc.; what more could wikis do? This project showed me one neat application. The students obviously worked in groups adding to their projects. This format would be great for dividing labor and then organizing thereafter. However, I did notice that manipulating text in a wiki is not nearly as friendly as in a program such as Word. For instance, I couldn't find out how to "cut and paste" nor could I easily change font on a line already established. Is this because wikis are really webpage "translation" programs? I'd like to find this out.
 * (WR 3/28/08)**

High School World History Wiki (CF March 28, 2007)
After spending hours perusing the wiki world, I found a wikispace worthy of using for my Action Assignment. The name of the wiki is McDowell's APWH Wiki and here is the site: http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/~ahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=Holocaust_Wiki_Project The wiki is designed as a tool for a AP World History high school class to add notes and documentation to as they study all year for the AP exam. The other portion of the wiki that I was more interested in using as a resource is the Holocaust project the teacher designed. It is awesome! What a great idea! The teacher has a plethora of links to real people, places and events of the Holocaust. Each student chooses a person and performs a branching simulation. This simulation is a little like a Choose your Own Adventure novel - students write paragraphs using first-person, as they are writing like they have become the person from the Holocaust that they chose. Decision Points are created where others who view the wiki can choose what decision the person will perform. For example, "Do I find a hiding place in my apartment?" The high school students must then write about the pros and cons of their decision.

Although the wiki itself is nothing fancy, I can tell that the time and effort of the teacher was spent on the content of the wiki and the development of the two activities.

WikiWorkshop ( http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/wikiworkshop) is a wiki written by Jennifer Dorman in Pennsylvania. She is the staff development coordinator for the teachers in her district. In Wikiworkshop, Jennifer walks visitors through a wide variety of ideas, tools and approaches to learning and using technology in the classroom. A fun and engaging aspect of the wiki is that it is very interactive, so you can apply what you’re learning about right away. In this wiki, the student is a teacher (like myself) learning to use wikis and other tools in the classroom. My role is to select an area of interest and explore it. The workshops walk the student through creating and using web-based tools like wikis, with embedded polls, slide shows and video as well as text. In this case, the majority of the content was created by the teacher (coordinator). The page is organized with a list of workshops on the left. Each workshop page comes up with a table of contents on the right. It lists links to the entire content of the page. The user can begin at the top and read everything straight through, or use the table of contents to sample according to subject. However, when you explore the workshop on wikis, she is actually walking you though the creation of a working wiki, so if you want to make one and use it you should proceed here in a linear fashion. The workshops I visited were full of slideshows, videos, instructions on using and incorporating different kinds of software, and information about ways to use and incorporate the various tools in the classroom. I also found more general information on why to use these tools, such as the basic philosophy behind the wiki, which I could easily imagine using to persuade our school board to encourage the use of technology in the classroom. There were many quotes from various authors and researchers supporting the importance of incorporating technological changes into our educational system. A feature that really stood out for me was the wide variety of media used to present information. I was impressed by how little of the wiki is simply text written by the author in place of teacher talk. It seems to me that anyone would learn from this wiki, partly because its style of presentation is so diverse and the graphics are so appealing. Curiosity would prompt most people (to explore. The advantage to using this wiki for learning is that you can apply what you’re learning about in the moment, instead of reading first and then logging on later to apply.
 * Teaching teachers to use technology and have fun doing it (CC March 28, 2008)**

This wiki, created by Raymond Burrows, gives on overview of the math curriculum, class expectations and guidelines for this 7th grade class. The teacher created the wiki so students would have a clear understanding of what was expected of them and what they needed to do in class to be successful. There is also a specific activity the teacher presents on the main page of the wiki which combines math with a real life situation. The students are able to use this wiki for the lesson or activity. They can use it as a guide and a tool to be prepared every day. They also are able to see what they missed if they were absent. The main page has three links. One link will take you to the curriculum which shows a detailed break down of each standard. One link takes you to a page that lists the daily schedule of what was done in class (helpful especially if you are absent). The third link shows the guidelines and expectations for each student every day in class. These links seem most valuable to me because 7th grade students need to be held accountable for themselves. Having this information available to the students on the internet gives them to opportunity to show their responisibility.
 * Seveth Grade Pre-Algebra (SW March 29th, 2008)** http://woodlawnschool.pbwiki.com/7th+Grade+Math+Overview

This wikki, created by Ms. Webster, is located in Southern California. This wikki is created not only by Ms. Webster, but also her second and third grade students. There are quite a few different subject areas being covered. They include links to: math. reading, writing, health and PE, science, inquiry, peace builders, technology, art and music. Not all topics are covered very much indepth. There are also areas were students can write back and forth to posted questions and daily news topics. The purpose of this wikki is to share with the world what their classroom is learning. It is also helping them integrate technology into their learning. The role of the teacher is to post discussion questions for her students to answer outside the classroom. The student's role is to communicate with each other via discussion questions and also to fill in classroom information that they are learning. I am not sure if this is done within the classroom or with the help of the teacher. IT seems to me that the teacher has created most of the wikki due to the age group she is working with. The famework of the wikki is very basic. There is a side bar on the left hand side with links to the main topics. On this side bar are all of the subject areas. Towards the bottom of the page is a link of real life news that people (students) can click on and respond to. For example the link that is on the page as of now talks about the fires burining through California. This is the main area where students can respond and write to one another so everyone can see their thoughts. One feature that stood out to me was the blog area. I think it is very important for students to learn how to communicate and talk about what is going on in their day to day lives. I think students wold be much more willing to write on the wikki if they are not getting graded. I also liked the simplicity of the wikki. Because these students are younger they may become very over-whelmed if there is to much going on at once. I feel as though there are some subject areas that show more student learning than others. Some links have barely anything on them. I think that this wikki is more to show pride in their work and for others to see what is going on rather than actual learning. I guess I am uncertain of how much is being learned because I am not sure of how the information is being placed on the wikki. I would bet that this wikki is making students more computer literate!! It seems to me that their are a lot of benifits to learning this information on a wikki rather than a non technological format. The students are learning to display their knoweldge and take pride in it along with becoming more competent with technology. It also give students a great opportuinity to show their family what they are learning in school.
 * 2nd and 3rd Grade Class Wikki (JS March 29th, 2008)** http://mswebster.wikispaces.com/

(MM March 29, 2008) http://msit.wikispaces.com/ However students have also created a lot of content, as their projects begin to be placed online, and also as their blogs begin to take shape. The information/organization of the wiki was very user friendly. It allows the user to gain access to the necessary area very quickly. The site employs good web design, with a main page that links off to the other main pages of the IT classes, IT projects, blogs, etc.... The navigation bar on the side of the page is also very helpful. All links that I tried also had active links, with no incorrect web addresses.
 * Middle School Information Technology Wikie**
 * Location**: Mont'Kiara International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 * Grade Level:** Grades 6-8
 * Subjects** Covered: Information Technology for Grades 6-8, also includes examples of student projects and links to school IT blogs and projects.
 * Purpose of Wiki**: The purpose is to provide online course curriculum for grade 6-8 IT (9 week exploratory courses)
 * Teacher Role**: The primary role of the teacher is that of facilitator. Students are given their projects and the teacher is then there to assist them in meeting their goals. Much of the assistance appears to be online in the for of .pdf files and information and hints in the blogs.
 * Student role:** The role of the students on the Wiki is to be the creator, collaborator, and problem solver. Much like they will have to be in the real world.
 * Primary creator, framework, and content**: The primary creator was the teacher, as the actual 6-8 IT wiki is for instruction in the class.
 * Student learning**: True student learning of technology takes place in the context of completing real world projects. In looking at student work samples and also looking at student blogs. Click here for sample student blog) these studetns are learning valuable 21st century skills. It is very evident that many educators have bought into the concept of 21st century skill.

**Flat Classroom Project**
(JJS March 29,2008) http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/ The project works with students in middle and high school classrooms from around the world as part of the Flat Classroom Project that involves global collaboration. The current Flat Classroom Project 2007 has 7 classrooms participating. Each student is in a team of about 10.Each team includes members from the 7 classrooms. Each team has a topic based on one of the flatteners found in Tom Friedman's book, The World is Flat, and is to edit a wiki page and provide content. They started with the content from last year's project so students are not starting fresh. As part of the wiki editing students are using the discussion tab/forum on the wiki page to interact and learn from each other what their ideas are for the wiki page. The teacher is to facilate the learning and provide the resources for the students to do the lessons/project. It pushes them into a whole new realm of accountability and responsibility and also fosters 21st century literacy skills. .Essentially the wiki format allows for collaborative authorship and fosters creation of authentic learning spaces that provide a way for students to create (Blooms taxonomy higher level) their own content. They are not just learning about the content they are learning vital skills that can be used throughout their lives: cooperation, communication, original authorship, copyright best practice etc.

The wiki is called 1000 Names, http://1000names.wikispaces.com/. This wiki is being used by first and second graders exploring the number 1000. The class is collecting 1000 names. The teacher put easy and very specific directions for how to enter the data to the wiki. One person entered a blog link along with their name. The responses have come from around the world including Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, and a large variety of places in the United States. I could not tell where this wiki originated but really liked the global connection since I teach at an international school. With first and second grade students the teacher would have to be responsible for the technical part of the wiki but the students would be able to help with deciding what to collect data about if it were similar to this one and then they could possibly locate where the responses were from. I was impressed that a wiki could be this simple but provide the global aspect.
 * Wiki Exploration** (SY 3-29-08)

**http://ibhumanbiochem.wikispaces.com/Research+Question?responseToken=5bc6c3cbdec70ae4c740d572bbf06efc** The wiki is called "Investigation on Swimming Pool Water". Three high school students conduct an experiment on swimming pool water where they collect both biological and chemical data for analysis. Through pictures as well as words, the three girls do a marvelous job of "walking" other students through the scientific method to obtain authentic data about a problem that they want to investigate in their community. The framework of their wiki is such that the main portion of the wiki is filled with visual as well as sound effects to invite you into their wiki page - quite creative! The "side bar" of the wiki is laid out precisely as any formal lab report would be formatted. The individual students that partook in this wiki certainly learned about biological indicators corresponding with chemical data to substantiate a particular conclusion. What I liked best about using a Wiki for this type of research is that it allows for the "science" to be scrutinized by other students and then if so inclined, students could attempt to repeat the experiment - the way science actually works. The idea of gathering authentic data for peer review and then looking for replication is often missing in the secondary lab experience - the wiki is a perfect "stage" for this to happen - moving from "LOTS to HOTS on the 'Learning Pyramid'" (Jukes & McCain, pg 66)
 * BioChem Class Wiki**
 * (WJ 29 March 2008)**

This wikki was created by Mr. David A. Di Giammerino and his Web 2.0 class. The name the site is"Digital Literacy at Millis High School." The class is called Web 2.0 Millis High School is located 20 miles southwest of Boston, Massachusets. The class consists of students in grades 9-12. The subjects covered are how to behave on the Web, know who you are talking to, cyberbullying, internet security, file sharing, blogging, gaming, other technologies, blogging, social networking, virtualization, podcasting, and last but not least Wikis. The purpose of the Wiki is to help students and others that go to this site how to communicate using technology. It teaches skills needed to navigate in today's world. The teacher firsts helps students with the basic issues of online problems and how avoid them. Hence the "behaving responsibly on the web" title. He then assists the students in exploring common areas of the web. The kids created this site and constantly add to it. According to the wiki the students collaborated with Mr. Di Giammerino to create the site. What I loved about this site was that I could understand and follow the directions the creators set up. The social networking site helped me venture though myspace. I have never been on it before but was pleasantly surprised. The set up of the wikki reminded me a table of contents of a book. This probably made it easier for me to follow along. I do think the kids learned something, I did. It helped show how web 2.0 materials can be used in a classroom no matter what you taught. Through video clips and other media it help me learn how "do" myspace. I am not a technical reader so this was great. I like that you could skip around and not have to go in order of their content but what my wishes happen to be. The benefit to learning about this cool site is that I did learn where it was and that it is user friendly. The site does a great job explaining its many subjects in easy to understand formats. It was much easier for me "seeing" how to do it than "reading" how to do it.
 * web 2.0 class** **MS (MR March 29, 2008)** http://milliswikki.wikispaces.com

**Digital Literacy**
(AP March 30th, 2008) http://milliswiki.wikispaces.com/ The purpose of this wiki is to simple; to give the reader a better understanding about Web 2.0 and to explain 21st century learning. Written by students //for// students, the Wiki expresses our views of what Web 2.0 is, how it can be used in the classroom, and how it can help students build 21st century literacy. It is our hope to get our Wiki to expand out of the Web 2.0 classroom. The goal for the future is to have every class at MHS with its own section in the Wiki and for the Wiki to be the main source of information for students, teachers, and parents.(milliswiki.wikispaces.com) The wiki is designed by students on Web 2.0 concepts with researched based information. This idea of a wiki is something that every school needs to have. This concepts is something that I am going to create for my current webpage development class. Needs to have more links to move it from a good wiki to a great one. Podcasting was also included into this wiki.

(DB, March 30, 2008) https://wayland.wikispaces.com/
 * 6th & 8th Grade Computers - Featuring i-Safe**

This wiki originated from Stanwood Middle School in Stanwood, Washington by a 6th and 8th grade computer teacher, Mark Wayland. His school uses the i-Safe curriculum throughout when teaching and approaching technology. The purpose of this wiki is to engage the student in using the technology, keep parents informed, showcase student work, and classroom management. He has everything from his syllabus, assignments to be accomplished, resource links for students and teachers, behavior guidelines, online rules, i-Safe videos, his favorite pictures, and many other items. Mark evidently upkeeps this wiki and his students use it to keep updated on work to be done.

The thing that impressed me the most is the simplicity of the site. It is to the point, planned, and organized very well. I believe that having these items in his wiki helps to keep the parents informed and gives a place for the students to stay updated rather than having to ask him everyday in class. They know what is expected -- empowering the student. Having these items in the wiki benefits the students, also, in that they are experiencing one more facet of 21st Century learning.

Our World, Our People Musculoskeleton System Subject areas covered are non-fiction items. Created for Middle School Students. Subject areas include examples such as Human Body, Space, etc. The purpose of the wiki is to have an added visual reinforcement for learning and for exploring non-fiction works. The teacher fulfills answering major questions and offering a wide base of study for the topic. The students add what was interesting or fun. The teacher created the majority of the wiki. The framework/organization of the wiki is organized into subjects and then divided within those topics. All non-fiction. Examples include under Musculoskeleton System to human body to "What to do to keep muscles healthy?", "What do muscles look like?", "What are the parts of the muscles?", "What functions do muscles perform", "What organ systems are connected with muscles?", etc. One feature that stood out to me was how easy it was to locate categories and move within each category and how easily it was to read. It seemed to be a user friendly site that is more exciting to visit than a plain textbook.
 * Wikijunior (R.P. 4/6/08)**
 * Http://edicatopma;wikispaces.com/message/view/Eucational+wiki+ideas/216979//**
 * //Http://wikispaces.com/soapbox**
 * Wikijunior**
 * 1) What is the **name** and **web address** for the wiki? milliswiki.wikispaces.com
 * 2) ** Where ** is the class located that created the wiki? Boston, MA
 * 3) What **grade level** is the class? H.S.
 * 4) What **subject** area(s) are covered? Digital Literacy
 * 5) What is the **purpose** of the wiki? to expand knowledge of Web 2.0 concepts
 * 6) What **role** does the **teacher** fulfill on the wiki? Provide a framework for students
 * 7) What **role(s)** do the **students** play on the wiki? Research and input of information
 * 8) ** Who created ** the majority of the **content** on the wiki (students or teacher)? Student
 * 9) Describe the **framework/organization** of the information on the wiki. The organization is well laid out for Web 2.0 concepts
 * 10) Describe the **content** (links to other websites, original content created by students, other). Very basic information on terms and concepts of Web 2.0 with some MIT student created sites as links, David Warlick wiki, and a Podcast
 * 11) What is one **feature** of the wiki that stood out to you? The Podcast that described some terms
 * 12) Does it seem like the students **learned** from their wiki experience? A lot of information was gathered for this wiki. I feel the students have gained a huge amount of knowledge in gathering this wiki
 * 13) Was there a **benefit** to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format?The benefit is that a wiki is part of the Web 2.0 information and a great way to get the information out to many students and parents.


 * Informational Class Wiki (MF March 30, 2008)**
 * 1) What is the **name** and **web address** for the wiki? http://class-6k.wikispaces.com/
 * 2) ** Where ** is the class located that created the wiki? I am not sure, it seemed to me that there may have been specific information left out for safety reasons.
 * 3) What **grade level** is the class? Again, unknown, but from what I gathered I think that it's high school.
 * 4) What **subject** area(s) are covered? Literacy, math, science, homework, and history.
 * 5) What is the **purpose** of the wiki? It is an informational sssset up to assist the students with links that they might need and information for the parents to use.
 * 6) What **role** does the **teacher** fulfill on the wiki? The teacher updates the wiki with the activities of the class. There is also a link to an edublog where she seems to blog fairly often. My feeling was that the wiki was set up for information and the blog was there for more personal comments on what was going on in class.
 * 7) What **role(s)** do the **students** play on the wiki? The students each have their own pages where they seemed to have random information written. It looked like they were using it to complete assignments.
 * 8) ** Who created ** the majority of the **content** on the wiki (students or teacher)? Teacher, by far.
 * 9) Describe the **framework/organization** of the information on the wiki. I felt like the information was well laid out that if a student or parent went to the wiki that they would quickly be able to find what they were looking for.
 * 10) Describe the **content** (links to other websites, original content created by students, other). The content is very link based. It seems like the teacher has information, projects, and assignments all over. The one link, like I said, went to the edublog and I thought that was great. There wasn't a lot of content that was created by students, and when I did read what was there it was was difficult to tell what it meant because I am sure it was answers to some assignments.
 * 11) What is one **feature** of the wiki that stood out to you? I liked that each student had their own page. Even if it was just for uploading a document, it forced the student to get more acquainted with using the wiki.
 * 12) Does it seem like the students **learned** from their wiki experience? Maybe about wikis and more information about their homework. I didn't feel like the wiki itself was the source of a class project.
 * 13) Was there a **benefit** to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format? I feel like the benefit was more for the parents and less for the student. The students could have handed in those assignments on paper rather than posting them to the wiki.

I have to add that I chose this wiki because even though it is not the most impressive, I do think that it is a very realistic, simplistic, version of what any of us could do to get started using wikis. It's a good starting point.

= **Miss Petty’s Class Wikispace (JK 5/26/08)** =

This wiki is located at http://misspettysclasswikispace.wikispaces.com/ . This wiki is meant to be a general resource page for her third grade class at Phenix City Elementary School in Phenix City, Alabama. There are links to numerous websites for each of the major subjects, and there is general school information available as well. Miss Petty seems to be the facilitator of the site, and aims most of the information to the parents, not necessarily the students. The layout was fairly simple- she included separate areas for each subject (math, science, language arts, social studies), homework, newsletters, and the school web page. Most of the information provided is links to other websites, many of which are educational games relating to the subject they are under. Some of the sites are informational in nature, providing further background on things probably talked about in class. There is also a link for videos, which are also helpful for more on the subjects being discussed in class. One feature I think can be very helpful for a classroom wiki is the homework link. Miss Petty uses it to give a general outline of the homework assignments for the class. It could be used as an electronic planner, especially handy for those students that like to forget theirs in their lockers. It also provides parents with the access to view the work the class is at. Unfortunately, I don’t think the class is using this as a regular tool, and wouldn’t be surprised if many students, nor their parents, have even visited the wiki. With a bit of retooling, this wiki could become an integral part of the learning process for her class, and be of even greater use than it is now- as both a resource and a learning tool.


 * Ms. Birdsey’s Nature Guide at Littlewood Elementary (JA 5/28/08)**

The name of the wiki I found is Littlewood’s Nature Guide. It can be found at [|http://littlewoodnatureguide.wetpaint.com/.] The class that maintains this wiki is from Littlewood Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida. It is a 5th grade class that does all of the adding and updating to the wiki. The purpose of the website is to document and post information about the native plants and animal species found in Florida, more specifically, the species found in the school’s Environmental Center. The students and the teacher upload pictures, information and interesting facts about various plants and animals they have spotted in the Environmental Center at their school. As stated on the website itself; “the wiki is a 21st century version of a school yard field guide”.

The teacher’s role in this wiki is a combination of functions. She is first and foremost, very good at reinforcing the student’s posts and research. She praises them for what they contribute, which seems to be very motivational to the students. She has also published instructions on how to make a post, what she expects from the post and a list of websites for the students to visit to find references. She also promotes discussions by asking the students questions in the discussion panel.

The student’s role in the wiki is to visit the Environmental Center and to observe plants and animals. They then post and provide information about each species. With each new type of plant or animal they find, a picture (if available) and post is added to the wiki with plenty of information and additional references for readers to investigate. They also participate in discussions with the teacher and with other students in the class. Although some posts have been made by the teacher, the majority of the posts and discussions come from the students in this class.

The wiki is organized very well and is easy to navigate. Along the left hand side of the page is the main menu, which takes you to the various discussions, pictures, student and teacher profiles and instructions for the website. All of the content I saw on the wiki was excellent, especially when you consider it came from 5th graders. They posted pictures when they were able to have a camera with them in the Environmental Center and some of the posts have enormous amounts of information and links to other websites, with additional information. I thought the websites provided by the teacher were also a good idea to give the students a little direction on how to do their research.

The one thing that stood out to me on this wiki was the discussion panel. It wasn’t the actual educational content of the discussions so much as the enthusiasm the kids showed for this website and how much they liked visiting the Environmental Center and seeing all the plant and animal species. There were many posts wondering when they would get to go back and visit again. From the information that the students shared, they appear to be learning a lot about Florida’s native plants and animals. I think there is definitely a benefit to learning this information on a wiki instead of in a classroom lecture. There is a plethora of current information available all in one location with the click of the mouse. If they were learning from a book, the information could be outdated. The links added in by students are just the doorway to what they are learning about the plants and animals they find.

**Mrs. Dorman’s 9th Grade American History (AP** **5/29/08****)** The name of this wiki is Dorman-Data-Digest. The wiki can be found at: http://dorman-data-digest.wikispaces.com/ . The class that created this wiki is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. This class is a 9th grade American History class. The purpose of the wiki is to provide students with information, notes, and additional information to spark conversations between students. There is a chat room provided in order to allow the students to chat with one another about the class and the information on the wiki page. The teacher in this wiki provides information that is relevant for the student in order to engage them, and provide them with more information about the course itself. The student interacts with the wiki, viewing the materials on it, and using it to better their own understanding of the class. The information provided helps the student maintain their understanding of the course. The student then uses the information provided on the wiki in conjunction with the link to the chat room in order to have open conversations about the class. The majority of the content on the wiki is created by the teacher. The wiki is set-up so that all the supplemental information is provided as a tool bar on the side, where from there the students can pick particular topics and then learn about those topics. There is a link for a chat room, and this is used so that the students can interact with each other. The content of the wiki is directly related to what is going on in the class. There is information provided by the teacher for the students. The feature that stood out the most to me was that there was a chat room involved. I believe that when you can have an open conversation, students learn more. And it might be possible that students that are less likely to participate in a face to face class experience may feel more comfortable in an online experience. I believe that any type of open discussion would help the students learn. I think that there are two benefits to this type of program. One being what I had mentioned before that, students who are less likely to participate in discussions may feel more inclined to in an online environment. Secondly, I feel that for many students, having resources available online related to the topic help reinforce the lessons that are being taught in class.

While looking through the Educational Wiki Examples I came across Team 8 Blue Saves the World. The address for this is http://team8bluesavestheworld.wikispaces.com/ . This wiki example immediately caught my eye because it was about 8th grade students trying to save the world! Wouldn’t this catch your attention? As I entered into the web page I noticed that these students were from Milford, PA. This made this classroom example a little bit more exciting to me since I recently moved back to WI from PA not far from Milford. Team 8 Blue Saves the World is a group of 8th grade Science students who are trying to do their part in saving the world. With the help of their teacher, Mrs. Laguna, they are using technology to learn more about Alternate Energy. These students are using this wiki to research different types of alternate energy and will eventually write an essay on why their form of alternate energy is the best for PA to use. The wiki is full of different web sites for the students to go on to find information. This wiki is actually a second to Mrs. Laguna’s wiki’s! The first is called Team 8 Blue which looks like it is made up of information that she posts to help the students and even parents understand what is going on in the classroom. Team 8 Blue Saves the World is primarily the students sharing their alternate energy research findings. It is really amazing to see how smart and creative some of these young students are. The overall goal of these students is to make a difference in the world. They want to write a persuasive essay with all of the information that they found and show it to public officials when they are done. I think that it takes a lot of ambition and passion for a student to want to do this. To the left of the home page on this wiki is a navigation tool. It lists all of the different links to this wiki. One that caught my eye was “Making a Difference”. This page had links to many sources of alternate energy such as solar energy. There is also a link to “What Do Our Public Officials Say”. I thought this was an especially neat site to have on their because you can click on the different public officials and see what their views are on Energy and the Environment. The last page that caught my eye was a page written by a girl named Kati. I feel like she is probably the “master mind” behind a lot of the information on this wiki. She has a page like journal that she writes in all of her ideas and findings. I think that by creating this wiki the students feel like they have some control on their education and in life. They really have no boundaries when it comes to the wiki. The students seem very excited and really do want to make a difference. I think that Mrs. Laguna has a grasp of adding technology to the classroom. The students can use their imaginations and education by learning, writing and sharing about alternate energy sources.  I found the wiki called Mrs. Sheftel’s Class (http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com/Educational+links) This wiki is really awesome. I struggled a little at first to find a wiki that I liked as much as Mrs. Abernethy’s Cyber Chickens, but, this wiki is really rich with information as well. The class that created the wiki is from Carl Sandburg Elementary School, in Centennial, Colorado. I don’t think it specifically says which grade the class is in, but, from the picture I am guessing that they are in either the 4th or 5th grade. The subject areas that are covered are math, social studies, language arts, and science extensively. They even have a space to help you learn how to type better (it’s so much fun)! One of many fun things on the wiki that I found is a link to a project called “Monster Exchange”. http://www.monsterexchange.org/ Students draw a monster and then write a description of it and it is supposed to be able to be replicated from the description given. Both images are uploaded and posted on-line. Comments and feedback can be left and you can also chat about them. Pretty much all standards across the board are followed and implemented in this project. It is phenomenal! The purpose of the wiki is to provide educational and fun resources for teachers parents, and students alike. It also provides parents with homework assignments and expectations. Student written work is showcased on the wiki. I think Mrs. Sheftel’s role in the wiki is creator, manager, and facilitator, because her student’s work is shared with others through the wiki. I think the students created the majority of the work on the wiki, but, I think Mrs. Sheftel provided a lot of really great links to explore. The organization of the wiki is really easy to follow and use. The navigation bullets on the side of the page are sorted in categories and subcategories that help you travel through the wiki. Another link that I liked in the wiki was the site called “BrainPop”. http://www.brainpop.com/ It has information on anything and everything. I spent quite a bit of time on that one! One feature of the wiki that stood out to me as unique was actually student created. They have a link on the wiki that is called, “Just for Fun—Take a Poll”. It has random questions that the children came up with and you can vote on the answer that you like the most. I think the students are getting a basic lesson in wikis on this website and I think they will just keep learning about them by updating their wiki all year long! One thing I learned for sure, and I think Mrs. Sheftl’s class might agree with me…learning from wikis is so much fun and exciting!
 * TEAM** **8** **BLUE** **SAVES THE WORLD (JK** **5/30/08****)**
 * MRS. SHEFTEL’S CLASS (JS 5/30/08)**

Gary Klingmans Bear-Den (KT 06/01/08) The name of the wiki I chose was The Bear Den located at http://bear-den.wikispaces.com/. The class itself is located in GA and it’s for an 8th grade history class. One of the cool things is that he is pretty clear the main purpose is for collaborative learning through this site. There are useful links on the site for notes from previous classes which would be very helpful to students. He mainly plays the role of facilitator and one thing I really love the heading on the home site about any foreign visitors to contact him. I can see the use of wiki’s expanding way beyond just the classroom but also expand to other classrooms across the globe. With a history class he could incorporate the assistance of a teacher in another state to enhance a specific topic. I see it more as a supplement to the learning and only a tool to help students through their learning process. There’s a discussion board out there as well but it does not seem to get used that much. I think that’s one area that could enhance learning as well. Post a question and have students respond. It might help some students gain more confidence that could be transferred into the classroom.

= **CodeBlue (DK 6/29/08)** and (JA 7/3/08) = The name of the wiki that I found is “CodeBlue”, the address is http://codeblue.wikispaces.com/ , and the class is located at Mont'Kiara International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The space was create by a 6th grade class and the purpose is centered on science and health and designed to help educate visitors on aspects of the human body and its systems. The teacher appears to oversee the content and sites added to the space although I’m not sure what portion of the content on the site was added by the students and how much by the teacher, but it appears much of it was done by the students. The students post links to tutorials and articles relating to body systems and health issues. There are also discussion questions to which students from other schools can respond. The pages are organized in blocks and categories. One block is set links to a sort of directory that leads to descriptions of the “virtual doctors” in the different departments. Another block links to tutorials regarding different parts of the body and its systems. Many of the pages contain animations, pictures students captured or scanned, and links to additional information and tutorials. One feature that stood out to me is the potential for someone to bring this up on a legitimate medical search. I’m not sure if that would pose a problem or not, but it might be a concern. Aside from that, I think it was a worthwhile learning experience for the kids and the big advantage the wiki itself provided was the ability for the students to compile all of their work and have it open for interaction with students from outside their school.

I also found **Code Blue (JA 7/3/08)** **(Code Blue)**interesting and relevant to my current 7th grade life science curriculum. I apologize for the accidental repeating of a previous posting. I hope that my “additional” comments will offer a different perspective. In learning more about Human Body Systems, 6th graders have collaborated with other classmates and their teacher to create a wikispace where students post information on body systems, medical occupations and diseases. This wiki was created by Ms. Cofino at Mont’Kiara International School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On the home page she provides students with links to general human body system and medical information. It appears that Ms. Cofino organized the framework of the wiki by creating sections for each class period. Within those sections, students create online medical clinics that provide information on diseases, medical occupations and human body systems by using originally created content, links to other websites and diagrams/photos. It appears that students created most of the wiki content and enjoyed this learning experience that provided a place for creativity and even humor. Ms. Cofino also mentions on her wikispace that “this was an exciting project because students were able to collaborate across class sections (even though they never actually sat in the same classroom at the same time, they were able to work on the same wikispace” project. Just imagine the increased possibilities for arranging students into collaborative groups. The same students wouldn’t have to work together throughout the year. It’s exciting to imagine students collaborating with students in other class periods, buildings, districts, states, or even countries! Another feature I found extremely valuable is the teacher created page informing students about online safety and rules of “Netiquette”. In addition to focusing on ways to integrate technology into the classroom, we must remember to teach and enforce proper use of these exciting new tools of communication. General guidelines for cyberspace behavior are important to follow in order to safely venture into the world of online communication.

Mrs. Oro’s Math Mingling Minds (JD 6/30/08) I found The Saint Michael Math Wiki, which can be found at http://saintmichaelmath.wikispaces.com. This math wiki is an ongoing creation by Mrs. Ann Oro, a sixth grade teacher at Saint Michael Middle School in Cranford, NJ. Mrs. Oro provides her students class notes, project outlines, and blogs all on or from her wiki space. But not all of the information found on St. Michael’s Math Wiki is posted by Mrs. Oro, her students post answers to questions, blog with each other to solve math problems, and even work out math problems and post them on the wiki for other students to view.

After navigating through The Saint Michael Math Wiki I think Mrs. Oro creates and posts more information on the wiki than the students. She post questions for discussion and as homework problems, which the students then respond to, but she also has created links to student music, student projects, and classroom notes.

Now that I have had experience with wikis and have learned how to navigate through them, I feel that the organization of St. Michael’s Math Wiki is well laid out. There are not too many links on one page and from the home page her two different sections of classes have their own link to class content. I did get lost trying to navigate back to some pages, but I’m sure once her students got their feet wet they’re probably comfortable and quick with using the wiki. You know those Digital Learners!

What amazed me the most was how much the students responded to the closer question for each chapter. A question was posted for each chapter and the students then blogged with not only their classmates, but another class from Canada! So not only were their classmates helping them out, but a different class, in a different place, who happened to be covering the same material. Without the technology it is obvious the students in Mrs. Oro’s class, and the students in Canada, would not have had such an in-depth discussion or possibly even be engaged had they worked at a desk on their own or with a small group.

I have no doubt that the year-round experience that Mrs. Oro provides her students is beneficial. As we read in //Windows on the Future//, “If we truly want to make a difference…schools must become a place where students are actively engaged… [students] must pose questions and question answers.” What Mrs. Oro’s class has done is a prime example of that.

**The Aristotle Experiment (KS 7-1-08)**

The name of this wiki is The Aristotle Experiment and can be reached at http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/. The class is part of the program offered at Estancia High School is Costa Mesa., CA. The site is aimed at multiple grade levels and covers classes across English classes. The main purpose of this wiki is to attempt to tailor the learning environment to the style of learning students have grown up with.

The role of the teacher in this wiki ranges from keeping it up to date concerning assignments to hosting a discussion group centered around the literature or topics from the class. The students use it for a resource for information, vocabulary lists, and aid in discussing some pertinent topics. The content of the wiki seems to be initially created by the teacher, but there are ample opportunities for the students to contribute.

The wiki is organized by initially by age or school year and also has some navigation that is concerning all in the school. The wiki has links to other outside resources from terminology search engines to critical evaluations of the material covered. There are also some links to web-based projects.

The part of the wiki that caught my eye was the fact it had an AP oriented page with connection to a blog site. This caught my eye because this is what I am in the process of creating for my AP class. I already have a link to my blog for my summer reading assignment up now.

Students seemed like they had the opportunity to learn through several different modes, which Jukes and McCain state is very necessary for productive learning to take place. The benefit of having this content on a wiki would clearly be the multi-modal aspects as well as allowing the students to use technology of which they are familiar.

**WHS Bulldogs Business & Marketing (LF 7/1/08)** WHS Bulldogs Business & Marketing Wikispace, http://whsbulldogs.wikispaces.com

This wiki was created at Winterboro High School in Alpine, AL, for middle and high school business students. However, most of the content is geared towards high school students. The specific class content is for Business Education – Entrepreneurship, Business Technology Essentials, Business and Personal Finance, and FBLA – high school chapter and middle school chapter.

This site serves a few purposes. First of all, there are pages for each class which includes weekly assignments. Secondly, the site serves as a resource for students, listing links to other valuable sites. Finally, this site is used for communication purposes. The classes use the discussion board feature to reflect and to share ideas.

The teacher’s role on the wiki is definitely a traditional teacher role. The teacher posts nearly all of the information and leads most of the discussions on the discussion board. The student’s use the wiki to gather information on class assignments and FBLA information. However, I do see that students have posted projects on the wiki for their peers to review. The students also participate in the discussions and a few times have even initiated the discussions. (The teacher created the majority of the content on the wiki.)

This wiki is very organized. There are separate pages for each class and each FBLA chapter. The teacher uses different sizes and colors of font to help differentiate subjects on each page.

This wikispace has some very valuable content: weekly lesson plans, links to resources, student project links, and discussion boards.

The feature that stood out most to me does not even relate to the business ed. content. The teacher has a page with weather on it. I don’t know how this is done (Is Weather a feature that can be added to any wiki? Did the teacher create a weather feed (rss) to her wiki?)

It is hard to determine whether the students learned from their wiki experience with this site. Because students today are digital learners, I am assuming that they found this classroom wiki to be beneficial. They could check assignments from home, review their peers projects, and respond to the discussion questions from school or home.

Was there a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format? Yes and no. The actual components of these classroom lessons would be no different if printed on paper or read online. However, the discussion board provides a place where all students can offer their thoughts and opinions. Discussion boards allows even the shyest of students to feel comfortable in participating in discussions.

The classroom is located in Georgia at the Clarke County Alternative Education Program for 7th Graders. The subject of the Wiki is the author Lois Lowry and her two novels //The Giver// and //Number the Stars//. The Wiki is designed for students to work through the novels in a number of ways: it contains vocabulary words, chapter synopses, questions for discussion, journal assignments, assignments for students to complete, and enhancements “quizzes.”
 * Lois Lowry Author Study (CC 7/2/08)**
 * Lois Lowry Author Study at http://loislowryauthorstudy.wikispaces.com**

The teacher’s role was to set up the basic Wiki and then to monitor students’ progress. The site contains numerous assignments for each of the books, and also asks students to contribute to the WIKI in the form of writing additional chapters to the books and also art work. The teacher created the bulk of the WIKI, but the students’ also contribute. I like how the students could work through the assignments on the WIKI at their own pace. Since I have read Lois Lowry’s books, I found it interesting to see how the site asked students to be creative in their interpretations of the books. I also really liked the quiz students took to see where they would be assigned (as in //The Giver//) within their utopia.

I think that there is great benefit to this type of assignment on the Wiki, especially for students in an alternative school. It allowed for flexibility and also increased expectations for student learning by requiring a number of higher level thinking skills as students processed the literature.

This wiki at http://nhsspanishclasses.wikispaces.com/ was created by Rachel Johnson for her Spanish classes at Nettleton High School in Jonesboro, AK. This wiki is a reference tool for the students, and it contains links to almost every topic applicable to a high school Spanish classroom! There are links to “YouTube” videos that relate to topics studied, music videos and songs in Spanish, instructional dance videos for Latin dances, basic cultural information for various countries, and more. She even included links to charities, which is a great way to help students become aware of issues that face others around the world. The links are easy to access and organized in a logical way so it would be simple for students to access the information they sought.
 * Ms. Johnson’s Spanish Class (MB 7/2/08)**

The wiki also contains pages related to specific classes. There are links to homework assignments, copies of handouts and activities, copies of class notes, online tests and quizzes, and practice activities. While this site is mostly teacher-generated, there is a link to class discussions where students post comments and questions. What I liked about the discussion page is that the comments must be approved by the teacher before they can be posted, but they are still student comments. While the ones currently posted aren’t in Spanish because they were from beginning students, my guess is that higher level students would be required to discuss in the target language.

I think that this wiki would benefit students a lot. Even though it isn’t a specific lesson, it is a resource for students to access and the information could be easily incorporated into a lesson. In addition to having class information posted, the authentic sites they are able to access can help bring the language alive. Students love watching authentic materials, and those who want more can access this wiki to explore as much as they’d like without using additional class time. Ms. Johnson has come up with a fantastic way to enhance classroom learning and help students experience the culture and language from their own homes or classrooms.

**Digital Literacy at Millis High (GB 7/2/08)**

This wiki is located at http://milliswiki.wikispaces.com/ . The class that created this wiki is Millis High School in Boston, Massachusetts. It was created by the students in the High School for their Web 2.0 class. I find interesting that this school has a class about Web 2.0, something I have heard of but did not really understand until this Master’s class. The purpose of this wiki is to give the reader a better understanding about Web 2.0 and to explain 21st century learning. It also has great information on being careful while on the Internet. This wiki was created by students to be used by students but it has a lot great information that would be useful for teachers and parents as well. Not knowing the class, I would say the teacher showed the students how to create a wiki, but this wiki was completely done and maintained by the students by the looks of it. It is organized very well as it is quite easy to get around and get back. I never felt like I was lost. This wiki had a lot of great information on Internet usage and all the great tools available on the Web. They added a ton of links to sources, videos from TeacherTube and YouTube, podcasts, blogs and wikis. I was very impressed on the “Being Careful” section as it gave great information what a person should be aware of while on the Internet. I also found the one video on Cyberbullying very moving. I would definitely say that these students learned from their wiki experience and you can see the benefit as opposed to non-technological format through all the hard work these students put in. I have made this site a Favorite and definitely plan on using it for my classes.

I looked at Mrs. DiTullio’s wikispace at [|www.LMMath.wikispaces.com]. The high school is located in California. This website is for her algebra 1 and 2 and geometry classes. The main purpose of the wiki is to provide additional resources for the students. It appears the teacher does most of the posting. She has formulas and definitions as well as QuickTime videos of some examples. There are a few portions that appear to be set up for students to post, although there is nothing under most of them. The wiki is initially organized by period, and then broken down by topic or chapter. Most of the content on the site is text written by the teacher. There is the occasional video or link to a document. I like the fact that this site (and some others I saw) has spots for students to post projects or other things they did in class. I wonder though, the site is protected, so the teacher had to give the password to all her students? I think the students found the wiki helpful. They could double check or add to their notes as well as see QuickTime examples in case everything didn’t sink in the first time, or they missed class. I don’t believe the wiki itself is a lesson, but a great supplement. The wiki is unlike her normal school website as students could post their projects to it for all to see.
 * Mrs. DiTullio's Wiki Pages (IP 7/2/08) **

=
[|http://business-at-riverchase.wetpaint.com/?t=anon�987��988��989��990��991��992� ===== This wiki was created at Riverchase Middle School in Columbiana, AL, for middle school business students. The class content is exploratory and focuses on computer essentials and basic business skills. It also includes review of classroom and computer policies. The program is project-based and introduces online portfolios. It is also used for communication and includes study guides and announcements.

The teacher’s role is as a guide, resource, and discussion leader. The teacher introduces material, but much of the instruction is from posted study guides or use of tutorials. A syllabus and assignment list is provided for students to follow to complete the course. After basic introductions the teacher is available to answer questions and help students work through materials.

The students use this wiki to guide them through their project and learn basic technology skills as well as business skills. This includes ethics and responsibility. They use the wiki to post information created and participate in online discussions. The wiki itself is mainly created by the instructor, but materials are added by students as they complete assignments and discussions.

The wiki is very organized. Information is clearly stated and includes objectives, grading rubrics, and point values for assignments. Students should be able to follow and complete the project with ease. Headings and links are used appropriately to set apart areas of content. Links are used to view the syllabus, assignments, faqs, announcements, study guides, and outside sources. There are also links for student submissions and discussions.

One feature that stood out to me was a link for Student Spotlight. This is an opportunity for the teacher to address outstanding work that students are creating or the level of participation in class. It offers a chance for other students to also comment on what they feel makes the featured student outstanding. I believe this wiki is a great learning opportunity for students. I was particularly impressed by the outcome of a digital portfolio and some of the responsibility and ethical aspects included. It definitely includes skills that will carry to future learning and employment.

There seems to be definite benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format. The components of using study guides and tutorials impresses on students the need to use the technology itself to direct them to an outcome. Also, the online discussion provides an opportunity for all students to participate.

Wiki: desbuffalo Beverly Koopman (Classroom Blog) (NW 7/2/08  ) The teacher that created this wiki space is Beverly Koopman from Buffalo, Minnesota. Here is the web address. http://web.mac.com/bkoopman1/iWeb/Class%20Site/Class%20Welcome.html

This wiki space was created for a 5th grade class. There are numerous subject areas covered on this wiki space. Some of the subjects are Writing, Literature, and Math. The main purpose of this wiki is an informational tool for students and parents. Ms. Koopman also gives the students the opportunity to discuss book talks on the wiki space and ask each other questions about the books they are reading. I found many useful links and study guides that she had set up for her students.

Ms. Koopman has created this informational site and is the one who facilitates the information that is put out by her and the students. There are many categories for the students to choose from on the navigation menu: What is a wiki, why wiki, wiki tools, student wiki discussion, writing, literature, book talks, message boards, questions for discussion, content, art adventure, water facts, simple machines, civil war, math, let’s play, and our class blog. The teacher is the one creating the content and the students are adding comments, projects, pod casts, videos, and book talk discussions. There are also links to sites that the students can play educational games and watch videos that will help them understand the content that is being taught in class.

This wiki was very easy to navigate. There was a lot of information and links that would help both students and teachers. I think that the one link that the students would really benefit from would be the study guides as well as the calendar that lists the dates when assignments are due. Ms. Koopman even states that the students can not claim they forgot their spelling lists for the week, because they are posted right on the wiki page. I believe this wiki space was being used throughout the year and was a great asset to the students in her class. This site is a great way to get both parents and students involved in the learning that is taking place in that 5th grade classroom.

**Resources & Professional Development using Web 2.0 (LP 7/2/08)** I found this wiki to have a great deal of information. The purpose of the wiki is to provide information on a number of technology areas. The website is broken into tech areas, subject areas, grade levels and other resources. I think it would be a valuable resource tool when integrating technology. The wiki encourages all to participate, add, edit and build on the site. It includes many Web 2.0 items as well as a social networking tool. There is a great deal of information to be learned & gathered here to incorporate collaborative technology uses in the classroom.
 * 1) Name & address of wiki:
 * 2) Classroom 2.0
 * 3) [|http://www.classroom20wiki.com/
 * 4) Where is class located:
 * 5) The author is located in California but “members” are located across the United States and offer many insights, suggestions, ideas, etc. It is considered a collaborative website so you can help edit & build the website. It’s meant to integrate technology in the classroom.
 * 6) What grade level:
 * 7) Primary through graduate. The level links are provided on the left of the screen, i.e. Elementary, Middle, and High School
 * 8) What subject area(s) are covered:
 * 9) Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies
 * 10) What is the purpose of the wiki:
 * 11) Provides an overview technology, **some** ideas for lesson plans, and then points you in the direction of more detailed resources.
 * 12) What role does the teacher fulfill:
 * 13) intended for teachers and educators to help each other integrate and use technology in the classroom in practical ways
 * 14) What role(s) do the students play: N/A
 * 15) Who created the majority of the content:
 * 16) Steve Hargadon – from California
 * 17) Framework/organization of wiki:
 * 18) The organization of the wiki is well done. It is very easy to maneuver throughout the website with many links.
 * 19) Describe the content (links):
 * 20) The links are categorized in many technology areas. Each link offers an overview with a table of contents and further broken down into lesson plans, articles, and additional resources.
 * 21) Feature that stood out:
 * 22) One feature that I was interested in is teaching with Cell Phones. This link had tons of information on ways to integrate cell phones in the classroom along with blogs & podcasts resources.
 * 23) Does it seem like students learned:
 * 24) I learned a great deal!
 * 25) Was there a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki:
 * 26) The wiki provided many locations to dive in deeper for many of the topics. It was well organized & easy to get around finding & gathering information.

Ms. Webster’s Class Wiki (KM 7/2/2008) The wiki I chose can be found at http://mswebster.wikispaces.com/ . This wiki was created by a group of 2nd and 3rd graders in the southern part of California. They are using technology to share with the world some of the educational information they have covered in a number of subject areas. The subject areas that are covered on this wiki include math, reading, English, writing, physical education, science social studies, art, music and technology. The purpose of this wiki is to use technology to help students to reinforce concepts they have covered or are currently covering. Students and parents also have the opportunity to access this information at any time. For example, under the writing section, students and parents can view stories which are composed by the students. In the English section there is a word of the day. Students can view the word, its meaning(s), and how it would be properly used in a sentence. In addition they can click on a microphone and listen to the word being correctly pronounced. The teachers role in this wiki would be to help manage the contents. There are certain areas like the physical education area where the teacher would update the charts and information. In other areas such as the writing section, what I observed it would be the students role to go in and actually update their writing and complete the assignment. Overall I would say the teacher does the majority of updating and posting of content on this wiki, but the students provide input and information on what is being posted. I think this is partly due to the age group of students utilizing this wiki. This wiki is very well laid out and easy to navigate. Each of the subjects that are covered have there own area. Some of the subject areas are still a work in progress, but I liked how it was setup. The content of this wiki is mainly made up of the various subject areas and information relating to each of the areas. Some of the additional links include a Teacher Tube video and wiki site from Ms. Webster’s previous school. I think what stood out the most to me was how well laid out and easy to navigate this wikispace was. I think considering the age level and grade that is very important. Everything in each of the subject areas was in alphabetical order. I believe these students really benefited from their wiki experience. Not only were students learning in one content area, but often times in multiple areas. Integrating technology at this age would be a wonderful way to get students excited and keep them interested in learning.

=Dr. Reich‘s-Classroom WIKI (LR 7/2/08)=

Dr. Reich created a wiki for his Chemistry class at __http://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/__ The **School is Natick High School in Natick, MA.** High school Chemistry is the grade level and subject. Dr. Reich states on his wiki homepage that he has created this wiki “to orchestrate and facilitate collaborative learning in a high school chemistry class”. His role in this wiki is to share as much as possible via the wiki. He has his resume, the course syllabus, assignments, lab videos, a welcome video and welcome paragraphs for everyone to access. The role of the student is to access the site for ALL information needed. They also upload projects and assignments and blog. Whether the student is current, past or future, they can EASILY see what the outline is for each term. Viewable is student created power point presentations and other assignments, blogs and the honors student’s art. Not viewable is the student lists. Dr. Reich created the bulk of this wiki, but has asked for student music and art for various projects on his teacher side. The Framework is organized like a typical class. Introductions with reference to syllabus, rules etc, then divided into class assignments, labs and projects. The content is mainly created by Dr. Reich. Original content created by students is also included. The one feature that stands out to me is his teacher tube introduction on the home page. It does seem as though students are learning from this wiki experience. I am not a chemistry person--so if he were my HS teacher with this technology back when I was enrolled--I am sure I would have had a much better understanding of where the class was “going” and where it had been. The benefit of this format is that if I were the student, I could have all the videos of the labs he has created, see what is upcoming or what I missed) and be able to discuss questions I have even though I may not be a confident chemistry student-- this wiki would have helped me stay above average!

**First Colonial High School Government (EH 7/02/08)**

First Colonial High School Government Wikispace, http://fchsgovernment.wikispaces.com/ , located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been created for high school American Government. The purpose of this Wikispace is for students to be able to work on group projects, upload and store documents, access current event articles, upload projects, and discuss topics concerning American Government.

The teacher seems to be the facilitator of this Wikispace as it currently exists. For example, the teacher has uploaded several different current events links, has created a poll for students to take, has upload a word document for students to read on Evaluating Blogs, and has listed several different links for the 2008 Presidential Election blogs and podcasts. The role that the students play on the Wiki is multifaceted. The Wiki is meant to be interactive. Students can take polls, visit current events sites, listen to podcasts, read and reply to blogs. In the description for the Wiki, the teacher states that students can upload projects and documents to the class Wiki, however I do not see this occurring yet. I have a feeling that this Wikispace was created for the upcoming school year, and has not had a chance yet to be utilized. As a result, currently the teacher has created all of the content on the Wikispace.

All information for this class Wiki is about American Government. On the left side of the page there are three tabs: Home, Current Events, and Election 2008. Under the Home page, the title of the Wikispace is listed, along with a description of the intent of the Wikispace. Also on the Home page is a video of student Mock Elections that students can view. On the Current Events page, there are two main items: CNN.com and FOXNews.com, with multiple current events article links listed below each. On the Election 2008 page the first two items at the top of the page are the two polls: Who would you vote for in the 2008 Presidential Election, and Who will win the 2008 Presidential Election. The next section on the Election 2008 page includes a word document on evaluation blogs, followed by several links for 2008 Presidential Election Blogs. Finally at the bottom of the 2008 Election page there is a Podcast feed section where there are many different links for podcasts concerning the 2008 Presidential Election.

One feature that stood out to me was the section about blogging and the section about podcasts. I think that these sections could go a lot further with student submissions. It would be beneficial to keep the examples of the blogs and the podcasts, but to do an extension activity with each. Have students reply to some of the blogs that they read in the provided links. Have students create their own blogs and post on the Wikispace. Have students comment on some of the podcasts that they are able to view through the links on the Wikispace. Have students then create their own podcasts based off of what they have seen and what they are learning in the classroom. Post these podcasts on the class Wikispace for all students to view. Even without the direct student interaction on the Wiki itself, I still believe that students are learning by viewing the links that are presented on the Wiki. Hopefully there are follow up activities that just are not posted on the Wiki, like the ones I outlined above, in order to really engage the students in the technology and increase student learning. There is a lot of potential that exists within this Wikispace. Actually, I am quite glad that I came across this Wikispace, because now I have some really great ideas on how I would like to incorporate Wikispaces into my own American Government classroom.

The benefit to learning this lesson on a Wiki versus paper and pencil learning is that the students are provided with the instant access of the current event, blog, or podcast through clicking on the link. It also has the potential to be quite a powerful lesson in allowing students to be able to post their own work and view other classmates work and respond in a way that can not occur in a paper and pencil classroom. Students really can become fully engaged and immersed in the subject matter in an interesting and interact way.

Fletcherwiki is the name of the wiki that caught my attention as I browsed the “Wikis in Education” pages. The web address is http://fletcherwiki.wikispaces.com/. As you may guess from the title of the wiki the teacher’s name is Fletcher, Shaun Fletcher to be exact. The school is: Eleanor W. Graham Middle School in Richibucto, New Brunswick. It is a Middle School Math and Science resource. The description for this wiki lists the following: A place for students to access homework, science/math related interactive websites in class, communication with parents on ongoing or past projects, (more to come). The wiki contains a great mix of student created projects and links to outside resources. The roles of the teacher and students on this wiki seem very much like the now cliché ideal. The teacher is the guide on the side and the students use the wiki as a portal to explore the world and share their projects with others. As it says on the home page of the wiki “on this wiki you'll find photos, embedded videos, math /science lessons and links, student/class projects and activities. There are also RSS feeds to recent science news.” A student would have little trouble navigating through the extensive amounts of information and links because the content is well organized by type, specific classes, and time period. My favorite bit of content is found on the home page it is an earth clock, which comes from poodwaddle.com. The clock offers running counts for everything from the earth’s population to the barrels of oil pumped. Watching the numbers click by makes me think of the planet as a much more finite resource. I guess that is the point. It would be hard for me to imagine a middle school student who wouldn’t learn from and enjoy this wiki. It offers content for a digital learner on a digital platform. It is rich in quality links and would in my mind motivate students by showing off student projects. There is nothing like the chance to see themselves on the net to get some students fired up. Sometimes seeing their peers from previous years or other classes leads kids to think they can do a project too, and often to dig a little deeper to make theirs better. To me this is a great example of the kind of technology use that will engage today’s digital learner. Much of it would not even be possible without this technology format.
 * Fletcherwiki (AB 7/3/08)**

** Digital Literacy (KM 7/3/08) **
Digital Literacy at Millis High; http://milliswiki.wikispaces.com. The high school is located at Millis, Massachusetts, southwest of Boston. I am not sure what grade level this class was for, but Millis High School is Grades 9-12. It appears that this was a standalone class on Web 2.0, although I did not find this class in their course handbook at the school website.

The purpose of the wiki is to teach students and teachers about Web 2.0 and how to apply the technologies for learning. Before applications are discussed, there is an extensive section on how to use the Web responsibly and ethically. Each application is defined and, in some cases, multimedia resources used to explain the what and how principles underlying the technology.

I don’t see that the teacher has a specific role—my guess is that the teacher provides topics for students to develop content for the wiki and possibly provides guidance and support for the students as they develop the content for the wiki. The wiki was written by students for students so the students who created the wiki serve in the role as creators/teachers, but the students who visit the wiki, serve as the learners. Students created the majority of the content of the wiki. There are some links to other resources, but students found the resources and included links to them.

The wiki is organized into two sections with each section having several pages. The first section has to do with responsible and ethical use of the Internet, including Internet Safety, cyber bullying, and file sharing. The second section has information about Education (Web 2.0) tools, such as blogging, gaming, podcasting, rss, social bookmarks, social networks, wikis, etc.

I found the content to be quite useful. They did a great job with terminology and providing explanations and examples of each type of Web 2.0 tool discussed, as well as links to various sources and applications.

One feature that stood out to me was the links they provided such as links to the schools Internet Safety and Internet Security pages on the school’s website and the school’s Acceptable Use Policy. They referenced on-line shopping with links to E-Bay and Craigslist. Links to Google Docs, Google Maps, and Open Office were provided on the Other Technologies page. Links to Garage Band, Audacity, Movie Maker and I-Movie were provided on the Podcasting page and links to several social bookmarking sites such as del.icio.us were provided on the social bookmarks page. As a visitor to this wiki, looking for information or wanting to learn about Web 2.0 and responsible use, I found the links very helpful.

I definitely think the students learned from this wiki experience. They learned about Web 2.0 tools and shared their knowledge with others. Teaching others what you know is when you really know you have learned something.

The benefit of learning this information through a wiki was that they were actually using the technology they were learning about, just as we are in this program.

Go West! (MB 7-5-08) I reviewed many in-depth and useful wikis developed for high school and middle school students. However, since I teach elementary school I was interested in exploring a wiki made for younger learners. I found the wiki Go West! at http://gowest.wikispaces.com/. I really liked this site because it was completely student made. Go West! was created by a third grade class from Woodward Academy during a unit of study on Westward Expansion along the Oregon Trail.

There were two teachers who initially set up the research for the students, previewing websites they were researching information from and educating the students about credible sources and citing sources. Other than that, the teachers gave all the responsibility of creating the wiki to the students. The two teachers wrote a reflection at the end of the unit and creation of the wiki and couldn’t say enough about how much they all enjoyed the experience. Some of the content was created by individual students and some was developed in partners. Each student, or pair, took a topic to research and create a page on their wiki with both text and graphics.

Go West’s homepage is a ‘web’ graphic organizer breaking down topics that are further explored on other pages. The left navigation toolbar is very user friendly with links to specific topics about Westward Expansion (i.e. “Hardships and Diseases” and “Daily Chores”). On each page the image sources were linked. There is also a link to all information resources used in navigation toolbar.

A feature that stood out to me on this wiki was the various types of graphics used. The students really did a nice job choosing a variety of images on their pages, such as graphic organizers, digital pictures, their own artwork and timelines with important images. The diversity broke up the text and made each page unique and interesting to explore. Plus, it was all done by third graders! I can definitely tell the students learned a lot from their wiki experience. The teacher reflection stated “Without question, their research skills grew tremendously, both in the library and in the lab. Peripheral devices such as scanners and digital cameras were used, as well as additional software. For example, Inspiration was used as a graphic organizer, while Timeliner was used to chronologically record events pertaining to the westward expansion." In exploring the class wiki and reading the teacher reflection, I definitely believe there was a benefit to learning this lesson using a wiki. Not only did the third graders learn about historical events and curriculum, a whole technology learning component was added. Students practiced their research skills, learned new software and experimented with many devices. I am so impressed with these student and teachers how they integrated technology into a history unit.

Elementary Math Websites (JS 7/06/08) Name: Elementary Math Websites Web Address: http://elementarymathsites.pbwiki.com/ This wiki concentrates on Math, and has some reading resources as well. It gives several websites that can be used to help teach elementary math. It also addresses Everyday Math. Although this website is not created for students, I thought it was very useful for teachers. Having a resource where you can post websites that will help us teach and have the opportunity to become part of the online collaboration that maintains this wiki is always a great way to help our students learn. The wiki is very organized. It is user friendly and you can find exactly what you are looking for quickly. One of things that stood out to me was the variety of math sites. I knew about some of them but a few I have never heard of before. Also what I really like was that you could become a member of this wiki and read the blogs and post your own, really becoming a part of an online collaboration. I Again I realize students did not actually use this website, but students will definitely benefit from this website. I think it would be a great resource to also send home to parents so they can also benefit from these websites. I really like having all of these resources in one spot!

This wiki was created with example problems from different units in a pre calculus (junior/senior high school) math class. The address is [|http://pc40s.pbwiki.com]. The purpose of the wiki is for students to help each other learn by writing a collaborative solutions manual. The teacher, Mr. Kuropatwa, posted 3-4 problems for each of the units that are taught in his Pre calc class. They were organized onto different subpages from the main page, one page per topic/unit. The students did the rest. They are required to make at least two edits/contributions to the wiki. He describes these modifications as one must be a significant contribution and the other must be a constructive modification. “A Significant Contribution means you completely solve a problem including a detailed annotation of the steps involved.” He provides a student example. “A Constructive Modification means you edit someone else’s work, not your own. You might correct a significant error or several small errors. Maybe you want to reorganize a page or the navigation from this home page. Maybe you want to edit someone else's entry, not for content, but for the way it's written such as by adding some meaningful color or graphics. The main idea here is to move this project forward in some constructive way.” The teacher grades these edit/contributions, although he does not describe how that is done on the wiki. I am not exactly sure how he knows who did what edits to the wiki. I liked this example mostly because it gave me an idea on how to implement a wiki into my personal math classes. The teacher put in the objectives to the units as well as the problems, which is nice for the students to have in writing somewhere to reference them. The comments the student wrote are what stood out the most to me. The problems involved some problem solving on the students part and so students would talk about doing them in more than one way. Struggling students would then have different steps to solving a problem written out for them. I think the students would learn from this site in a different way then in the classroom because they didn’t just have to solve the problem, they had to explain in words how and why for each step. Then when other students were required to edit/correct the original problem they are learning as well. The teacher also encouraged them (and provided help) on how to make their wiki more style and color. So the students were learning about wiki sites as well as the math. So since they explained more how to solve, critique others work or look for errors and learn how to use a wiki, there was some added benefit to doing it on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format.
 * Pre-Cal 40S Wiki Solutions Manual (AN 7/6/08)**

= **Mrs. Palindrome’s Page Turners (AW 7/6/08)** = When I started reviewing the assignment criteria I tried to think of ways I could use a wiki in my classroom and I immediately thought of literature circles. I also remembered our building incentive of posting student work as a goal for our websites. I thought about creating a link on my website to our class wiki that would showcase some literature circle work. I love teaching literature circles and the students get a lot out of the experience but I have yet to find a good assessment. The students hate the worksheets that go with the roles!

The title of this page is __Holes__ and the address is http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/. The eighth graders that created the space are from Deira International School located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The subject they are covering is mainly Language Arts although they did tie in math when they did some graphing of the plot. The purpose of the wiki was to showcase student work that revolved around the book, __Holes.__ There isn’t any assignment criteria listed on the page (which I would have liked to have seen). So, I’m guessing the teacher would have had to introduce the topic and probably set down some grading criteria for the students to follow. The entire site was student created and it was outstanding! There are so many features that I know my students could create to showcase their creativity.

The organization involved a table of contents to navigate each section of the page, a summary, pages to showcase student drawings, a glossary, student-created graphs to show plot, vocabulary, character descriptions, a quiz, highlights of the story, and links to other sites that tied into the book. An interesting link was one in which visitors could identify their location in the world. Everything was created by the students.

I think I was most amazed by the fact that in reading through the site, I never realized this was created by students in another continent! So, I was most impressed at the fact that these students had done all this work, all of them being from different countries collaborating together. It definitely appeared as though the students learned a lot. They worked on the project for about six weeks so they had time to finish such a comprehensive undertaking. Although, I imagine it was fun to create so they probably didn’t mind all the hard work. I was especially impressed at the pride they showed in their wiki space. They were very concerned about typos which is something I normally don’t see in my fifth graders.

The largest benefit I see is the collaboration it took for these children to create this sight. I think learning to ‘cooperate to create’ is the most important thing we can teach our students to prepare them for the future workforce. I do know how well students love to use computers and so I know their enthusiasm for a literature circle assignment like this would be high. I also like the benefit of students being able to work on this at home as we just wouldn’t be guaranteed the time and computers for a project like this at my school.

Mr. Lindsay’s Room 15 Wiki (SM 7-6-08) Room 15 Wiki @ http://mrlindsay.pbwiki.com/

A 6th grade teacher, who teaches all the core subjects, set up this Wiki as a class website. However, the students take an active roll in the material on the Wiki. The Wiki is really user friendly. It has a basic introduction and then has the web pages are listed on the bottom. You are just a click away from their basic pages: Newsroom (//teacher made//) Links to articles on current events Class Journal (//teacher and student made//) Contains homework assignments updated by students, but has links that would help if the student is struggling. It also has a class calendar Creative Journal (//student made//) This displays student work. They have books being read by students, examples of student writing and student projects. Help Room (//Student and teacher made//) There is a tutorial of the teacher explaining how to add fractions and also powerpoints made by students on sales tax and graphs. Book Reviews (//student made//) Students summarize books and recommend them to others Websites for Kids (//teacher made//) Teacher Tips (//teacher made//) Tips for other teachers

It is shown that the students have a huge role in this class Wiki. It they want to edit a page they have to enter their e-mail and a password so it seems monitored by the teacher.

One feature that really stood out and was a benefit for the students is that the students are displaying their work for others to see. We starting a new literacy program and we are constantly being told how students need to write for a purpose. I think this is a great opportunity for students see a use for their work. I am sure the students loved reading over the Internet and displaying their work. This would be great way to share with family and friends.

**Tully High School Wiki (MC 07/06/2008)**
Students at Tully High School created a wiki that can be found at: http://tullyseniors.wikispaces.com/

The wiki was created by 12th grade students at Tully High School in Tully, NY. The wiki is a school newspaper of sorts. At least 80 students contributed pages to the wiki, ranging in topics from soccer injuries to the king of basketball to germs. It really does not seem as if the wiki is school related – other than the fact that it was created at school. The wiki pages are each unique based upon which student created them. One student created a page about Seinfeld. In that page they listed favorite quotes and even linked to a few YouTube videos. Many of the wiki pages had some sort of video content as well as external links and other information. Some of the information was created by the students (including videos created by students) while other information was linked from an outside source.

The vast majority of the work was done by the students. It appears as if the teacher may have given the students a few guidelines as many of the pages have similar elements (history of the topic, some sort of video link embedded, external links to other related sites, etc.). The teacher did post a page as well on a subject they found of interest.

The content is organized in two different ways. A navigation bar is present on the left side with the name of each of the pages. The topic can be clicked on and visited. Also, the home page has a list of which students are in which class period. The name of a student can be clicked to visit their particular page.

This site stood out in that it was obviously created by students. This can be seen by the topics of interested that they wrote about. As a result though, I would imagine that the students really enjoyed this assignment. Each of them was able to research something of interest to them and then share it via the World Wide Web. They also obviously learned quite a bit about technology as they were able to embed videos and create external links. Even though the students probably enjoyed this assignment, it will also benefit them in their future. As they get into college blogging and the use of wikis will continue to become more common. They will already have the skills they need because of this assignment.

=
=Kinesiology (MC 7-11-08) = The wiki that I explored was the one titled **__Kinesiology__**; http://kinesiology.wikispaces.com/. It was created at Crescenta Valley High School. It is a space for 11 and 12 grade students to discover the various aspects associated with Kinesiology. The topics covered in the wiki are: Fitness Training Programs, Nutrition, Drugs and various stories/problems associated with different types of injuries. There is also a “How to Use Wikispaces” area that would be very helpful to students wanting to submit information to the wiki. The purpose of the wiki is to be a source of information that is related to sports medicine, prevention and fitness training. I also believe it is a way for the teacher to increase the use of technology into his/her class. It appears that the teacher has set up the wiki as a project space where the students choose an area of fitness and report on it. It also appears that the students may have been assigned a question on Nutrition to debate. I tried to send the teacher an e-mail to see what that page was all about. The majority of the content appears to be created by the students. The framework that the wiki uses is quite simple. Within the explanation of the home page there is their main link of the Fitness Training Programs. The schools logo is on the top left of the page and the other topics of interest are on the left in soft yellow and blue print. I found the wiki very easy to navigate as there were not a ton of “links” highlighted to distract me, which is what stood out best for me, simple and clean look. (I guess I am more ADHD than I originally thought.) I am sure the students learned from using this wiki however it could have been done the “old fashioned” way as well. I believe the benefit to having it on a wiki is that they can all look up each others topics and gain the information from them as well and not just have the teacher look at their “papers.”
 * The Impact of Climate Change (JB 7/7/08)** http://primaryextension.wikispaces.com/ This wiki was created by Rebecca McFadyen, a high school science teacher at Derby High School in Derby Western Australia for a student research project about global climate change (global warming.) Within this wiki, the teacher has created a platform for students to research the topic by providing: a. Specific directions on what each group of students is expected to research and how it should be presented. b. Links to several websites on climate change including powerpoints and videos. c. Suggestions on how to read and discuss a debated topic from multiple points of view (the author uses the term "wearing different hats.") d. Criteria on how the project will be graded. e. Links for each student group to add content to their own project webpage. f. A discussion link in which the teacher has instructed each student to post a summary of what they have learned from the project. In this project, the teacher has taken on the role of facilitator. She has provided the structure, direction, and made all of the necessary materials available to the student. It is then the role of the student to provide all of the content by researching the information and adding it to their own project webpage. Each finished webpage has an introductory paragraph plus images, videos, and powerpoints that they have downloaded from the internet and the student's explanation of what they have learned from each site. Here is one of the better examples: http://primaryextension.wikispaces.com/RaeganEmilyRachael I like that the teacher does not overload the students with information on the first page. She provides the directions on the home page and then has a tab on the side for all of the links. People generally do not look past the first screen of content. For some reason it is easier to click on a link than scroll down. What really stood out to me was how well the teacher has tied in so many important concepts all within the scope of this one project. I could take the Wisconsin State Standards and probaby check off a dozen of them. It would be easy to present all of this content to the student in a couple of days, but only at a lower order thinking level. This project does an excellent job of hitting on every level of Bloom's Taxonomy, including Synthesis and Evaluation. "Learners have to be given repeated, differentiated learning opportunities, distributed over extended periods of time. What this means is that children need lots of practice and exposure to the materials in different ways, and from different contexts, and perspectives. Learning just doesn't stick the first time, so you have to provide repeated and differentiated experiences allowing time & context for the ideas to be internalized." (Jukes and McCain pp. 63) Based on the student entries like the one provided, and all of the responses in the discussion page of this wiki, these students clearly got a lot out of this project. Using a wiki for this type of project has the benefit of allowing students to view each other's projects and learning from one another. It also helps them to see how two people can view similar information and draw different conclusions from it; a particularly fitting lesson when dealing with global warming. While this project could have been done without the aid of a wiki site, it would not have been nearly as effective for several reasons: 1) The volume of online information on global warming is astounding, but most of it is either highly technical, politically motivated or simply erroneous. By providing links, the teacher was able to limit students to websites that provided suitable material. 2) Students can more easily view and learn from each other's projects. 3) The hands-on, multi-media, multi-tasking format better suits "digital natives" whose brains are wired for this type of presentation opposed to standing in front of class and giving a presentation while the rest of the class pretends to pay attention. ** Bauer Elementary 3rd Grade Wiki (AK 7/8/08) ** Two third grade teachers, Mrs. Myrmel and Mrs. Rich, along with the help of their third grade students have created Baur Elementary 3rd Grade Wiki @ http://blogs.oaisd.org/wiki/doku.php?id=home. The framework of this wiki is different then others I have seen. The Wiki homepage has links to Mrs. Myrmel’s Class Wiki and Mrs. Rich’s Class Wiki. Each class’ wiki homepage then has a variety of links, including the link “Student Pages.” Here students each have their own wiki link. Under each student’s wiki, there is a photo of the student with a brief bio about him/her. Also, there are links to this student’s poetry writing, story writing, writer’s workshop, science, and an area for friends to leave messages. So, the subject area mostly covered on each student’s wiki is writing. Other links on the homepages of the classroom wikis include a podcast of students presenting their poems and jokes they wrote. For the most part, the wikis serve to present students with a larger audience for their writing. The majority of the content on the wikis are all original student work. The students enter all the content, not the teacher. Each student wiki link is created by that student. The feature that made this wiki stand out is the ability of students to give feedback to other students. As I mentioned, one link on each of the student’s wiki is an area for his/her writing of stories. As these third graders post their stories, middle school student from another school give feedback on their story, pointing out what they did well as a writer and how they could improve the piece…such as correct conventions. This feature takes writer’s workshop to a new level! How convenient technology has made it to peer edit and revise. The main role of the two teachers with the wikis is to ensure that inappropriate things do not make it to the student pages. Mrs. Myrmel and Mrs. Rich monitor who has access to edit and add to student pages by requiring a user’s name and password. If parents would like to be added as a registered user with access privileges, they can email the teacher and she will send a user’s name and password. This is a great way to get parents involved in their student’s education without having to be physically at school. Not only do the student pages provide students with their own personal space on the Internet, the class wikis have introduced students to other forms of technology, too. Having the students present their writing through a presentation that is available as a podcast on the class wiki is great! How many more students were engaged in the writing process because the end result was creating podcasts and posting writing online for others to view and comment on? **Crescenta Valley’s Kinesiology at Wikispaces Page (MJ 07-08-08)** ** Kinesiology at Wikispaces **http://kinesiology.wikispaces.com/ While looking through many educational websites, I found one that one with information that made sense to me – Kinesiology at Wikispaces. This site jumped out at me because in the description it said there would be information that included fitness training programs. As a soccer coach, I was elated. I quickly clicked a few buttons until I came across the soccer fitness program and had a look. Not only does this website gives the students an opportunity to share their ideas in (sports) they feel comfortable, it gave me an opportunity to compare their training ideas to my own. I call that a win-win! Kinesiology at Wikispaces was created by an 11th and 12th grad class located in Crescenta Valley High School, CA. The purpose of this wikispace is host projects put together by the students, which include fitness training programs, debate questions about nutrition and drugs, and their own stories about sports related injuries. The wikispace is maintained and created by the students involved in the class and I am unclear about how much interaction the teacher has with the website, although I was able to find a basic profile of the teacher. I feel that there is little concrete information presented on the website, however it does offer the students a place to post projects and have easy access to other classmates work. I believe this accessibility of compiled information is the main benefit of the website. There is very little information written on the front page of the wikispace, but on the left there are different categories, some of which have sub categories and pictures (fitness training programs). The site currently does not have links to other website, mainly is available for the students to post their work in the class. ** KimistryClass (JL 7/8/08) ** KimistryClass found at http://kimistrymeriwether.wikispaces.com/ was created by Kim Pearson, high school chemistry teacher at Greenville High School in Greenville, Georgia. As Pearson states in her description, the site was originally started as a resource for students in her chemistry classes. As you navigate through the different chemistry units, each unit has the Georgia state standards listed, notes for that unit, technology assignments, tutorials, guided practices, practice tests, and more. In addition to the vast student resources, Pearson’s site has also evolved into a resource for other science teachers. She has links to current science news, science sites (like games) and other teacher resources. Pearson’s role is definitely the facilitator of this wiki, and most of the content on the wiki was created/added by her. The students do play quite a role though, because all of the unit assignments, notes, vocabulary, practice tests, tutorials etc. are listed on the wiki. The organization of the wiki is neatly laid out. The tabs along the side clearly show the different parts of the wiki. Pearson is very inclusive in the material she provides for each of her chemistry units. Also, in the teacher resources, Pearson covers all sciences, not just chemistry. In browsing through the wiki, it looks as though Greenville High School has a state graduation test. One feature that really stood out to me is the TESTING link. Pearson not only links to sites that deal with SAT/ACT tests, but she breaks down the major science concepts needed to know for their graduation test. She has listed a number of powerpoint presentations, lessons, and tutorials that cover these concepts. I definitely think this is a beneficial wiki to both students and science teachers. The lessons, tutorials, and on-line labs allow a student to work through the material at their own rate. It also serves as another reference, because she provides notes and tutorials for each unit. As an educator, I think Pearson has some excellent links to outside resources that can apply to any science class, not just chemistry. **Primary Math (JW 07.09.08)** The wiki I found was through a search for primary wikis I did through Google. I found this wiki at http://primarymath.wetpaint.com/ and it was created by Ms. Kathy Cassidy and her First class in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Ms. Cassidy has been using the wiki Primary Math to team teach with classrooms from Deerfield, New Hampshire, Commerce City, Colorado (Ms. Schwichtenberg), and Brisbane, Australia and Whangarei, New Zealand. Ms. Cassidy and the aforementioned teachers are responsible for most of the text, but the site shows off many examples of student learning through classroom projects and daily work. The page is dedicated to learning math through the use of technology including many videos created by students and teacher as well as using the Teacher tube site. Ms. Cassidy and the core group also have very active blogs linked to the wiki. In these blogs you can find links to student work, journals, and daily quotes/responses (some even continue to post through the summer months!!!) These are the areas that really show off how well students work with the advancing technology and how they retain information outside of the classroom. As I went through the wiki, the part that I found most interesting or most useful was the many links to websites that support online learning. When I linked to Ms. Cassidy’s blog, she had many of the websites that I use, plus many more. I foresee this being something I could work with to eliminate weekly newsletters or the countless notes from the office. Wikis seem to take the place of many of the ‘old fashioned’ ways of keeping parents informed about what’s going on in our classrooms. Using the ‘tech savvy way’ to do this assignment was much quicker, I could ‘click out’ and search through many different wikis as I searched for the one that was most related to me. **Roosevelt Wiki (CM 7/9/08)** The name of this wiki is Roosevelt Elementary School’s Wiki. You can find it @ http://roosevelt.wikispaces.com/ Ms. Webster’s school is located in Southern California. She teaches second and third grade and this wiki covers all of the subjects that elementary school children learn about. The purpose of the wiki is to learn about technology and share what they are learning. According to **Windows on the Future**, children are “wired differently” because of their “interactions with digital technologies.” (Jukes and McCain, pg. 53) What a great way to learn and create with technology! Ms. Webster organizes the wiki, but it appears that most of the work is done by the students. For example she has a discussion page where she posts questions and children respond. In her writing page each child has link to his or her work. On the science page you will find children working in groups. These are two things that I really liked about her wiki and would like to incorporate into my own. The organization of this wiki is similar to most of the other elementary school wikis I looked at. There is an opening page with the subjects listed at the side in the navigation pane as well as tags. I did not find links to websites for the children to use. One thing I noticed on some of the elementary wikis was the The Language of the Discipline which is an alphabetized list of vocabulary words that gets filled in as they learn new words. This must be an initiative going on that we were not told about yet. As I mentioned before I like the fact that that the teacher organizes the wiki and the students add the content. From the content and number of posts it appears that her students enjoy their work and are learning. I get the feeling that this is a work in progress and Ms. Webster is also learning how to make the wiki. What can be a better way to learn about technology than actually using it? Lastly, another thing I liked about it is this is how my first year using a wiki will look. **The Discovery Utopia Project (MC 7.10.08)** http://discoveryutopias.wikispaces.com/ Douglas County School District—Castle Rock, CO Grades 7-8 English / History This wiki’s purpose is to use literature and history to create a fictitious utopian society. The teacher created a template with a number of thought-provoking questions. Then, the students use the answers to these questions to write a report that outlines the many facets of their utopia. **Advantages:** A high degree of student-created material can be found at this wiki. The teacher simply posted the assignment instructions (in detail) and resources (historical links). Probably the most impressive feature is that the students are behind the wheel. Before working on the assignment, the students engaged in a discussion as to how the project was to be graded. Then, the teacher summarized the student discussion and each student was responsible for setting goals by which they would be evaluated. At the completion of the project, the teacher held conferences with the students for evaluative purposes. There is a great deal of fictional writing to complete this assignment, but it is based on literature and historical events. In addition to the amount of writing, it opens up a great deal of discussion about government, relationships, responsibility, etc. Each utopia is published on the site and students are responsible for submitting reviews of their peers’ work. So, students also learn how to appropriately write a critique. One contribution from the teacher is a page that has a number of links to sites that allow students to personalize their project. A few to mention include one where a student can find fun fonts and others that allow students to create street signs, flags, and emblems. Yet, in the nature of the wiki, students also found other resources to individualize the utopias and added links to this wiki page. The quality of written work and the quality of discussions are remarkable. These middle school students tackled some very difficult philosophical concepts and handled them appropriately. **Disadvantages:** While this idea could be implemented into a high school class, it would be interesting to see the results. One of the glaring disadvantages is it seems that it could be difficult to monitor the discussions / page additions / links / etc. when 120 + students are responsible for utilizing the wiki and can manipulate its contents. However, this could be my inexperience using wikis in the classroom; perhaps there is a way to make some of the contents private so only the teacher could change content on a page (so a student couldn’t intentionally delete something). The other disadvantage is that the amount of time to work on this project is not revealed on the wiki, nor does it mention exactly how the literature is used. **Overall:** This wiki is workable for middle school and high school students. It offers cross-curricular elements, creative writing, discussion, evaluation, and is student led. On a side note, I am considering a literature circle for this upcoming year (where students choose from a few different books that revolve around the same theme) and coincidentally the theme is utopian societies. I may consider a variation of this assignment; therefore, while the class will be split into groups, there will still be the notion of wholeness. ======

** Mrs. Jennifer Barnett’s classroom wikispace ** (JK 7/11/08) http://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com Mrs. Barnett’s classroom is located at Fayetteville High School in Sylacauga, AL. The wikispace is for her high school English and history students. The purpose of the wiki is to discuss issues, provides project outlines, deadlines, handouts for students, resources for students, student collaboration and games. The role of the teacher is to keep the wikispace up to date and provide the information or where students can find the information for her classes. The teacher is the one who created the content but students are allowed to go on and discuss issues with her or the other students. The wiki is set up by class and is organized by projects, calendars, handouts and other links. The content on this wiki for English is examples, notes, outlines, projects, calendars, handouts and games. The same for her history part of the wiki. The one feature that I really liked out this wikispace is how organized and user friendly it is. I believe the students learn from the wikispace and she provides the students what they need to be successful in her class and still be accountable for their learning. The benefit of it is all the resources made available to her students and parents and other schools.

** A Math Wiki (AB 7/11/08) Sorry for not typing a paragraph, I think the bullet form is easier to retrieve information about the wiki. **

>> >> **GRAEME HENCHEL'S MATH WIKI (JB 7/11/08)**
 * 1) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What is the **name** and **web address** for the wiki? <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Ms. Schmitz’ Geometry Honors/ ** <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**http://ms-schmitz-geometry-honors.wikispaces.com/**
 * 2) <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Where ** <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">is the class located that created the wiki? <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Nerinx Hall High School, St. Louis, Missouri **
 * 3) <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">What **grade level** is the class? ** High School **
 * 4) <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">What **subject** area(s) are covered? ** Geometry **
 * 5) <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What is the **purpose** of the wiki? ** “ ** <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="color: #943634; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">This is a website where parents and students can access information about the Geometry Honors class such as homework or class notes and will also contribute their own notes and student work throughout the school year.” ** <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">**http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis**
 * 6) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What **role** does the **teacher** fulfill on the wiki? <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The teacher will continue to update the wiki with homework problems and answers, class notes, provide links to other practice activities, and have discussion with students and parents. **
 * 7) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What **role(s)** do the **students** play on the wiki? <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The students can use the site to access information about their class such as their homework. They will also be able to add their own thoughts and notes about homework and classroom discussions. **
 * 8) <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Who created ** <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">the majority of the **content** on the wiki (students or teacher)? ** The teacher. **
 * 9) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Describe the **framework/organization** of the information on the wiki <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">. **The wiki starts with a very basic homepage. It lists the teachers schedule and contact information, and has a link for the syllabus. All other information for the class can be accessed through the links in the left had margin; they are listed in alphabetical order. This allows students and parents to find what they are looking for without having to scroll through unnecessary material.**
 * 10) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Describe the **content** (links to other websites, original content created by students, other). <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Most of the pages are for the student to use to find classroom information; such as, homework answers, classroom calendar, notes, and projects. One page is dedicated to student work; it has pictures of projects students have done, and the students can edit/add more information at anytime. There is also a page that looks like it is going to be dedicated for ACT prep work. Right now the page just has links to the geometric formulas that will be used on the ACT. **
 * 11) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">What is one **feature** of the wiki that stood out to you? <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The page that I found particular useful for me was a page that has downloadable files for a Geometer’s Sketchpad. I think that I could access some of these files and use them in my own classroom. **
 * 12) <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 10pt;">Does it seem like the students **learned** from their wiki experience? ** Based on the pictures, movies, and PowerPoints presented by students, it appears that the students learned about geometry. However, I am not sure if it was due to their wiki experience. **
 * 13) <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Was there a **benefit** to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format? <span style="color: #140000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">I am not sure that the wiki replaced the traditional classroom lesson. It appears that this wiki was used to provide students with more information outside of class, as well as, a place for students to post their work. **

a. Create a heading for your entry and include your first and last initials and the date in parentheses: Graeme Henchel’s Math Wiki (JB 7/11/08) b. What is the name and web address for the wiki: Name: Hench-maths Web address: http://hench-maths.wikispaces.com/ c. Where is the class located that created the wiki: Lilydale Heights College, Australia d. What grade level is the class: I had a hard time figuring that out, but it appears that it is for middle school aged students e. What subject area(s) are covered: Math f. What is the purpose of the wiki: The purpose of this wiki is to provide resources for math teachers and students that are using Victorian Essential Learning Standards. I would use this as a resource for different technology activities, ranging from excel, PowerPoint, and online. g. What role does the teacher fulfill on the wiki: The teacher is the creator of the site and manages all content. h. What role(s) do the students play on the wiki: After traveling throughout the wiki, it appears that the students have no role on this wiki. i. Who created the majority of the content on the wiki (students or teacher): The teacher created all of the content on the wiki. Again, there appears to be no student involvement on the wiki. j. Describe the framework/organization of the information on the wiki: This wiki site is very well organized. The navigation tool bar is designed to take educators through the different domains of mathematics (measurement, chance data, number, space, algebra and logic, problem solving) very easily. k. Describe the content (links to other websites, original content created by students, other): There is no content created by students. The teacher has posted a list of different standards and then included powerpoints, spreadsheets, and word documents as example activities for those standards. l. What is one feature of the wiki that stood out to you: One feature that stood out to me is a link to digital portfolios and a link to resources for coaching. While the digital portfolio resources are designed for standards in Australia, I think it might be worth the time to adapt the idea to the standards in Wisconsin. It would give students the opportunity to see their own growth. I also was intrigued by the resources for coaches as I am a softball coach. It gives some good ideas for pre-season goal setting and post-season reflection. m. Does it seem like the students learned from their wiki experience: I am unable to determine if the students learned from the wiki experience. Like I stated earlier, the purpose of this wiki was to post resources for teachers using VEL Standards in Australia. It appears that the resources are of good quality and that students who are in a classroom where these activities are used would definitely learn. n. Was there a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format: I do not think there was a direct benefit to students from this wiki. The wiki is a compilation of resources for teachers. However, the resources are activities that incorporate technology. I think there is a lot of benefit to the students if teachers implement the activities in the classroom, as the technology will help students make sense of the math concepts.

This wiki is called Welcome to the Newspaper Project Wiki Page, and it can be found at http://history8.wikispaces.com/The+Project. I could not find where jpthompson is from or who he is. I however believe he is an educator. The information looks as though it could be used in an 8th grade setting, as it fits with the curriculum I teach. I really like it because it not only covers social studies curriculum, but it also involves English and technology. I try very hard to have as many cross curricular activities in my room as I can. This also provides differentiation for students. The students are to write a newspaper which includes different articles about given topics during the Revolutionary War. This appears to be teacher created and run buy the teacher. However, it looks as if it was created, and may not have been used with a class yet. I think students could easily add articles to it as they write them or add the newspaper when it is completed and then ask fellow viewers for input. I also think students could add links in the given areas as well. The designer has laid out the wiki to be very user friendly, as the navigation bar areas link nicely to one another. The links provided for students to use for their research seem to be from solid sites. Students seem to learn about different aspects of the war and build a base for history. I think that students will learn at their own pace and depth. If they are interested in one area more than another, they can look at more than one link or site. I also think there is a lot to be said for self discovery of learning, as I believe this offers to students. I would hope the teacher would allow students to add links to the different areas in the navigation bar. Students need to know they are certainly capable of being good researchers as well.
 * The Newspaper (MP 7/11/08)**

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">**MAKE WIKIPEDIA CREDIBLE – USING A WIKI TO TEACH RESEARCH PROCESSES AND CREDIBLE SOURCES (CL 7/12/08)** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> I found this idea on http://www.teachinghacks.com/wiki/index.php?title=Wikis. The actual wiki that would be used is Wikipedia ([|www.wikipedia.com]), the most famous and widely used wiki currently out there. It is commonly known that Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia whose intent is to provide credible information about any given topic. There are almost 2.5 million articles about various topics on Wikipedia.

The lesson I chose to write about was more of a hypothetical idea for a lesson, rather than a specific teacher’s comments about a lesson he/she used. Therefore, location, class, and grade level information were not included. However, I would use it for my 10th grade English students as part of our research paper unit. One of the things I always stress throughout the unit is that Wikipedia cannot necessarily be used as a credible, scholarly source for an academic research paper because, being a public wiki, anyone can write anything they want to on it. <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 10pt;"> The assignment would call for students to select (or be given) a topic on Wikipedia. Students would verify the facts on the wiki using their own outside research skills and citing sources to edit or add information where appropriate. There are three main objectives of this assignment. Primarily, I am concerned about students’ ability to research and cite sources to verify the information on the wiki. I also think students would realize that I am actually telling them the truth that anyone can write anything they want on Wikipedia, thus proving that it might not always be credible. Finally, students get exposure to wikis and understand what they are and how to edit and/or add information to them. Basically I would be using the normal objectives from the research paper unit but using technology by having students interact in a wiki environment to meet those objectives.

For this assignment, the content of the wiki is already created by others, it would just be the job of the student to edit and/or add to the wiki. The teacher’s role in this assignment would simply to introduce students to the idea of wikis and make sure they understand the steps necessary in order to complete the assignment. Although I did not find any specific examples of a teacher explaining how this lesson worked, I definitely think there would be a benefit to teaching this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format. Sometimes research processes can get very boring and redundant, and this would definitely change things up a little. I feel confident that students would learn from their wiki experience, and it will be totally relevant because citing courses and finding credible information is something they will all need to use for their research paper. Furthermore, what stands out most to me as a positive aspect of this assignment is the fact that high school students are always looking up information on Wikipedia. I believe that they would feel totally connected to this assignment, and the lesson should provide them with the opportunity to feel some ownership of what is out there.

** Roosevelt Wiki (CM 7/9/08) **

The name of this wiki is **Roosevelt** **Elementary School****’s Wiki.** You can find it @ http://roosevelt.wikispaces.com/ Ms. Webster’s school is located in Southern California. She teaches second and third grade and this wiki covers all of the subjects that elementary school children learn about. The purpose of the wiki is to learn about technology and share what they are learning. According to **Windows on the Future**, children are “wired differently” because of their “interactions with digital technologies.” (Jukes and McCain, pg. 53) What a great way to learn and create with technology! Ms. Webster organizes the wiki, but it appears that most of the work is done by the students. For example she has a discussion page where she posts questions and children respond. In her writing page each child has link to his or her work. On the science page you will find children working in groups. These are two things that I really liked about her wiki and would like to incorporate into my own. The organization of this wiki is similar to most of the other elementary school wikis I looked at. There is an opening page with the subjects listed at the side in the navigation pane as well as tags. I did not find links to websites for the children to use. One thing I noticed on some of the elementary wikis was the The Language of the Discipline which is an alphabetized list of vocabulary words that gets filled in as they learn new words. This must be an initiative going on that we were not told about yet. As I mentioned before I like the fact that that the teacher organizes the wiki and the students add the content. From the content and number of posts it appears that her students enjoy their work and are learning. I get the feeling that this is a work in progress and Ms. Webster is also learning how to make the wiki. What can be a better way to learn about technology than actually using it? Lastly, another thing I liked about it is this is how my first year using a wiki will look.

This great wiki is called “Jeux d’Adventure” and is located at http://lizzy.iit.nrc.ca/CyberClub/public/wiki.cgi?Jeux_d_Aventure
 * COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING IN FRENCH! (JP 7/13/08)**

This wiki was created by a class of 4th grade students in Canada. The site was created in 5 1-hour sessions. The wiki allows students to practice their French skills as well as their story-telling skills and technology prowess.

The purpose for the wiki is to create a platform for the students to create interactive stories. The students, in groups of 2-3, each created an adventure story (in French) and on each page the reader gets to choose the action that the hero or character takes. After reading a paragraph and viewing a few pictures, the reader gets to choose one of three links at the bottom of the page. Each link lists a different action for the hero to take and each link takes them to a different page with three other choices for the hero to make. My understanding is that the teacher simply created the platform and facilitated the writing and creation of the stories, but that the students are responsible for all of the content on the wiki. I don’t think the final products can be edited. I think the collaborative wiki part was during the creation; the groups may have been in different classes or worked on the projects at different times. The part of this wiki that stood out to me was that it was almost completely created by the students and it is a direct example of using a wiki in a classroom. However, I think this is an example of how we are using technology to enhance something we already do, rather than using technology in a novel way or in a way to teach real world application. On the other hand, I think it taught the students skills in working with technology and using technology to communicate and collaborate with other people. I think learning the collaboration skills made it worth doing this lesson in a wiki rather than through a more traditional model. I think the students benefited from the technology use and group work.

** Darlington Schools’ “espacio de wiki” ** (MW 7/12/08) I chose a wiki (//espacio de wiki//) that was created by Srta. Rogers for her Spanish classes at Darlington Schools ( http://dhsespanol.wikispaces.com/ ). This wiki was created for her level 1, 2 and 3 high school classes. The purpose of the wiki is to provide students with relevant information that can be accessed outside of the classroom. On her home page, Srta. Rogers shares information about herself, about her classroom expectations and grading policy, a brief overview of each class that she teaches and information about her daily lesson plans which includes assignments. At the bottom of her home page, Srta. Rogers has included several links to pertinent information for students of Spanish. The home page is then followed by a class page for each of the 3 levels that she teaches. The next page is a help page which includes notes, slideshows, practice activities and podcasts to aid the struggling student. Finally there is a page that shares information and activities related to the Spanish Club. Srta. Rogers did include a link to her discussions page, the Darlington Schools home page and the Guidance Department. The information on this wiki is intended for students and parents of student who are enrolled in Srta. Rogers’ Spanish classes. I found only a few examples of student work in the //Discusión// Discussion tab and no student generated content. The information in this wiki was well presented which made it easy to follow and user-friendly. I believe that students who take the initiative to investigate this wiki would find the variety of online activities designed to practice and improve or refine their Spanish skills to be engaging and fun. I assert that there was a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format. The wiki design makes it very easy to follow the information as the links and information are only a click away. However, the plethora of readily available information did make it very easy for me to get “sucked in” and lose track of what the original intent of this task was.

=The 100th Day Project (JD 7/13/08)=

The 100th Day Project is a math wiki created by a Kindergarten class and their teacher from New Hampshire and other classrooms in the United States. It can be found at [|http://100thday.wetpaint.com/.] This wiki was created as a source of information and activities for the 100th day of school. The pages included are a counting book which was created by the students. It includes pictures showing items the students counted for each number up to 100. It also gives a description of the picture, facts about the number, or other tidbits about the information included. Another section of this wiki allows teachers to post pictures of their students’ collections of 100 items. The third section is titled Ways to Count to 100 and uses VoiceThread, which is a website that allows users to have conversations around pictures, videos, etc. There are no voice recordings on this page because it is a work in progress, but it allows you to add comments if you like. The final page is 100th Day Celebrations, which are postings from different schools showing how they celebrate the 100th day. There are pictures, videos, blogs, etc to view this information. For the 100th Day project, the teacher created the initial pages and facilitated taking the pictures and posting information for the counting book. Students took part in counting the objects, helped with picture taking, and contributed to the comments that accompany the pictures. Much of the information on the wiki was created by teachers, with help from their students. The homepage describes the 100th day project and explains how to become part of the project. Then, on the left side you can choose any of the 4 pages to view the site information. There is also a toolbar across the top, which allows you to access a discussion forum, photo gallery, the members, to do list, and a section showing what’s new. The content includes pictures of artwork from students, pictures of items students counted and links to two classroom blogs, YouTube videos, VoiceThread, and a school’s website who posted information. The organization of the wiki was really easy to follow. A feature I really liked is the use of VoiceThread. That site is new to me and I found it very interesting and full of ideas you can use in the classroom. They even have a secure section for K-12 schools to use for educational purposes. The students probably learned more of the technology aspect of this project, than the math. The math part shows counting, which they have done for the first 100 days of school. It shows another way for them to practice. The students could learn a lot about technology from this project if the teacher updated, posted, or edited information as a whole group project. Using the wiki as a 100th day activity allowed the students to try something new. The integration of technology can motivate the students more because of the interest in it and that the wiki is a new way of looking at math.

Design Technology 8 (KB 7/13/08) http://schools.wikia.com/wiki/Design_Technology_8 This is a wiki that is created by Dr. [|Madeline Brownstone], Ph.D, at the [|Baccalaureate School for Global Education--NYC]. The grade level of this class is high school level, although this may be high-level for most of the students that you deal with, it can be a great resource for yourself or to take bits and pieces from. The subject area that is wiki deal with is city infrastructure, which could be used in many subject areas such as local government, engineering/ architecture, and any unit about being an informed citizen. The purpose of this wiki works as a course syllabus, while also being able to incorporate class discussions about crucial questions that the instructor wants to class to become informed about. As the students become informed, their main goal is to work on the main assignment of building a future city, set up as a competition at [|http://www.futurecity.org/. The roles of the teacher and students are still very traditional, but the use of wiki allows the class, with the instructor, to more liberal with their thoughts and writings when they work on collaborative assignments. The instructor created the content on the wiki, although from what I can tell the wiki is re-used every semester. So I can only assume that the information that the class collaborates is then cleared before the next class starts. The organization of this site is very traditional. It has links to important resources and other sites that will help with the design project. One part that stood out to me was how the list of students in the class comes first. You can click on them and find out information about other students in the class and also contact them. That is more of a mentality of college level courses and not high school. If I were to create a login I would be able to check out more on this wiki, but what how the setup is professional and very similar to many college class websites, I can see how learning can be nurtured and exhibited in a fun an exciting way. The class starts online right away, which is very beneficial to the students because their main project is completed online, so the entire course can be offered as a distance learning class, which is my opinion is the future of high school education.

**The Flat Classroom Project (sb.07.13.08)**

The project that I looked at is called the Flat Classroom Project (http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com). The project seemed to based out of a school district in Georgia, but included participants from Vienna, Austria, St. Louis, Missouri, Los Angeles, California, Melbourne, Australia, and the county of Qatar. The project was designed for middle and high school students as a part of their computer science courses. The idea was to have students from different schools (in different cities and even countries) paired together and given a task or project to complete together. The particular task for this project was a type of book discussion with questions and tasks for the different chapters. They were given a two-week time limit and needed to find a way to complete the assigned task. The wiki seemed to be mostly teacher-created, with the students’ roles being more information retrieval and data sharing. The site had everything a student would need to complete the project including instruction, rubrics, reference lists, a calendar and interactive clocks that showed the times at the different places from around the world. The coolest feature this wiki had was an interactive map which allowed you to enter your name, city and a picture and then displayed the information for each user of the wiki to see. The overall goal of the project was to promote collaboration between students and teachers from all over the world. Rather than be isolated in our own classrooms, the project was to raise awareness of how easy it is to work together on an assigned task and to share information with people from all over the world. I think the benefits of this project are huge. Information sharing is such a useful tool and a wonderful resource for people in all professions. As an educator it made me think of the endless possibilities that I could incorporate into my teaching to make the learning experiences of my students better.

Yale University School of Art (MM 10 July 2008) The site that I found is The Yale School of Art wiki [|http://www.google.com/gwt/n?u=http://art.yale.edu/Home. It is an art related wiki where the faculty, staff, and students can edit the content to reflect the school. The wiki has links to basic information about the school that would normally be like a homepage for a college, so its main purpose would be to inform current and future students about the school. While this is not necessarily being used in a classroom setting, there is a gallery where students can post their artwork. That is one area that I plan on utilizing in my classroom in the future. Students can also edit class description, and almost all other content on the site. Everything is well organized and I do like the gallery where students post their artwork, or information about an upcoming art show. But, it is a far cry from what I would like to see as an art teaching related wiki. There is no real mandatory participation that I found, so I know that all students would not be benefiting. I am certain that there are good art class wikis out there, but I am not finding them. This is not my favorite example, but after searching for a good wiki site for a long time I just settled on this one. What I am/was looking for was a class site where the students and the art teacher are both editing content about artists and posting examples of their own artwork. There could even be part edited by local artists and art museums. It seems to me that there are few art teachers utilizing this tool (wikis) in anything other than a teacher dominated sense. I found a lot of curriculum outlines and standards, but like I said, not much for a quality teacher/student interaction.

The Seymour High Wiki can be found at http://seymourhigh.wikispaces.com/. This wiki was created by Mr. Brandt Schneider for his Web Design class (grades 9 – 12) at Seymour High School in Seymour, Connecticut. The purpose of the wiki is three-fold. First, Mr. Schneider uses the wiki to post assignments and projects, course specific information, and exams for his students. Second, the students post information about various clubs, school sports teams, and projects to the wiki as part of their Web Design class. The students are also able to link to a blog where they submit many of their assignments. Third, the wiki is a technology resource for teachers and students where they are able to learn more about and link to different types of technology available for use in school. The teacher maintains the Web Design classroom page with assignments and exams and it appears that the students design and maintain all the other pages of the wiki… the club, sports, technology, and project pages.
 * SEYMOUR HIGH SCHOOL WEB DESIGN CLASS WIKI (KB 7/13/08)**

The wiki is organized under the categories of Classes (the Web Design class), Clubs, Sports, Technology, and Other (this is where projects are posted). From an “outsiders” perspective, not being in Mr. Schneider’s class and not having had any instruction about the wiki, the wiki is pretty easy to navigate and understand. Most of the content is created by the students and contains videos, pictures, and numerous links to other pages and websites. For example, the Sports pages contain schedule information, general information about the sports teams and their seasons, demonstration videos (i.e. how to do specific cheerleading jumps), links to sports history (i.e. the history of soccer), and photos of sports teams. The Other pages appear to be pages where students have posted projects such as the “Future of Online Video”, which discusses the current uses of online videos and predictions for the future of online videos.

One feature of the wiki that stood out was how nicely organized the Sports and Clubs pages are. The students have done a very nice job of laying out these pages in an easy to understand, attractive, and mostly error-free way. The students seem to have taken a lot of pride in completing their pages and demonstrated their understanding of how to create web pages and the importance of creating easy to read pages, as all the links to other files, web pages, and videos worked. Since this wiki is for a technology-based course, Web Design, the activities completed by the students most definitely need to be done using this technology.


 * The Discovery Utopia Project (MJG 7/12/08)**

In looking at the wiki examples, The Discovery Utopia Project in particular, I’ve been inspired to devote some time in August to developing a wiki to use as a website for my classes. In many ways, that seems to be what Ben Wilkoff of Cresthill Middle School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, has done. He has used the wiki platform to provide a central focus for learning supporting by reading, discussion, examples, expectations, and suggestions.

While Wilkoff’s students are seventh and eighth graders, the content seems more appropriate for older students. However, the site has obviously been organized by someone who both loves and understands how to teach the humanities. The content involves social studies and language arts, centered developing a comprehensive understanding of historical and fictional utopias. Students read about such places as Pitcairn Island and choose from such novels as 1984, The Giver, and Brave New World. The readings are supported by discussion postings and responses, along with, I would assume, class lectures and discussions. This background leads students into a major project which seems to have two phases.

The project involves the planning and role-played development of utopias by the students. While many of the results seem somewhat simplistic, one must remember that these are middle schoolers being asked to decide on such elements as origins, population and demographics; culture, social customs, and family structure; industry, agriculture, and geography; government; and types of infrastructure. They also create, within certain parameters, their own rubrics for assessing their products, post weekly upon their progress, and comment upon the progress of other students.

In terms of the use of information technology, the wiki allows for several things. Obviously, asynchronous access to guidelines, background readings, and the work and commentary of others is invaluable to any project-based curriculum. In addition, each page has a discussion feature, allowing the instructor to comment upon works in progress and students to ask questions about guidelines and suggestions. There seemed to be a lack of multimedia material, given today’s easy access to video and audio online. However, it could be that the school, like many, has limits on bandwidth that make such advances impractical for the time being.

Mrs. Palindrome’s Page Turners (AW 7/6/08) When I started reviewing the assignment criteria I tried to think of ways I could use a wiki in my classroom and I immediately thought of literature circles. I also remembered our building incentive of posting student work as a goal for our websites. I thought about creating a link on my website to our class wiki that would showcase some literature circle work. I love teaching literature circles and the students get a lot out of the experience but I have yet to find a good assessment. The students hate the worksheets that go with the roles!

The title of this page is __Holes__ and the address is http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/. The eighth graders that created the space are from Deira International School located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The subject they are covering is mainly Language Arts although they did tie in math when they did some graphing of the plot. The purpose of the wiki was to showcase student work that revolved around the book, __Holes.__ There isn’t any assignment criteria listed on the page (which I would have liked to have seen). So, I’m guessing the teacher would have had to introduce the topic and probably set down some grading criteria for the students to follow. The entire site was student created and it was outstanding! There are so many features that I know my students could create to showcase their creativity.

The organization involved a table of contents to navigate each section of the page, a summary, pages to showcase student drawings, a glossary, student-created graphs to show plot, vocabulary, character descriptions, a quiz, highlights of the story, and links to other sites that tied into the book. An interesting link was one in which visitors could identify their location in the world. Everything was created by the students.

I think I was most amazed by the fact that in reading through the site, I never realized this was created by students in another continent! So, I was most impressed at the fact that these students had done all this work, all of them being from different countries collaborating together. It definitely appeared as though the students learned a lot. They worked on the project for about six weeks so they had time to finish such a comprehensive undertaking. Although, I imagine it was fun to create so they probably didn’t mind all the hard work. I was especially impressed at the pride they showed in their wiki space. They were very concerned about typos which is something I normally don’t see in my fifth graders.

The largest benefit I see is the collaboration it took for these children to create this sight. I think learning to ‘cooperate to create’ is the most important thing we can teach our students to prepare them for the future workforce. I do know how well students love to use computers and so I know their enthusiasm for a literature circle assignment like this would be high. I also like the benefit of students being able to work on this at home as we just wouldn’t be guaranteed the time and computers for a project like this at my school.

**Screen Casts for K-7 Math (MS 7-16-08)** > New Hyde Park NY
 * [|http://math247.pbwiki.com/K-7+Mathcasts+500+Project</span]>; K-7 Mathcasts 500 Project
 * Herricks Public Schools
 * Kindergarten through 7th grade
 * Math and Technology
 * The purpose of the wiki is to show different ways students can collaborate and interact with students across the nation using screen casts and voice thread. The students are writing with voice, and integrating into math problems. They are then saved, uploaded onto the wiki and available for all to see and to participate with as well.
 * The teacher’s role is to model the programs for the students, monitor the process, and keep the learning environment safe for all parties involved.
 * The student’s role is acting as if they are teaching the lesson to other students in their grade level, somewhere else in the world. They need to solve the math problem by showing and verbalizing the steps of the process.
 * The creator of the wiki was teachers, the work screen casts shown on the wiki are majority student work with some guidance of teacher examples.
 * The organizational flow of this wiki is easy to follow with great links to view student-created screen casts and hyperlinks to other wikis and websites created by the teachers as well. Example: [|http://www.mathplayground.com/</span]> the framework consists of posts, comments, questions, and examples. The view is not overwhelming and is easy on the eyes.
 * The one feature that stood out to me the most was the student examples with their voices recorded using [|www.voicethread.com] and their little pictures of themselves to match their voice and math problem that they were in charge of solving.
 * It really seemed like students had a better grasp on the math concepts when they knew they were the “teachers” for that particular problem. They had to explain it and write to get the solution across to their audience.
 * The benefit to doing this in a wiki format was that they not only get feedback from their classroom teacher, they also get feedback from the online participation. The integration of technology for math in this aspect is phenomenal!

Thousands Project (DM 7-16-08) Mr. Monson’s Classroom Wiki supplies a question each month. He has set a goal of 1.000 responses/month to the question provided. People that are associated with his school are encouraged to add their responses. It appears that his students are required to respond to each question. Once logged into wikispaces, I could also add my responses to the question. I think this is a very creative way to get students familiar and comfortable with wikispaces. It particularly interested me due to the simple format for anyone adding to the responses to the question. I can foresee both adults and students looking forward to the new question to appear and whether the goal could be met. The information could then easily put into excel to make a graph for the number of responses generated each month. Ø What is the **name** and **web address** for the wiki? · Mr. Monson's Grade 5 Classroom Wiki: Thousands Project http://monsonclassroom.wikispaces.com/ Ø Where is the class located that created the wiki? · <span style="color: windowtext; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none;">[|Nettleton Magnet Elementary School, Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.A.] Ø What **grade level** is the class? · Grade 5 Ø What **subject** area(s) are covered? · Various subjects covered each month Ø What is the **purpose** of the wiki? · The purpose of the wiki according to Mr. Monson is “to share thoughts, get ideas for writing, learn geography from around the world, collaborate with others and read the thoughts of others.” Ø What **role** does the **teacher** fulfill on the wiki? · **It does not indicate if Mr. Monson is the moderator of the wikipage. However by looking at the page my guess would be he is the creator of the framework and framework updates. I would think he is the moderator.** Ø What **role(s)** do the **students** play on the wiki? · It appears the students are required to post to the wiki on a monthly basis. It does not indicate if they are responsible for any of the questions or the creation/updates of framework of the wikipage. Ø Who created the majority of the **content** on the wiki (students or teacher)? · It appears that Mr. Monson is the creator of the wikispace. Ø Describe the **content** (links to other websites, original content created by students, other). · There is a link to Mr. Monson’s blog and online newsletter. His blog also contains various links to websites. There is also a link to del.icio.us where Mr. Monson keeps various links for his students to use. The main wikispace is protected, so it prevents unknown individuals from adding/editing information to the main wiki. However, when I logged into wikispaces, I am able to add my answers to the question and join the quest for 1,000 responses. Ø What is one **feature** of the wiki that stood out to you? · The idea that stood out to me was the great idea of posting a question of the month and the challenge of getting 1,000 responses to the question—creative! Ø Does it seem like the students **learned** from their wiki experience? · **There are student responses for each month’s question. Mr. Monson has directions for anyone adding information to their wiki. His students have learned about the wiki and learned to edit a wiki using their thoughts on a question.** Ø Was there a **benefit** to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format? · The children would be able to add to the list at home, school, or any other computer connected to the internet. Online format also allows other teachers, parents, relatives to add to the list quickly and easily. It was fun to read the responses and not even know the people. Without the use of technology, this endeavor would lose its appeal quickly.


 * Mrs. Jennifer Barnett’s FHS Wolves Den (LB 7/19/2008)**

The name of the wiki I chose is FHS Wolves Den and the web address is http://fhswolvesden.wikispaces.com. The wiki is for a class at Fayetteville H.S. in Sylacauga, AL for grades 9-12 in English and History.

Mrs. Barnett uses the Wiki to post information for her students on the web, such as project outlines, class news, handouts, and games. She also posts students’ work and allows for discussions and collaboration amongst her students. It appears Mrs. Barnett does the majority of the work for this wiki and has created the majority of the content for it, but students can get resources and information from the wiki and participate in discussion forums.

The wiki has an informational homepage with basic news on it. On the left hand side of the homepage are a list of topics. They are divided into her two subjects - English and History - but then there’s also a general info tab and a links tab. For History, she has a tab for notes and one for maps. For English, she has a tab for novel notes, papers, stories, and language. She also has links to educational games, current projects, polls, a calendar, and a tab called Barnett 101, which tells the student everything they need to know to be successful in her classes.

One thing I found interesting is that she has a top 10 interesting things from her wiki section on the homepage, which is actually what hooked me. Even if you’re not so sure about the site, if you check that section out you’ll see some of the cool ideas and projects from the class. I think a wiki like this provides a central place for the students in an environment they are comfortable with - cyberspace. The wiki is full of school information but it doesn’t have the “feel” of school.

Mr. Whites wiki has created a great resource for students to use to enrich their background in geometry. This wiki supplies shapes in the form of illustrations, it supplies definitions to back up vocabulary words used, and formulas to solve problems. I feel that this can really benefit students that did not take good notes in class or were even absent and can still keep up with the work load even though they are at home. This site also has preparatory problems along with challenges that students can complete and even add a discussion to whether they want to ask questions to other classmates or add a couple helpful hints to classmates to move them further ahead in their journey to solve the challenge. Great idea! Also, there is an area where Mr. White has Independent Computer Studies with an explanation and examples of the items that are currently being studied in class. · What is the name and web address for the wiki? Whites-Geometry-Wiki http://whites-geometry-wiki.wikispaces.com/ · Where is the class located that created the wiki? The class is located at [|Stillwater Area High School, Stillwater, Minnesota]
 * Whites-Geometry-Wiki (JH 7/21/08)**

· What grade level is the class? The class is probably 9th through 12th grade · What subject area(s) are covered? The subject is Geometry. · What is the purpose of the wiki? The purpose is to create a resource for students to use. · What role does the teacher fulfill on the wiki? Mr. White’s role is the creator and moderator of the class wiki. · What role(s) do the students play on the wiki? The students’ role is to post discussions and examples of their work. · Who created the majority of the content on the wiki (students or teacher )? Mr. White created the majority of the content on the Wiki. · Describe the framework/organization of the information on the wiki. The framework is set up to give explanations of all of the different areas of geometry. After that framework there are challenges, other classes, and an area for test preparatory. · Describe the content (links to other websites, original content created by students, other). Mr. White has links to all of his classes with a supply of classroom discussions and project examples, Mr. Whites classroom materials, and a link to Mr. White’s blog. · What is one feature of the wiki that stood out to you? One feature that stood out to me was example/definition layout. · Does it seem like the students learned from their wiki experience? I feel that if the students used the wiki they would have learned. Students did supply examples which would spark the interest of other classmates. · Was there a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format? The benefit was being able to look at this example to give me ideas of what I can do with technology and one way can be in the form of a wiki.

**Australian Web Writers (RJ 07/22/08)**

The classroom wiki I found interesting is, Terry the Tennis Ball A Choose Your Own Adventure. Its web address is: http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/. The class who created Terry the Tennis Ball is located in Bellaire Primary School in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The students are 3rd and 4th graders.

The purpose of this wiki is to enhance students’ creative writing skills in Reading and Language Arts. The wiki begins with an introductory paragraph written by the teacher that explains how Terry the Tennis Ball began his adventure. Below the introductory paragraph students write what comes next in Terry’s adventure. Each student’s view of how Terry’s adventure continues is quite unique. The teacher’s role is to begin the adventure story, but the students play a larger role in the creation of this wiki. The students are using their creative thinking skills to create “the rest of the story.”

The introductory paragraph, title of the wiki, and picture of Terry the Tennis Ball are shown at the top of the page. The student’s continuations of the story are listed below the introductory paragraph as bulleted links. There is a back button at the bottom of each page, which makes it easy to move about the wiki site.

The one feature about this wiki I like is how the student’s work makes up almost the entire wiki site. Without the student’s creative additions to Terry’s adventures, this site would have no relevance. This site really gives students a chance to shine. They can be imaginative and creative. This wiki site also allows students to share their pieces of writing with others.

This lesson could have been taught without the use of the wiki site, using paper and pencil while students are seated at their desks. Then I ask myself, why? Integrating this wikispace and use of technology in this lesson is more beneficial to the students because they learn to manipulate and move about a wiki site as well as gain the writing skills of creating a unique and exciting storyline.

Mr. Elliot’s Year 8 Holes Wiki Site (AW 7/22/08) http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/ The wiki site that I found was created by Mr. Elliot’s year eight English class of Diera International School located in Saudi Arabia. The class created a classroom wiki page pertaining to the novel “Holes” by Louis Sachar. All of the content on the wiki, I believe, was created by the students with some editing help from Mr. Elliot. The framework and organization of this page is outstanding. The students have regular content summarizing the novel, links to other related sites, quizzes, wacky inventions, palindromes, discussions, and much more. The initial purpose of this wiki was to check the understanding of the students’ knowledge about the novel “Holes”, but built into much more. The students used the information from the site and novel to create palindromes of their names, time and tension graphs, and talk about different styles of writing. The class also created a map to locate where other students have been visiting their site from. One feature that stands out to me is the wacky inventions. One of the characters in the book made a lot of wacky inventions. The students had to search the web and find some wacky inventions of their own and post them on the site. They had to explain the names and functions of their inventions. Most of the information on the site was posted by the students. Anyone that looks through the site will know exactly what happens in the novel, plus a little bit about each student that created this site. I would definitely say that the students learned from this experience. I believe by doing this project students not only learned about the novel “Holes”, but also other aspects or writing and reading while incorporating technology into doing so.


 * Dedworth Middle School Math (BS 7/22/08)**

The name of the wiki is dedworthmaths and the web address is http://dedworthmaths.pbwiki.com/

The class is located in Dedworth Middle School in England. It is a seventh grade math class. The purpose of the wiki is for students to create and share math problems. It demonstrates their understanding of recently learned skills. The students follow their teacher’s step-by-step guidelines for creating a new page with examples and explanations of math problems. The majority of the content is written by students. They create original content. For example, after studying sequencing, students were asked to create a new page on the class wiki (usually with one other classmate) making up three sequencing math problems with solutions. All partner groups were posted for students to review.

There is one feature that particularly stood out to me. In creating math problems, students were asked to use their problem solving skills to figure out how to use features found in wiki. For example, the teacher created a math table using wiki and asked students if they too could figure out how to make a similar table using wiki. I think the students’ wiki experience was an excellent learning tool for problem solving and practicing and applying recently learned skills.

There were benefits for learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format. Students had to follow step-by-step instructions for each new page they created. They were challenged to use their technical skills to create their problems. It also serves as an excellent as accessible resource for parents and students. Parents can visit the wiki and see specific examples of math problems being worked on in their child’s class. It is also a great resource for review for the students. Students have plenty of practice problems (with solutions) for upcoming tests and quizzes. The traditional pencil and paper method could not produce these same results. I believe my “digital students” would dig this method for demonstrating learned skills in math.


 * Mr. William Bishop's Wiki for Spanish Classes (BB 7/22/08)**

This wiki at http://bishopblogs.wikispaces.com was created by William Bishop for his Spanish classes at Haleyville High School in Alabama. In addition to teaching Spanish, it appears that the author is an assistant principal. Therefore the site has links for new teachers as well as veteran teachers of varying grade levels. The main menu, however, is focused strictly on his Spanish classes. The home page has links for his staff at the bottom of the page.

It serves as a reference for students. The site is also by students to post writing assignments or research projects. Students can also gain access to notes, practice activities and games and podcasts. Clearly Mr. Bishop has spent a lot of time adding links, podcasts and documents to the site but there is also a great deal of student work on the site. Most of the cultural information on the site is student written.

He has provided pages for Spanish I and Spanish II as well as cultural pages about the Day of the Dead and the Galapagos Islands. There are also pages about Spanish grammar. The site has numerous links for students as well as staff. William has also included a "Your space in my space" link in which there is a link to a page for each student. I was really impressed with his idea to create a link for each of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries. The content for each country's link is student-created information about the country and its culture. I think that this would serve as a great resource for students all year as the culture of the countries is infused into every chapter.

This appears to be a very effective site. It provides numerous and varied activities that reinforce all of the major standards of a world language curriculum. Everything is conveniently located on one site. Moreover, using this technology tool, students can choose the activities that best fit their learning style. c”.

A. Wyckoff’s Discovery -Isms (GO 7/21/08) Wiki: Discovery -Isms http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com/ This wiki is located at Cresthill Middle School. It is a seventh and eighth grade class of gifted and talented kids, but I believe the subject being taught is geared toward the eighth graders before they enter high school. The purpose of the wiki can be summed up in teacher Ben Wilkoff‘s wiki description “I want my students to know who they are, completely. I want them to be able to stand up to people who disagree, and I want you to know that they are right. I want them to enter high school with an absolute confidence that no one will be able tear down or cut through. More than anything else, I want their voice to be clear as crystal when they say, “I am me.” That is what this wiki aims to do.” Ben Wilkoff set up the wiki and acts as instigator instigator, promoter and moderator while the students role as participants that through their responses have an end result of greater self-esteem. The teacher Ben Wilkoff created the majority of the content on this wiki, but students get to participate in set up of rules for the wiki. The framework or organization was done like a well developed web page. The content was there immediately. The individual browsing this website could move around easily to various links pertaining to the site and back again. This framework was similar to our class’s site. While looking at the possible options a few wikis caught my eye. I was looking for wikis that had student involvement and not just participation, but once you participate you are involved. Some of the wikis descriptions were good for student involvement or how to do something. Some wikis looked interesting but once you entered it was like a bad web page or no links that I could connect to in reference to the description. There wasn’t a lot of student content on the Discovery-Ism page because the school year was over. I would have liked to view some of the discussion, but quite often you have to be a member of that wiki and this seemed like a very personal place. Some of the following links are listed under Collective Pages: Home, Belief Debates, Belief Structure Template, Making your –ism into a Movement, The Belief Files, Example –Ism, Ways to Enhance your Ism, and Progress. Another grouping was a ton of Ism links listed under Individual –Isms. In viewing the following course requirements (copied from the Discovery-Ism page) one can get a pretty good picture of student input and use of technology besides the discussion area: The students will use the discussion tab in order to debate their ideas and the history tab to see the evolution of their ideas At least five questions will be asked of other's belief structures. They will embed media to show their -Ism in different ways. Each -ism will contain at least five of the following: • One or more podcasts of their belief statements. (Using Gcast) • A podcast and digital copy of their belief statement essay. (Using Gcast and Scribd) • A PowerPoint presentation (shared with SlideShare) of the most important aspects of their belief structure. • A stream of core beliefs from Standpoint.com. (Using Grazr) • A Bubblr presentation of the most important aspects of their belief structure. • A video podcast/presentation/reflection of how their belief structure influences decisions • A Mind/Concept Map of your belief structure (Using Mindomo, Gliffy, or Inspiration) Looks like quite the wiki!

There are a couple of features about this wiki that need to be mentioned. The description by the wiki developer Ben Wilkoff caught my attention because it makes a kid aware of whom they are. I make a connection with this in terms of bullying. This statement by Ben Wilkoff “I want them to be able to stand up to people who disagree, and I want you to know that they are right”, says it all in terms of student/people empowerment. Various seniors at our school bullied my daughter. She had never, ever, spoken a word to these girls, but they tried to bully her and a few of her classmates. We worked through it for she is very strong, introspective and insightful about her world. Ben Wilkoff may have challenged my observation. This is a statement he made as part of a challenge to students to know themselves better “ Some of you may think that you already possess such traits: confidence, infinite knowledge of self, and well-defined principles.” This description probably fits my daughter, but what an impact this assignment would have on both the strongest and the not so strong. The personal benefit of knowing who you are below the surface and entering high school feeling confident in yourself is a great real life lesson and this wiki could be used at the high school level. The benefits to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technical format would be that you are also learning real life skills in terms of technology. The Discoveryisms wiki had another feature that I found interesting. It is set up very much like our class in terms of layout, student participation and instructor prodding/mediating for introspection, while we still learn to use technology while participating. Final Note: Ben Wyckoff’s also has a link on the discoveryisms wiki to his pod cast page http://bhwilkoff.podomatic.com/ as well as other pod casts listed in our selection. I found this statement by Wilkoff on his pod cast page “My hope is that these educational pod casts add something to the cannon of classroom research and theory being done in K-12 situations across the country. These pod casts are made either in my car or in my 7th/8th grade classroom. They are mostly discussing the different elements of creating a 21st century learners (Web 2.0 technology, authentic practice, Flat classrooms, etc”.

The title of the wiki is B22 Geotopias and the address is [|http://b22geotopias.wetpaint.com.] It was designed for 6th grade students in a humanities class. The purpose of this wiki is for groups to post information that may be useful to their partners or other groups and to display their finished work. Their project was to create their own utopia and design a brochure to persuade someone to move or visit. The teacher designed different areas for the students to fill out and keep track of their progress. There is a page describing the assignment and due dates, and the pages for brainstorming, scheduling, rough draft, research, and team members are places where the students fill out themselves. There are in outline form and tables. Once the teacher has the site set up, it appears that the students are the ones that post most of the information. There are different ways to get to the new areas; like the left margin, highlighted in the text, and at the bottom of the home page. This makes it very easy for the students to navigate through the site. There are no websites connecting to the site since the students are the ones that add the websites they used as they go. The teacher has attached pictures and the finished brochures of their utopias. I liked that from any area I was on, I could easily navigate through the site. There were pictures showing their utopias as well as links to their brochures. It’s always nice to see the finished product when reading about a project like this. What was nice about the students doing this project in a wiki was that the class could share information and links to other websites with everyone, not just their partners. There is also a team member page where they can share phone numbers and email addresses so they can stay connected better outside of school. (There was a message instructing them to change the settings to Private for security reasons.)
 * Geotopias (MS 7/23/08)**

Spudbiz (RL 7/23/08) The name of the wiki I chose is Spudbiz. You can find it at http://spudbiz.wikispaces.com/ . The wiki was started as part of Mrs. Hagen and Mrs. Salvevold’s business technology classes at Moorhead High School in Minnesota. It is a student driven wiki where the students can collaborate, create tutorials, and have discussions about computer application and web design classes. The teachers seem to have a very small role with this wiki other than setting up the pages by class. The student’s have created all the content and lead all the discussions.

Each class has its own page in the wiki including Computer Applications, Microsoft Office, DigiTools, and Web Design. Each of these pages has tutorials, definitions, videos, and links to other pages with information about that class. What stood out to me was the fact that the content of the wiki was almost all student created. Even the discussions were student driven including topics involving technology that students are interested in (mp3, ipod, YouTube, etc.) and the legality of downloading music. There was also a sense of pride when students discussed parts of the wiki that they contributed to.

I think this was a great class project and the students probably had fun working on it. They learned how to create web content, embed video and pictures, create links, and write tutorials for their classmates to use. The big advantage to doing this assignment as a wiki is that it will always be on the web as a reference for the students to use. If a student forgets how to create a table using Microsoft Word they can go to the wiki and get an explanation including screenshots of how it’s done.

The name of the wiki is discovery-isms. It can be found at http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com/ It was created for Cresthill Middle School in Colorado. It is designed for middle school students. I could not find an exact grade, but I would say that it is geared towards 8th graders, just before they enter high school. It is not a subject specific wiki. It is related more toward character development or guidance. The purpose of the wiki is for the students to define who they are and what their beliefs are. The teacher set up the wiki. He gave guidelines and criteria for the students to follow. He set up examples for students to look at and other requirements that needed to be met as the students developed their own wiki. The students created their own wiki about themselves following the criteria given by the teacher. They were required to give weekly updates as to what they were working on. The students created everything except the instruction and example pages. The wiki seems to be very user-friendly. All of the student wikis can be accessed from the panel on the left side of the screen. Student’s wikis vary in style. Some are just text, others have diagrams, podcasts, and pictures. The content is entirely made by the students. I saw a few links to other websites that were used for the assignment. I really liked the content of the website. The idea of having each student figure out who they were and then having others students read and respond to it is great. I think that students can really learn a lot more about each other in this method. This lesson could be done without the wiki, but it would be a lot harder and not near as effective. It is a much easier way of having the kids share materials and information about each other.
 * Mr. Wilkoff's discovery-isms (CR 7/23/08)**

The web address for Mr. Lindsay’s wiki is http://mrlindsay.pbwiki.com/ The school in which this wiki is used at is Saugus Union School District, 24930 Avenue Stanford, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. This wiki is used in a 6th grade classroom. The subject areas covered include English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Art. The purpose of the wiki is to inform students and parents of what is going on in the classroom, keeping everyone up-to-date. It is also used for students to display their work for others to see and comment on. He also has an area for other teachers to get tech information. The role of the teacher is to provide information to the parents and students of what the classroom is currently studying in the different subject areas. Included by the teacher are also special events and follow up activities and links to enrich student learning. The students have some of their work placed on the wiki. It appears that they are responsible for making sure that the material they place on the wiki is accurate and current. He informs them that they need to check their work for errors, grammar and spelling. It appears that the work created on this wiki is about half students and half the teacher. The wiki has eight different areas to go. They have pages called: Home, The Newsroom, Help! Room, Creative Zone, Book Reviews, The Web for kids, by kids and Teacher Tech Tips. He has many links to other sites. I saw slideshows (some created by the teacher and some created by students) and animations, which always grab student’s attention. The feature that stood out to me is the book review. He has students post a review of a book that they read. He does a good job of telling the students to not give too much information as to ruin the story or give too much of the plot. It appears to me that the students are learning from the use of this wiki. They certainly are learning to edit a wiki by placing their information on the wiki and creating links to other places. The students gain the ability to use the information from this wiki while at home. He has placed links to additional worksheets and video clips so the students can review this information outside of the classroom. He also has pod casts on his site for parents/students to listen to. I feel this is a great way of keeping the parents and students up-to-date and informed.
 * Mr. Lindsay’s 6th Grade Classroom Wiki (RA 07-23-08)**

**Welcome to Mrs. Bolton's Bunch!**
Mrs. Bolton’s Bunch, is located at http://bolton-bunch.wikispaces.com/ This website is for kindergarten families and teachers. It is located at Johnosn Elementary Hickman Hills School District. Mrs. Bolton’s wiki site covers all subject areas. The idea of the wiki page is for families to gain a better understanding of what is being taught in the classroom. Mrs. Bolton did a great job of including all subject areas as well as social skills that are important for kindergartners to master. She includes helpful websites that are easy for students and parents to navigate. For example, she included a video through www.videojug.com on how to tie shoes. In addition to the video, she included helpful resources for parents and children. Mrs. Bolton is the facilitator and creator of the website. The framework of the wiki space provides information of all subject areas, weekly activities, a parent handbook regarding important school information, poems, the school pledge, and a listing of Early Childhood books. There were several features that stood out to me. Mrs. Bolton did a great job of including video clips and integrated websites into her subject areas. Parents and other teachers can view these clips and sites and share with their kindergartners. I really liked the video on the shoe tying. This would be great for parents or teachers to share with their children. This site is mostly geared to adults. However, Mrs. Bolton has the site set up where parents can help their child navigate the site and explore the developmentally appropriate sites and videos. I highly recommend this site to all kindergarten teachers.
 * A 'Grape Bunch of Kindergarteners' (KH 7/23/08)**

**DHS Espanol (RB 7/24/08)** a) The name of the site is DHS Espanol and is located at http://dhsespanol.wikispaces.com b) The classroom is located at Darlington High School in Darlington, Wisconsin c) The grade levels that this covers appears to be 9-12 due to the fact that she teaches Spanish 1, 2 & 3 and a student at any grade level could be in those classes. d) As mentioned above this focuses on Spanish 1, 2 & 3 e) The purpose of this wiki is to provide a ton of outside sources to the students. There are links to games, Pod Casts, worksheets and many other items that the students can use besides the information that is in their textbook or given to them as homework. Ms. Rogers also has a bunch of PowerPoints on her site that go over common issues that students have. f) Ms. Rogers, the creator, also has information about the Spanish Club on their and it appears that she used the wiki to help plan her yearly trip to Mexico. She has links for passport information, where they are going, even games to help the students practice specific items that they are going to be using a lot on their trip. g) The teacher has the main role on this wiki. She is the creator and places most items on the wiki. I was not able to access the discussion portion of the wiki but it does look like students can post some information on the wiki as well. I was not able to see what the students do put on the wiki because it is a protected page. h) The students are mainly users/consumers of the information that is placed on the wiki by the teacher. They are there to look up information and use it for what they need. i) From what I am able to access on the wiki, the teacher made the majority of the content. j) The wiki is very easy to use. The headlines and page titles are very clear and easy to use. I did not have any problems navigating the site. She has made everything very user friendly which will be helpful to both students and parents. Especially for the parents because it appears that they use this site to plan a trip. k) There are tons of links to many items for the students to use. She uses the quia.com website which I believe is all things that she has created using the set-up wizards that the website has. She also links to PowerPoints and other items that she has created. She does have some links to Pod Casts. Not too many of the Pod Casts but she is trying to incorporate Multimedia as much as she can. l) The feature that stood out to be the most was that she was using Pod Casts and then using the wiki to plan a trip to Mexico. m) I am unable to comment on student experience because I could not access any student created postings or other items. I am assuming from the amount of information that she has made available to the students, that as long as the have a computer, there has been improvement in her students abilities. n) I think that what she has done on the wiki is great. She has taken all that information that teachers share with their students and made it available online. The students can view lesson plans from days that they have missed, download the work that they missed and access additional support tools while outside of the classroom. I think what she has is a great and highly valuable tool.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">**KINESIOLOGY AT WIKISPACES (JS 7/24/08)** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">This wikispace can be found at: **http://kinesiology.wikispaces.com/**. The class that created this wiki is from <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Crescenta Valley High School in California. The students that are involved with this wiki are in the high school kinesiology program. The purpose of the wiki is to be a source of information related to sports medicine, injury prevention, and fitness training. The students role in this project is to research and come up with the correct information to put on the wiki. The students have created a majority of the content. The information on the wiki is easy to use. The menu on the left has the links necessary to explore the website. The students have created four-part training programs for a variety of sports and activities. In the training programs there is an abundance of information and pictures to aid the readers. The feature that stood out to me in this wikispaces was the detail of the training programs (along with the pictures.) It definitely appears that the students were interested in this project and learned from their experiences. I think one of the benefits the students had from this wiki was the audience they were teaching to. In the “Windows on the Future” reading, it says that 85% of retention comes from teaching others/immediate application, both of which are a result of creating this wikispace.

The wikispace that I found is from a third grade teacher. Her wikispace is called Miss Petty’s Class Wikispace. http://misspettysclasswikispace.wikispaces.com/ The class that created this wikispace is from Phenix City, Alabama and is from a third grade classroom. This class uses their wikispace as an information space with lots of information from all subject areas. It is a great way of keeping the students and parents of helpful websites, homework assignments, and newsletters. The main creator of this wiki is the teacher Miss Petty. She uses it to post helpful information for her students to use. There are many links to great websites that enhance student learning. I thought the teacher organized her wikispace very well. It is very student friendly and can be easily navigated. I really thought the amount of educational websites Miss Petty added to her wiki were great! Just by exploring some of them, I could see how I could even use a lot of them in my classroom. As a suggestion, this wikispace could also be used as a place to displace student work and to show projects that are done in class. Students will be able to learn how to navigate a website and I think that eventually students could be taught how to add their own things to the wikispace. This wikispace is used more as a place for information verses a teaching tool. I think this format to display education is very organized and does teach students that technology can be used in many different ways!!!
 * Miss Petty’s Class Wikispace (MO 7/25/08)**

The name of the wiki that I chose was wikiharju – Mrs. Harju’s wiki and it’s located at http://wikiharju.wikispaces.com/. Mrs. Harju and her 2nd grade class are from St. Stephen’s School in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. The purpose of this wiki is simply stated by Mrs. Harju “This is a place for us to share, learn, and grow.” Mrs. Harju is the facilitator of this site and aims to show parents and students how technology is used in her classroom to enhance student learning. The layout is simple to follow and the links are self-explanatory. The student’s role is to create work that will be displayed on the class wiki and to post comments for discussion questions. Mrs. Harju has links for: viewing homework, student projects, jokes, educational websites, prayers, school website link, and student work in the form of videos, Claymation, and podcasts. The reason Mrs. Harju’s wiki’s stood out to me was the way her students use technology. It is interesting to see how other teachers use different types of technology in their classroom. This wiki provided a lot of different ideas that I would love to incorporate into my classroom. The one thing that I noticed was that there are not a lot of posts from students or parents. It is hard to say if the students are learning from this wiki or if it is used as a gallery to display their learning through different technology programs.
 * Mrs. Harju's Wiki (CS 7/25/08)**

The site I selected was desbuffalo http://desbuffalo.wikispaces.com/ located at Discovery Elementary School in Buffalo, Minnesota. The wiki site is for a 5th grade class and covers the subjects of Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Writing, Science, Art, Reading and History. The teacher set up the wiki so the parents and students could see what the class is currently doing or will be doing within the school year. Students are expected to view the site and gather class information from the site, explore outside resources and learn as much as they can from the outside sources starting with the site by using its links. Most of the site has feeds which allow information to be updated. The site also has a classroom blog updated by the students and teacher two times a month. This blog allows parents or students to view school events, email the teacher or write comments on the blog items. Podcasting is also on the site so interested individuals can listen to collaborative poems between senior citizens and the 5th grade students. Assignments were given and updated in the table of contents on the home page and by study links attached to each topic. It appears as though the students are expected to visit the wiki as often as they can with specific times set aside for going to the wiki. Assignments are also placed on the wiki and at the end of the year a portfolio of each student’s work. I enjoyed visiting the site since it was set up much like a classroom bulletin board and made me feel like I was entering a classroom. Each page was basically set up the same way. The major topics were listed at the top of the page with a brief narrative description covering the major topics in that subject. The home page contained definitions of a wiki with links to descriptions of the unit and pictures of the classroom. (Photos are scattered throughout the pages making pages more interesting) There are links along with discussion questions, table of contents (appeared to change with topics covered in the classroom), and the classroom blog on the left column Subtopics were listed at the side of the main subject page and the links were placed toward the bottom or within the content. Links in Language Arts took you to the Podcasting performed collaboratively by the students and their Senior citizen. The Podcast site linked you to the assisted living home of the collaborating seniors citizens. .http://www.ci.buffalo.mn.us/seniors/ There were also RSS at the top of the pages where information was updated. The Language Art page also had links under the subtopic. These links lead to general instruction which then takes you to different URL of authors and public libraries for book reservations. http://www.griver.org/ It appeared that for every topic there were multiple links where students could gather more information. Not only did each topic have a link but there were many visuals and games included within each content area. http://gadgets.dapj.com/2008/02/digital-dice-cubes.html, http://elliot.lee.googlepages.com/braintuner I did have to download iTunes Quick Time programs onto my PC since the site was set up on a Mac. Once I did this it was much easier to view the wiki. The Language Arts Activity page and the Podcast page have a search engine (limited to only their specific podcast or Language Arts Blog) which really stood out to me when viewing this page since I have no idea how to create this item. I feel that the students could not help but learn from this site as long as they visited it. It appeared that the class information was centered around this wiki. The mode of delivering information to “native learners ” via a computer covers the ten steps of how “native learners prefer to learn”…according to Jukes and McCain, Windows on the Future: Thinking About Tomorrow Today (pp.73-74). The links involved allow students to visit multiple sites which cover the classroom topic and gives them options for enriching their learning. It appears this format can help students advance at their own pace. Students were also involved in working with each other and with the senior population. This has to be enriching for both populations. It would take me 2-3 days to truly explore all of the possible links in this wiki. I can not imagine how long it took the teacher to create this site! I was truly impressed. These students are very fortunate having this teacher use the wiki format for learning.
 * 5th Grade Wiki Evaluation (VO 7/25/08)**

http://www.smithclass.org/proj/Monsters/index.htm Mr. Smith’s fourth grade class at Eugene Field Elementary in Hannibal, Missouri, has coordinated a world wide classroom for his students through a wiki. He created a Monster Project that begins in September and ends in October 31. He has done this project since 2000. The Monster Project is open to any classroom that chooses to take on an Art, Language Arts, and a bit of a Math adventure. The project begins when a classroom signs up and is assigned to write a detailed description of one of 22 possible parts of a monster. The classroom then places their description onto the wiki. When all descriptions have been placed on the wiki monster chart, each class participating begins to build the monster following the very detailed descriptions of all the parts. Each teacher guides their students to make a plan, assigns construction of each part, and coordinates the final monster construction. This wiki allows the students to greet one another, ask any of the participating class’ questions or clarifications of their descriptions, and share their progress and final project through voice, digital pictures, or video. When the monster is completed the students take a final picture of their monster, name it and post it on the wiki. Additional activities for the students to complete and place on the wiki are to write and publish stories or poems about their monster and vote on which monster they think has the best name. Mr. Smith set up the guidelines and directions for entering the wiki and Monster Project. He invites children/classrooms to tell about them, encouraging them to include their class e-mail so others can contact them directly if they would like. The wiki is also used as a communication page. He built an archive for anyone to see previous years of the monsters pictures, poems, stories, videos and voting of the monster’s names. There were also links to his class’ web, which had additional links associated to any of the topics on his web for more information. The students participate on the wiki when they check out the descriptions, ask questions of other classes or answer questions they may have about the monster project. Some of the participation on the wiki is done with the support of the teacher. The students are encouraged to write stories and poems about their monster, make a short video, or photo story of their monster. This wiki shows the students that kids are kids no matter where they live. Their classroom is as big as the world. The students learn cooperation, team work, and how to compromise in a group setting when they are building the monster. The wiki allows them to share ideas, comment on any monsters, and in general communicate and have fun with students all over the world. I was excited to see this wiki. It showed me how big a teacher can make a classroom for their students! It was fun to see the students share videos and pictures with captions. They appeared to be excited to meet other students and compare notes on their monsters. Mr. Smith’s class has a web camera and is working with his students to talk with students from Pakistan. It is one I want to have my students participate in for the coming year. Seeing and moving through this wiki made it easier for me to understand. I was able move through the links, see examples of students communicating with one another, and reading the comments of all the participants. I don’t think I would have done as well with a non-technological format.
 * Mr. Smith’s Monster Project (RO 7/25/08)**

I found the Wiki site roots.wikispaces.com. This is a 7th grade site from a Core Knowledge school in California. Since I am on the Core Knowledge Curriculum Committee at my school I was very excited to find this site to use as an example in our presentation this August at Teacher In-service. This site was created by the teacher for the class and parents. It has the class syllabus, class rubric, parent volunteer sign up and schedule etc… This page also has links to MINIMUS a really cool site for learning Primary Latin. It was created and maintained by Helen Forte, the illustrator of the Miminus books. It appears that this Wiki is presented as part of a class in a school but can also be an on-line Homeschool class. Parent volunteers are instructed to go to a community location at various times to be available to listen to students recite in Latin. This is really great to have a site that connects a “school” setting with the Homeschool environment. Wow…. Is this the future?
 * Core Knowledge English, Latin root words R.S. 7/26/08**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Discovery Utopias T.W. 7/26/08 ** b) Discovery Utopias http://discoveryutopias.wikispaces.com/ c) Cresthill Middle School (Cannot find geographic location) d) Middle School e) History, Science, Math, Writing f) The purpose of the Wiki is for the student’s to create a “perfect society” including government and responsibility of the citizens and their goal is to reach perfection and sustainability together as a team and all agree on this. g) The teacher came up with an Outline and question template on the wiki, a rubric, and resources with ways to enhance your utopia. The resources are amazing! h) Students created their own society proposal and used the wiki to collaborate with other students what the society needs. This also allowed everyone to brainstorm what would work and what might not work. i) The teacher created the Wiki site with the template, rubric and resources, and expectations but the students created the actual new society, and discussions. j) The organization of this wiki is amazing. It has a table of contents to go through the site and has an area on the side giving you all content needed if you would like to create this society. k) The teacher came up with resources that I am unaware of that were great to enhance the students utopia society. Some of the sites were: Seal Creator, Slideshare, Splashcast, Newspaper Clip Generator and that is just a few links for the students to use. There are all sorts of discussions that the students talked about. They also had a subject area of “Real-life Failed Utopias” where students would write about different societies believed to be a Utopia. l) To begin with the organization of the site and how easy it was to understand what to do and HOW to start the project with a detailed outline. I also liked the creativeness of this website. I felt like it was almost tricking students to look at other historic societies allowing them to see what worked and what did not work. m) What amazed me about this site was how much research the students did to find out about different societies so they could actually understand and explain why it would work or not. I think the teacher was a creative genius. It not only made students learn about history that might otherwise be boring, but also gave them a window into how the government works and inspire those to get interested and involved in our government. n) It was quite beneficial to have this format on the internet because it allowed students to look up information right there while they were working instead of trying to find this in a book in class. All they had to do was google the site or click on the outline, and had resources at their fingertips to add information in an interesting manner. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">(I want to do this with my class!!!!! I might set it up different to follow some curriculum guidelines from the era that I am teaching, but this is fantastic!)

1000 Names, Kathy Cassidy (CA 7/26/08)

1000 names is a wiki located at http://1000names.wikispaces.com/. This wiki was created at Westmount Elementary, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada For 1st and 2nd graders in there math class. The purpose of this wiki is to give an example of what the number 1000 looks like. Something easy to grasp for adults ot grasp let along a 1st or second grader. Very cool Idea! The teachers role was to put the wiki idea out there. Students added their names along with everyone else that came a crossed it Including myself (#1131) The majority of the wiki was completed from students and other people that have come a crossed it. The framework for this wiki was very simple. A single page that consisted of peoples names with a number by them. A few teachers put links to their own pages some discussing the same things we are talking about in this class and other just sharing things they have done in classes. They thing I liked about it this wiki is it was able to take something so abstract like the number 1000 and make it something students can see and relate to. I’m sure that most were astonish at how large the number 1000 actually was, I know I was. The huge benefit to using a wiki for something like this is how easy it actually could be to get such a large number of something to represent what she wanted to. Imagine how much work it would have been to get, and store, 1000 bottle caps. This could be used to represent many things like soldiers lost in wars etc.

Digital Liteacey at Millis High School (RB 7/26/2008) Digital literacy at Millis High can be accessed at http://milliswiki.wikispaces.com/ . The High school grades 9-12 is located southwest of Boston and the subject covered is Web 2.0 which is the broad concept of using various tools found on the internet used for education, communication, and collaboration. The students are forefront managers of the wiki, with the teacher working behind the scenes. The students at this high school have covered several of the topics that individuals should know and will encounter when using Web 2.0 and learning 21st Century skills. The first areas covered are those of safety to protect students while on the internet, as well as common edict. This includes Behaving Responsibly on the Web, Knowing Who You are Talking To, Cyberbullying, Internet Security, The Cyber You, and File Sharing The next section of topics are Blogs, Gaming, Other Technologies, Podcasting, RSS, Social Bookmarking, Social Networks, Virtualization, and Wikis. Within these links I found the topics easy to understand and well explained to a level that I would expect all readers to understand. I investigated one of the topics on RSS, simple because I haven’t and any experience with it before, and had a grasp on it quickly. I found this personally helpful. RSS is a way to keep up to date with multiple websites, blogs, wiki’s, and many other places on the internet without having to go to each site. It simply sends updates to you when something changes on the site. I think the students did learn a lot, as well as I think I learned a lot from this wiki. There is a benefit to using a wiki because it allows you to create several topics, links, and discussions from individuals both at Millis High School and those reading the wiki.

The name of the wiki is English VG1, and the web address is http://englishvg1.wikispaces.com/. The class is located in Norway and focuses on the English language. Although it does not mention a specific grade level, I am assuming it is for high school students. The purpose of this wiki is to inform Norwegian students about the English language on topics such as British and American history of the English language, different places that speak English, the cultures of those who speak English, grammar games and lessons, and English literature. The teacher that created this wiki acts as a facilitator - sharing information about the English language, and providing opportunities for the students to use that information to create their own projects. For each English topic, students must complete a task using the wiki. For example, students must write a wiki about an English speaking country, describing the country’s culture, demographics, history, education, etc… In another task, students must evaluate British newspapers through a wikispace. The wiki is very well-organized and easy to follow. Each topic has its own link, which leads the students to complete the task at hand for that topic. On the “literature” link, the students were asked to create a book report on a book of their choice. On the wiki, each student has his or her own link to the book report that he or she created. I was amazed at the work of the students, and thought that each book report was really well done. These students obviously have experience with technology! There is not clear evidence to say that the students learned more about the English language because it was presented on a wikispace as opposed to paper, but I can definitely see the benefit for the teacher by using a wikispace. This is such an easy way for a teacher to have access to student work at all times, and by the same token, all of the students can see the work of their peers and learn from great examples. I have had my students create similar projects (book reports in power point format), but it is extremely hard to grade these types of projects unless I use class time for presentations. Presentations can be effective, but at the middle school level, the students often get bored after about the second presentation. This way, students can browse the work of their peers, and I have everything I need right in front of me!
 * English Around the World (AH 7/23/08)**

Kevin’s Physiology Class (7/30/08) I explored the website named: How We Use Wiki in Class. The website is: http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/How+we+use+wikis+in+class?t=anon This web is created by Kevin, who is Biology teacher at University of Utah. Most of his class is taught via distance “with a live video connection between me and my class”. The reason why he started to use WIKI is because he is unhappy with the textbook he was using and decided to make his own Physiology Wiki Textbook with his students at wikibooks. The first time his project was chaotic in 18 groups. Each group worked on different chapters at the same time. However it was not very successful. The second time was continuing based on “the basic structure of the book”. Teacher and students went through chapter by chapter as a class. And they together improved their book as they went through it. The third time his Wiki class didn’t very well because there are only 7 students. Later on he adopted a textbook and started the wetpaint( I am not familiar now. I think to look at it). He has group work, writing notes after lecture, review questions… Wetpaint works very well for him. And he loves WetPaint because of “ the dynamics of fresh work being posted daily for the benefit of all”. Globally involved through wiki class is also one of his wonderful experience. He entered a contest on the Australia Travel Wiki and won a free trip to Sydney!! Wow, I wish I would have one. Here is the link to his Physiwiki homepage: http://physiwiki.wetpaint.com/?t=anon It seems to me, wiki is really a good site for the teachers to organize his class. And for the students they can go to the sites to learn or review the knowledge they need to learn any time as long as they have computer. If I am a teacher for the distance education, I would use wiki, too. However being a regular classroom teacher, is it possible to use wiki for daily teaching? Maybe not for daily teaching, however I can put my plan, my requirement, the test review…on wiki. When my students have time, they can just go online to review or learn.
 * 1) He has detailed information of each charpter. Teacher is the main design of the class.
 * 2) He has a site for students to enter. Students discuss in group.
 * 3) He has review questions for test of each chapter. So students have goal what they need to know about this chapter.
 * 4) Cool question site: For students who want to post any questions.
 * 5) Short video to help students using his site.
 * 6) Students participated the discussion. They are learning.

<span style="color: #7030a0; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Richards Worms Wiki (LH 09/11/2008) The wiki I chose can be found at http://4-4adventures.wikispaces.com/Worm+Online+Wiki. This wiki was created by Mr. Richards and his 4th Grade Classroom at Young-Hoon Elementary School in Korea. They are using technology to share with all of us, through some of the educational information they have covered in their classroom on various projects in multiple subjects. The purpose of this wiki is to use technology to help students reinforce concepts they are covering in various subjects. For example: They have the worm and watermelon experiments, and various reflections on reading assignments such as; Tale of the Fourth Grade Nothing. They also have fun links that the kids create to socialize with each other, for example: Nintendo DS Lite link. This wiki contains a great mix of student created projects and outside resources.

After navigating through 4-4 Adventures Wiki I think Mr. Richards creates and posts more information on the wiki than the students. He post questions for discussion and as homework problems, which the students then respond to, but he also has created links for other assignments and organized them from older material to more current.

What stood out the most about this site besides the worm project was how well the site was laid out and how easy it was to navigate around on the site, especially considering the grade level (4th grade). This wiki space is a great example of how to integrate technology into the classroom.

The teacher (Mr. Richards) role is to help integrate technology and learning together through this wiki. The students role is to update their notes on their experiments and to explore around on the site to the different activates and to have some fun by placing some of their own info to share with their friends.

As we read in //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Windows on the Future //, “If we truly want to make a difference…schools must become a place where students are actively engaged… students must pose questions and question answers.” This Wiki was a great way for these young children to get their feet wet into integrating technology in the classroom, and making it less scary for the future.

After searching through many unique and interesting wikispaces, I found one created by Mrs. Sheftel for her 4th grade students at Sandburg Elementary School in San Diego, CA. (http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com) She created this wiki for many different purposes. Mrs. Sheftel wants to post student work using PowerPoint and Publisher and post questions on the wiki page for the students to answer. She wants students and parents to be able to access links to educational sites that reinforce the learning that they are doing in the classroom.
 * Mrs. Sheftel’s Shining Sheep (PP 9/14/08)**

Mrs. Sheftel facilitates the wiki for her students and parents to let them know what she is going to be covering in all subjects throughout the year – Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Writing and even Behavior and Homework Expectations. Mrs. Sheftel also creates links for her students such as Homework Help, Family Letters, a dictionary, plus many others to aid in their learning experience. The majority of the wiki work is completed by Mrs. Sheftel herself so that the students and parents have opportunities to browse, read, and respond to whatever they may choose.

It is obvious that the teacher puts a lot of work into creating and editing this wiki. The students benefit greatly from the online interaction of their own technical abilities (discussion questions, movies, etc.). I am amazed at what 4th graders are able to do.

I really liked the work that went into providing the large number of links for each class! There is so much information that you don’t have to surf long to find something you will enjoy. I would really enjoy meeting Mrs. Sheftel because she is so organized and it is obvious how much she cares about teaching and her students.

Greatest Middle School Wiki (JH 9/15/08) They claim to be the greatest middle school wiki in the world! Collaboration Nation ( http://collaborationnation.wikispaces.com/ ) was formed by Connecticut’s Moran Middle School teacher, Paul Bogush. He designed this wiki for his eighth grade 19th Century U.S. History class. Bogush has created a wiki to share information with his students that they can use in and outside of class. The students have access to an abundance of information through videos, podcasts, articles and websites. Bogush also provides his students with examples of and ways to create podcasts, blogs, their own wikispaces and more. Although it appears that the teacher contributed the most to the wiki, I found the wiki quite fascinating and I learned a lot. The most interesting part is an activity that the students do called Three Words. The students create a video using a video camera and video tape themselves showing off three words. Students typically come up with creative phrases and innovatively display them. On the wiki the students will find a section called “How-to Pages” where the students can learn how to do just about anything on the class wiki, including how to post their videos. The videos were very creative. It is clear the students are learning a lot about how to use technology. They came up with an original idea, learned how to use a video camera to video tape, and were able to put this on their computer and from their put it on their class wiki. I definitely think the students benefited from learning this on a wiki verses any other way.

Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death, By Kurt Vonnegut (http://trcs.wikispaces.com/slaughterhouse+five). This Wiki is used by teacher Nicolas Best for his 9th and 10th graders at Renaissance Charter School in New York City. He is an English teacher and uses the Wiki as a collaborative learning tool made possible by 100,000 Wikis in the classroom project (http://blog.wikispaces.com/2006/09/100000-wikis-in-classroom.html). The purpose of the Wiki is to include information about the school, as well as ongoing projects that reflect student work and achievement. Mr. Best said, “It has truly revolutionized my teaching and the students have responded with incredible excitement and creativity to this format” (http://teachersfirst.wikispaces.com/High+School+Ideas+and+Successes). An example is the Slaughterhouse –Five book in which he describes how students can help each other with particularly difficult novels and concepts. The teacher sets it up where he gives a biography of the author and brief explanation of the book. Then, he sets up discussion questions that the students can write about. He also gives background information and links to the time period of the book for further research. The students need to answer these questions and write essays on the different aspects of the book. They can do this all on the computer and ask or look at questions without feeling dumb because they do not get a certain point or paragraph. The basic framing of the content for this wiki was created by the teacher but the discussions revolve around the students work. For example, there are lots of essays from the question, “Was the Bombing of Dresden Justified?” (http://trcs.wikispaces.com/Was+the+bombing+of+Dresden+justified). The content of the wiki is very detailed and a lot of effort was put into providing pictures, links, and written content to help provide an understanding of the content of the book. Just reading a book doesn’t mean you understand it. The one feature that made me choose this as my specific classroom example for discussion is that I love to read, but as a student I didn’t always understand all that was going on in the book or the historical, biographical context with it. This way of discussing a book gives a more detailed view than I think you can accomplish in a classroom time period. Also, students read and comprehend at different speeds and levels and this wiki put all on a more level playing field. It would give the special needs student confidence in the classroom because they could be prepared and knowledgeable and up to task. From what Mr. Best has described this wiki is a great tool for his class and the students have readily embraced it. The benefit of learning this lesson was there is so much more in depth. I would definitely use this in a higher level English class to keep the students interested and engrossed. Mr. Best was so impressed with this that he gave his email if anyone wanted to implement this into their classroom, teach11372 @yahoo.com Best, Nicholas (http://teachersfirst.wikispaces.com/High+School+Ideas+and+Successes). In a non-technological format the student would just have to rely on what the teacher discussed and what they had time to go over in the classroom. This format provides a neat little package of information to scan, absorb, and peak their interest while accomplishing an assignment.
 * NICOLAS BEST SOPHOMORE SLAUGHTHOUSE FIVE (M.R. 9/18/08)**

**Ms. Bode’s Band of Wagons…Go West!! (AS 9/18/2008)** I was immediately drawn to the wikispace created by Ms. Bode with her 3rd grade students (Social Studies) at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA. Entitled //**Go West!**//, this wiki can be found at http://gowest.wikispaces.com . Ms. Bode has created this wiki as means of teaching her students about the realities of 19th century pioneer life as experienced on the Oregon Trail. It appears that Ms. Bode has served as a facilitator and organizer in the creation of the **//Go West!//** wiki, while the students functioned as the researchers and artists in bringing the Oregon Trail to life. The students have surfed the web for the information (as listed on the Resources link) and put it together in their own words, with the help of Ms. Bode. In addition, the class has made use of various technology tools like scanners and digital cameras, as well as created their own artwork, in providing wonderful pictures to present with the information.

The wiki is divided into the following sections: **Introduction**, **Oregon Trail**, **Fun Stuff** and **About the Project**. The **Introduction** traces the periods from 1800-1869 with the use of two timelines, as well as provides some historical information on some of the explorers from that time period. The major portion of the wiki is found under the **Oregon Trail** section. Here the students present an in depth look at life on the Oregon Trail in regards to topics like disease, supplies, animals, weather and more. The majority of links to other websites is located in the //Jumping off Places// section that tracks some of the cities along the Oregon Trail. In addition, the students have included self-created pictures and digital photographs using bubbleshare. The link on **Fun Stuff** allowed the students to get creative in making up math problems, a crossword puzzle and a word search, all related to their project. Lastly, the **About the Project** provides a nice conclusion of the websites used in research and a reflection by the teacher.

I enjoyed going through all the links as they were well organized and created and it made me reminisce fondly of the days when I played Oregon Trail on the computer. The students definitely had a great learning experience in the creation of this wiki. As cited in the teacher’s reflection, the class was excited for every opportunity they had to work on the project and grew tremendously. Through the process, the students had to engage in research (reading) and then organizing the information (writing). In addition, they were given the opportunity to use technology tools, as well as be creative through their own artistic works. As we continue to see, technology is becoming more and more important, so the wiki provided a great way to incorporate some of the traditional coursework as well as the use of technology.

The name of the wiki is the Aristotle Experiment. This wiki can be found at http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/. Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, California is the school that decided to try the experiment. This experiment is being conducted using all of Mr. Conlay’s classes from freshmen through seniors. From the Aristotle Experiment website, the following is a great description of the purpose of the wiki, “What our schools teach our students is good, but we need to change the context in which they learn, provide our students with opportunities to interact with the 'real world' in real ways. The future of education is interactive, because that's what the jobs are in the ‘infoconomy’. The future of education is communal, because the internet is communication. And this is what our students want! To be active. To be real. To have purpose. To interact. To have FUN!” (http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/) The material the students are able to find on this wiki pertains to literature. It gives schedules, calendars, assignments, grades and feedback on how the student is doing in class. The role of the teacher is to upload the information that is needed by the students to complete assigned materials. Students need to log onto the wiki to receive assigned materials and check schedules. The majority of the content was created by the teacher to begin the wiki. The organization of the wiki is set up in such a way that the student can log on and easily find what readings are assigned, what they can do for extra reading if they choose, or even check the schedules to find out what is expected of them for the month. This particular wiki does not have links to other websites, however; the students do upload their assignments to the site. On the Aristotle Experiment wiki there is a video uploaded by the students showing how fun school can be when allowed to use other was of teaching besides lecture. (http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/) The Aristotle Experiment wiki stated that the wiki was “definitely an experiment. We started with the idea that anything that needed to be taught could probably best be learned by the students themselves, therefore (hopefully) shifting the focus of the class from the teacher to the student.” (http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/) I learned how to manipulate a wiki by having to explore it through this assignment. Having to manipulate the wiki to receive grades, homework, and feedback would force the student to learn how to work the wiki and this is the future so learning how to manipulate a wiki for a class seems beneficial. The Aristotle Experiment is being used as a supplement in a traditional school. This does not seem to be a great idea for the younger grades, but for the high school students it may be ideal. This would allow for the students to have jobs, if needed, and get homework and class time when it is convenient for them.
 * Mr. Conlay’s Classroom experiment (CG 9/17/08)**

This wiki (http://mswebster.wikispaces.com/) is used for second and third grade students at San Miguel Elementary School in Southern, CA. It covers all of the basic subjects that the children study throughout the day; including art, music, health and physical education. The main purpose of the wiki is to share the information that the children learn, with the rest of the world. She is trying to create global knowledge. Ms. Webster has games, vocabulary words, teacher tube videos of science experiments, and other educational videos. She also has a map of the world that automatically places a dot on the different locations people are from who have looked at their wiki. This could help lead into a discussion about different languages, culture, or maybe even weather and climate. For this particular wiki, the teacher created most of the content, however, she does have the children put some of their assignments on there, and she also uses podcasts to have the children explain answers to questions and how they found the answers. She treats the podcast like a live news show where the children are scientists, biologists, or even reporters just giving information. There are multiple links such as how to use or create a wiki, how to use a podcast, and many more. She has a list of vocabulary words for every subject, and you can click on almost all of the words to learn more about them. She also uses spelling or vocab. words in sentences, and gives examples of words with similar meanings (like a thesaurus). I really enjoyed the podcasts and thought it was a great way for the children to show what they have learned and also to go home and listen to themselves later. However, the feature that really stuck out was the daily communication her students had with people traveling in other countries. Most of the correspondence was done with her parents as they were traveling in South America. They would get on the class wiki every day and tell the children what country they were visiting and then ask a few questions about the region. The kids would get back to them later with the answers. I think this was a great way to get the kids involved with geography and social studies, not to mention, reading and writing. Doing this assignment on the wiki was a great benefit to me. I had never used a wiki before this class and was a bit intimidated. One thing I learned was that it is important to make it look appealing to the age that you are trying to attract. If you want 2nd and 3rd graders using it, you need to make it colorful with big writing and flashy words to attract their attention. You can have all the information in the world, but if it doesn’t look exciting (like an encyclopedia) children are not going to use it.
 * Ms. Webster’s Wonderful, Worldly, Wiki (JB 9/19/08)**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">**Flat Classroom Project (RP 09/18/08)** This wiki was created by Vicki Davis and students from several high schools around the globe. The purpose of this wiki is for students from different countries and cultures to collaborate on a project by analyzing the different trends of information technology and its effects on the world. Each student is paired with a student from a different school and together they gather information and create videos. What caught my attention about this wiki was that it was not a single class or even a single school; it was a collaboration of several classes from around the globe. Learning takes place in different ways, times and places.

Website: http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com Schools: - Westwood Schools, Camilla, Georgia, USA - Qatar Academy, Qatar - Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, USA - Vienna International School, Austria - Presbyterian Ladies College, Melbourne, Australia - Shanghai American School, China - Mary Institute St Louis County Day School Grade Level: - Middle and senior high school students Purpose: - This is a project where students from different parts of the world collaborate to analyze the trends of information technology, based on Thomas Friedman’s book “The World is Flat”. Teacher’s role: - The teacher’s role on this wiki is a regulator role. Keeping students updated with deadlines, to-do lists, support and monitor wiki. Student’s role: - Collaborate with students from other classes, create videos for a specific topic and share information related to the specific trend being analyzed. Content creator: - Students and teacher Organization: - Is a public wiki but only students and teachers can edit information. Visitors are welcome. Content Description: - Videos, podcasts, pdfs and links to websites like google, facebook, wikis, ning, youtube, etc.. Key Feature: - More stood out from this wiki to me is not a key feature but what this wiki was able to accomplish. Coordinate a project among several classes in different parts of the world and different time zones. Do they learned? - I think the students learned a lot from their participation in the wiki. They did not just learned about the different trends in technology, but also they learned to work side by side with students from different cultures (a great skill for their professional lifes) and use several web tools that otherwise they might not have taken the time to try. Wiki vs. Non-technological format? - Definitely wiki. I don’t think there is better way for students from different cultures work together and face the challenges that this cultural difference brings than participating in this global collaboration. Just like it’s name this wiki flatten the walls among different countries and cultures.

**My Tech Page (RL 9/20/08)** Web Address: My Technology Page http://ehabernig.wikispaces.com/ Name of School: Kingston City Schools Grade levels: PreK-5th Subject areas covered: Most subject areas covered Purpose of the wiki: Technology resources for educators Role of the teacher: Elaine Habering has compiled the website lists and maintains the wiki. Role of the students: Students really have no role Organization of the wiki: The wiki is organized by grade level and content area with some extra resources such as Smartboard and library resources. Feature that I most enjoyed: This wiki stood out to me because it has so many resources that actually work!

I found many of the wiki sites lacking in information. The My Technology Wiki lacked in student input but made up for the lacking by having various well-organized resources for teachers and students alike. I would defiantly use the websites she has listed, specifically the http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/index.cfm site for its interactive and educational games. As teachers we often search long and hard for an education and entertaining website that our students can interact with. Elaine has taken the searching back to minutes instead of hours. Her wiki will be useful to all future teachers on some level. I struggled with this lesson, as I couldn’t get to a place to search for wiki pages very efficiently. It was a good experience and now I know to cut off all the extra stuff and type in wikispaces.com and search from there.

**Team 8 Blue – Way Cool Wiki!** (SG 11/2808) As a middle school science teacher, I was interested in wikis designed for this subject and age group. I was inspired by how Mrs. Laguna has transformed her 8th grade math and science classroom into a web 2.0 classroom. Mrs. Laguna teaches at Milford Middle School in Milford Pennsylvania. Even though she’s probably younger than me, I want to be like her when I grow up! Her classroom, wiki and website are amazing! She entitles her wiki page Team 8 Blue, you can find it at: http://team8blue.wikispaces.com . The page is very easy to navigate and would be helpful both as a teaching tool and a parent communication tool. She has a main page from which you can navigate to her subject areas (Algebra and Physical Science), Daily notes and Group pages. The subject areas include resources for teaching each chapter including visualization tools and links to related web sites. The daily notes pages contain each day’s notes (which would be helpful for absent students). From what I can see, the daily notes page and the subject area pages are created and maintained by Mrs. Laguna. There are lab group pages which contain lab reports written by the students during labs they do in class, the students record their observations, data, results, etc. Strong evidence of hands-on learning is present in these pages. Additionally, I really liked the affirmations that were included in her wiki. She really asks her students to be people of character, which I find to be important in today’s world. I was blown away by the volume of information on this wiki! I can’t believe the amount of work that must have gone into these pages (daily notes!). I believe this wiki would be a wonderful resource for Mrs. Laguna’s students because it is engaging and really extends the learning experience. Also it would be a powerful resource for parents who want to know what is going on in the classroom.

After a long and extensive search I have found this class wiki created by Mr. Mundorf for his fifth grade students at Tommie Barfield Elementary School in Marco Island, Florida. He designed this classroom Wiki [|http://www.jmundorf.wikispaces.com] as a way of introducing his students to a new technology while at the same time using a medium that is flexible and accessible. He also has links to a few classroom resources, including social studies vocabulary, pictures of his students in action, famous people Friday and book reviews.
 * Mr. Mundorf’s Class Wiki (MR 10/29/08)**

Mr. Mundorf created the wiki and appears to be one of the people facilitating it but I also saw a few links to student oriented projects. One of these is an awesome example of how a wiki can be used with an SRC. The SRC’s were student created with them explaining the title of a book and the following story elements of the book: character, setting, plot, challenging vocabulary and websites that might help explain some key words from the book. I was simply amazed that these fifth grade students knew enough about technology to create their own links to other websites to help other students understand that book along with their work on discussing the key discussion points set up by their teacher. One even included a link to a book review of that book done by a person outside of the wiki.

Mr. Mundorf’s goal was to introduce his students to a new technology so he included a short video “Wikis in Plain English, about how wikis work and why you might use one versus email. It was explained so well it really helped me to understand more fully on how wikis can help make your classroom more effective. If you are confused about wikis, I would suggest watching this video to help clear up any confusion for yourself. This demonstration was a great benefit that students wouldn’t have had in the classroom or seen if they hadn’t visited this wiki.

It appeared on the wiki that students were just starting to explore on the wiki because there were only a few SRC’s done this past summer and it wasn’t clear why there weren’t more posted. I kind’ve felt this project was not really finished so it was hard to decipher if the students had learned as much as they could have. I did feel though that the video alone would have given them better knowledge than before about why wikis are being used instead of email or a blog.

**Holes Wiki (KD 10/29/2008)** This wiki, which can be found at <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/ was set up by a students in Dubai who were reading the novel, __Holes__, by Louis Sachar. The wiki was created by a reading class made up of Year 8 students, which would be comparable to middle school in the United States. The class read the novel, then designed the wiki based on the story. The purpose was for the students do demonstrate their comprehension of the text along with providing a forum for discussion and analyzing the novel. The teachers set up the wiki and gave the students guidelines contributing content. The teacher also monitored the students’ updates to ensure that everyone was participating. The students’ role was to actually create the content. The main page of the wiki has a graphic, and all of the links to the parts are in the navigation on the left of the page. There is also a discussion section on the top. The wiki includes the following sections: A summary, a quiz, a description of the characters, descriptions and pictures of the setting, and a discussion about events that took place in the story. The class members worked collaboratively on completing the wiki. The coolest part for me was the quiz that anyone can take about the story. The students came up with 32 questions about the story and created an interactive multiple choice quiz that anyone can take. The user just clicks on their answer to find out if it is correct. The wiki reminds me of a traditional book report, but it allows the students to do more than they could with a poster or report. The discussion and interactive quiz features really make it easy for the students to demonstrate their understanding of the book. The discussion feature allows the students to go deeper and analyze the text as well. I think that the students probably learned more from setting up the wiki than they would have through a traditional book report.

Dwight Social Studies page (LD 10/30/08)←Modified 11/2/08
 * The wiki is called dwightsocialstudies and the web address is http://dwightsocialstudies.wikispaces.com/
 * There is no location, except that the teacher is Mr. Cunningham and it is Dwight school.
 * There is no indication of age, but I believe this would be a high school wiki page.
 * This is an example of a history wiki page.
 * The purpose of the page seems to have every piece of curriculum on this wiki page. I believe these are the lessons for the history class. I don’t see any interactive pieces on the page at all. This site is a place where students can create lessons or pages for the class. The students create and update pages and engage in regular discussions.
 * Students are often the editors.
 * The students seem to be the audience and also the editors.
 * The students created most or all of the content.
 * The page is organized with links on the left, with headings indicating what lesson they are from. The students update the pages and they also engage in discussions. The teacher seems to be the moderator.
 * The content is created and edited by the students.
 * This wiki is very organized. The students create the lessons and can also interact via the wiki.
 * The students learn a lot from this site. The students not only create the content, which means they are learning the content, but they are also learning about editing a web page.

In this wiki, the teacher has established a framework for the critical parts of the assignment, chose literature, links, and discussion questions. He appears to be working as a mentor on the project. The framework of the wiki seems to have been teacher created, the students participate seems responsive as opposed to creative initially this activity. However, as the students begin to get into the project, the utopias will be of student design, not teacher design. The students have the task of designing their own utopia, posting their work and critiquing each other’s. They also have a hand in design of the assignment itself. The wiki is organized into segments relating to the project, discussion among participants, links to literature and helpful suggestions, and a guest space. Students will design pages as their projects take shape. One feature that I really liked was that the students were discussing the use of a rubric as an evaluation tool. The teacher was trying to find out if the rubric would be helpful or a hindrance to the creative process. Students were voting and defending their positions. I thought their comments were very insightful and not what I would expect at the 7th grade level! The kids were clearly learning about the use of technology, literature and the fundamentals of society. They also were learning appropriate ways to discuss and critique each other in meaningful ways. It appeared that all the students were participating in the discussions and project. Teaching this in a more traditional way would probably not have worked as well for a few reasons. First, the on-line discussion allowed for each student voice to be heard and responded to. Also, the teacher could provide links and resources that would otherwise not have been possible or easy to provide for all kids to reference often.
 * The Discovery Utopia Project (DZ 11/1/08)** The wiki I chose for this assignment is called The Discovery Utopias and can be accessed at http://discoveryutopias.wikispaces.com/ . The site was created by Ben Wilkoff, an instructor at Cresthill Middle School for use with 7th and 8th grade students. The site was not explicit about the particular content area, however, based on the assignment, discussion boards and rationale; it appears that it is geared toward the social sciences and language arts. The wiki was designed as the vehicle for the creation of utopias to explore the aspects of society. The wiki appears to be a summative assessment of concepts acquired from literature and social studies around the idea of an ideal society.

In the search for a wiki that enhances learning I found an example I thought was unique and fascinating. The focus of the wiki is on personal growth and development of students which is an area that I feel is a very important, but often overlooked aspect of the overall education of our students. The wiki is called the Discovery –ism Project and can be found at http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com. It is a site that was created and is maintained by students and staff at Cresthill Middle School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Several subject areas are covered and they could be categorized as language arts, debate, philosophy and even art in some cases. The main supporting teacher created the concept based on ideas gathered from other sources and provides the structure and guidelines for the wiki. The students have created the majority of the content of the wiki in the form of contributions about opinions on several topics and beliefs. Organization of this wiki includes several links regarding the purpose and posting format and examples. There are also external links to websites and resources that are related to the main ideas of this wiki. The purpose of this wiki is to provide the students with a forum in which to exchange ideas about their core values and help to answer questions of identity for middle level students. Some examples are provided but the students are encouraged to explore their own notions of issues that they encounter in their lives. The student created content is very interesting as it demonstrates the diversity of opinion, and more importantly shows how differences can be accepted and turned into positives. This is one idea that captured my imagination, because I am a believer in that type of thinking and was impressed by this type of activity being encouraged at the middle school level. The benefit of this wiki is in exploring one’s self and learning or defining self. This comes at a time when these students are asking these very questions, and the wiki format encourages this in an interactive and non confrontational manner. Visit this wiki and see if you agree.
 * Discovery –ism Project (AJ 11/01/2008)**

= Mr. Sheehy’s English 9 (MT 11/1/08) = Name of site English 9-Words, Words, Words- http://sheehy-english.wikispaces.com/

The 9th grade class is located in Rapid City Central High School, Rapid City, South Dakota. This class is focused on English Literature. The purpose of the wiki is mainly to inform the students of everything that is going on plus more. Students are given ideas of things to write, focus points, books to read, blogs, discussions and what topic the class is currently reading. The teacher serves as the narrator or moderator of the site. He seems to have setup up the layout of the site and is putting it up as a reference for his students. The students play a passive role on the site except for if they want to enter the teacher’s site and participate in his discussions. The site is setup with you entering the home page. You can then enter the English class that you are in. Once in the site, basic information is given as to a past units and what the students are currently on. More information is given on the current subject when clicked on. The site is setup more as a ladder where you either go up or down, in this case forwards or back. This wiki site had a few references for writing papers and a MLA guide.

Students are actively engaged in their blogs. They each have an account and respond back to different literature that was read, movies, and whatever they want to communicate to Mr. Sheehy. Students also put up final papers and various forms of expressions and reflections into their blog pages. It is a great place to have all of the students work in one area and allows the students to express their own creativity online. Each students page is a little different yet has similar topics that pertain to the class. This blog space is a great way to utilize technology as means for communication inside/outside the classroom.

The one piece that stood out to me was he gave more information if I wanted to learn more about his pick in authors. I could get more books, pictures, quick readings and information on an author. I also liked that there was an updated section on what the students were currently in, in case they needed a reminder. I believe students have the option to find our more information from what he gives. I think Mr. Sheehy could have given more links to outside sources and activities. I believe there was a benefit to having this on wiki because it allows communication between the students and teachers as to what is happening in the class and extra things that the students can work on to get more points.

GIFTED KIDS NETWORK (SV 11/2/08) The “Gifted Kids Network” http://talentedandgifted.wikispaces.com/, is a wiki devoted to collaboration between gifted and talented students throughout the United States, and abroad in some cases. It is not a grade or age specific program, but appears to cater to an elementary crowd. It is a supplemental program designed to get gifted students utilizing technology to enhance learning. It is intended to be used by very self-motivated, there are teachers and mentors monitoring and assisting with the project as needed, but the students are core to the program. The wiki provides links to many great online programs that can be utilized by the students. These programs include available software links, a socialization area, and links to different student written blogs, learning labs, and project based portfolios posted by the kids. One of the more interesting links I looked at had the kids collaborating to create a virtual zoo. It was amazing! http://talentedandgifted.wikispaces.com/Virtual+Zoo+-+Summer+08 Although there are great links provided by the teachers and kids alike, it is the highlighted student work and discussion that make this wiki interesting. The majority of the content seems to be created by the students and is of a superior quality. Kids have put together amazing projects for both Science and Social Studies found in the student portfolio section of the wiki. From looking through the portfolios, it appears the kids have learned a lot about their chosen subject area and the technology they are using for their projects. Similar projects could have been done by the students without the use of the wiki or other technology, but it is obvious that the technology helped the kids collaborate. These kids are from all over and they work together, check out other projects and get to socialize with other kids with similar interests. This could not have been accomplished without the wiki.


 * Mrs. Johnson’s Reading & Exploring in Cyber Space. (SH 12/2/08)**

The Wiki Reading, Writing, and Wikis: Nurturing a Sense of Wonder across the Curriculum was about students from West Hill High School collaborative effort about research surrounding the Holocaust. There were two stages of the project, the first stage was for the students to write a story about a child and follow the child’s stages through the Holocaust. The second part of the project was for the students to create a family from an assigned country that was affected by the Holocaust. The country consisted of Greece, Poland, Hungary, and Germany and was broken into four different groups per class period. Periods 1-4 had links with each student’s name and the country they researched. Other links that were included on the Wiki was information about the Holocaust for the students to explore. These links consisted of overview, background information, project simulation information, and resources. In addition, the majority of the content on the Wiki came from the student. The student had to come up with realistic points, describe the pros and cons, address the consequences of each decision, and fill it in with a narrative that reflects their research on the Holocaust. This was accomplished by 30 different groups putting their part of the project (branching) simulations into the Wiki. In addition, the teacher had to review the requirements of the branching simulation and provide an overview of the website’s resources. The teacher, Dan McDowell, who is a History Teacher, also had his own website. His website stood out to me because it was very informative. His website included, lesson plans & projects, instructional & web design, teacher workshops, his biography, and a link for students and parents. I feel the students did learn from this project because it was a collaborative effort that utilized technology. If the project was done independently I feel the students would not have learned as much as they did within a group, because if done independently they could not have learned from each other. http://eduscapes.com/sessions/readwritewiki/

The Wiki I selected is from an eleventh grade langauge arts teacher at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Ohio. Teacher Carrie Brown uses the her wiki to motivate students who otherwise have not been sucessful in previous English classes or have failed to pass the English portion of the Ohio Graduation Test. The web address is http://brownread180.wikispaces.com/. Mrs. Brown’s students post research projects, assignments, and pictures. She uses the wiki to facilitate differentiated learning for reading and writing. There are links for students to view Youtube videos, use Noodletools to assist them in notetaking and bibliographies. Mrs. Brown states her classroom is virtually paperless because of the wiki. She grades assignments and can offer feedback more quickly. She can also monitor the site very closely which allows her to know when students are completing assignments, what they say and what they use. She and her students also communicate via blogging. The site is laid out with a home page that provides students the opportunity to get to know Mrs. Brown. She posts pictures and discusses her favorite things to do. On the left side of the page are links to each period she teaches. When you click on one of the periods you are able to click on a childs name and read about them – sharing likes, dislikes and pictures. Back to the home page Mrs. Brown has links to the Scholastic web site for her reading club Reading Counts, along with the course syllabus. Further down on the home page she has links to other sites for spelling, reading and many others. The site is definitely put together by the teacher but students have their touch as well with their personal stories. What I like about this wiki is she is using technology to reach kids with something they are comfortable with to learn something they struggle with. She has been very successful in her effort. Test scores speak volumes: All but three kids passed the Ohio Graduation Test last spring and all but two children have shown progress in Lexile scores anywhere from 8 to 315 points in eight months. Learning this lesson on a wiki provided me with not only what can be accomplished using a wiki in my class but the resources that are out there that teachers can use! I had never heard of Noodletools before to name just one. This was a great experience. Huston, P. (2008) //English teacher shakes up learning with positive results// Retrieved November 1, 2008 from Ohio Department of Education web site: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?Page=3&TopicRelationID=1601&Content=51687
 * Brownread180 (BS 11/2/08)**

This Wiki is officially titled “Littlewood’s Nature Guide” (http://littlewoodnatureguide.wetpaint.com/) and has become the creation of a 5th grade elementary class in Florida under the care of ‘Ms. Birdsey’. Following an environmental center experience that they all very much enjoyed, the class decided to set up this Wiki in the form of a nature guide to explore even further on their own. The site focuses on different plant and animal species near the school. The students contribute a photograph of their chosen subject, plus the name and scientific name to set up their own profile page. Then by doing their own research from sources of their choice they provide additional key facts and information they want to share, and yes, they do have to cite their references. The teacher has set up the basic framework and templates to help get them organized, but it’s up to the students to turn the pages into more than just white space. Ms. Birdsey also provides several ‘how to’ areas for those who need a quick refresher on how to go about contributing. It is easy to see that the students are responsible for the creation at hand as every page includes a link to the author’s profile icon. There’s division tabs for discussion, member lists, photo gallery, tasks, and multiple links throughout the site to other websites for additional information. One thing that stood out that I quite liked was the ‘facebook’ type profiles given to everyone involved. Students pick an icon to attach to their general info which is then used as a signature in a way when they contribute something to the site or join the discussion. The Wiki pulls this project together in an easy to read and explore format. The access to other websites aids in their initial research with pictures to help pin point what species they’ve found. The Wiki also allows the class to have on-going discussions and avoid any repetition of content since everyone sees the whole collection as they go.
 * Meet Mother Nature (KK11/02/08)**

** Mrs. Johnson’s Latin America (SH 12/3/08) **

Learning Latin America is a Wiki created by 9th graders from Upper Merion area High School. The purpose of the Wiki is to investigate research, discuss, analyze, evaluate and teach information about Latin America. The students will do this by carrying out the following objectives: creating a code of ethic by creating the wiki space, research the topic and outline the chapter, write the essential questions the class should be able to answer from your topic, break up objectives for each lesson based on the essential questions, write lesson plans to include activities materials and assessments for each set of objectives, prepare for teaching and teach, and participate in other lessons. In addition, the teacher’s responsibility was to explain the assignment to the students. The students created the majority of the information on the Wiki. The framework, links, and organization of the wiki consisted of the listings of the countries and underneath each country were links that took you to the geography, history, culture, and current events of each country. Once you click on the link you can watch a short video, view maps, and see the country’s flag. The videos really stood out, they were very informative. Judging by the content and the information on this Wiki I do think the students learned from their Wiki experience. http://learninglatinamerica.wikispaces.com/

The name of the wiki is Code Blue [|www.codeblue.wikispaces.com] The site was created by Kim Cofino. This was a sixth grade Science class from Mont'Kiara International School, in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia. This was introduced to the students in order to help them learn how to use technology in the classroom. The students learning about the human body systems opened their own online medical clinic. It was evident in this wiki that the role of the teacher was minimal. The students provide almost all of the content. I believe the teacher first provided the students with the initial websites to research their topic on the human body systems in order to get started. From there the students researched the information and developed their clinics. Working collaboratively with students across classroom sections, they posted their information on the wiki. I believe it was the teacher who divided the students into groups. There were three main groups and each student in the group was a doctor who specialized in certain areas. Each doctor (student) gave a brief biography about him/herself. Then added the information that he/she had researched about the human body. Other students in their group were able to edit and add information and provide feedback about assignment. The content had many links to other websites to provide much more information on the body systems. This wiki was basically created and edited by the students with teacher guidance. This was a very interactive project with other students in different classroom sections.The students collaborated with each other by updating the pages and by participating in discussions.I truly believe the students learned a lot from doing this project. A lot of research took place that was done mainly by the students. They posted comic strips and pictures from the internet. The feature that stood out to me was the discussion part. This was evidence of student collaboration without a lot of teacher input. The online medical clinic was developed in big part by the students themselves. I believe much more learning took place on the wiki as opposed to a non-technological format because the students were able to work together across classrooms at any time. They didn't have to worry about setting up times to meet so the work would get done. They were able to edit and add on their own time. Many times when working on a group project children have to make arrangements to get together to finish their project or to make final revisions etc. I believe a lot more collaboration took place working on a wiki. I really enjoyed the discussions that took place. It showed a lot of hard work and dedication the students.
 * Code Blue** **(M.C.11/7/08)**

MRS. SHEFTEL'S 4TH GRADE CLASS (JS 2/8/09) I explored Mrs. Sheftel’s 4th Grade Class Wiki located at http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com . This class is located at Sandburg Elementary in Colorado. The wiki was created by the teacher, Mrs. Sheftel. She has information for the students, parents and fellow teachers contained on her Wiki. This Wiki allows parents and students to stay connected and retrieve information from one central location.

Mrs. Sheftel has a page that is dedicated to homework assignments. Both students and parents can check the homework that is due on this page. She also has a page for student discussions. The students are the main authors for this page. The students can use this page to ask questions to other students about any topic. They can also relay information. For example, one of the last postings to that page was telling other students to check out the new school website. This is a great way for the students to stay connected and learn about technology at the same time. The Wiki also contains a page for student projects. Parents can go to this page and see how technology is used in the schools. This page contains power-point presentations from Mrs. Sheftel’s class. The Wiki also has links to other educational websites that Mrs. Sheftel would like to share with both parents and fellow teachers.

One of the features of this Wiki that stood out to me was the link to “Sandys Pals, A Pen Pal Program” located at [|http://sandyspals.blogspot.com] . Mrs Sheftel’s students are pen pals to a class in Australia. The class can use this link to see the postings from Australia. This is a great opportunity for a 4th grade class in Colorado to learn from a class in Australia. I believe this is a great use of technology in schools and will help Mrs. Sheftel’s class learn interactively. This is a good example of using technology for a “hands-on” project. I do believe that the students in Mrs. Sheftel’s classroom have learned from this Wiki experience. There are many entries on the Wiki from the students.

I believe viewing this Wiki was a great learning tool for me. This was the first time I viewed a Wiki developed for an elementary classroom. The amount of information on it was amazing. The Wiki allows parents to stay connected to the teacher and the projects their kids are working on. As a future teacher, I am excited about setting up a Wiki for my classroom.

Nick Vogt Assignment #3 Education in the Age of Technology Gary Latman created a wiki for his five freshman English classes. His school is located in Chicago, Illinois. You can find the site at http://survey-of-literature.wikispaces.com. The title of his site is Survey of Literature. The purpose of the site is to educate his students and parents on what will take place in the courses and what is expected of the students. He lists the assigned readings and work the students will have to do in the class. He has different links on his site also. One link is a course description and objectives link. He breaks it down by semester. He lists the reading and topics that will be covered in the class. This includes the autobiography “Black Boy” and the topic mythology. Gary Latman is the creator of the site and the students seem to use it as a resource. I found it very interesting that he has different links for video poems and a Loudit link. Here you can listen to different poems and also stories including “Adventures of Huckleberry Fin”. He gives his students the opportunity to review notes in a slide show about American Romanticism. The one feature that really stands out to me is the different links he has for the students. You can click on these different links and listen to poems or short stories. It is very convenient and easy for everyone to use. I think students really could have used this site to prepare for the class. All of the assignments and expectation for the course are there for them. In this way I feel there is a benefit with using this. The students would never be left out on anything and would always know what is expected each week.
 * Survey of Literature (nv2/9/09)**

Mr. Wikoff’s Ism Project (KS 2/9/09) The name of this project is “The Discovery – Ism Project” and it can be found at http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com/. This Wiki is for middle school aged children. This is a very interesting wiki for both students and adults. His purpose for this wiki to have students know who they are by the time they get into high school … “I am me.” Both the teacher and the students have important roles on this wiki. The teacher’s role is this wiki is to guide the student in discovering their own ism and being about to be open minded to other people’s isms. He quotes that the “unexamined life is not worth living.” The student’s role is to follow the directions on “living up to such a legacy.” They have assignments and posts that they are supposed to do. But the majority of the content is from the teacher, sort of a guide for the students. There is a basic framework to this wiki. On the main page there are all of the directions and the purpose of the wiki. And there is a column on the left hand side where all of the links are posted. There are a few useful links on this site, one being: http://smithenglish9.blogspot.com/2006/09/this-i-believe.html. However, there is quite a bit of information on this wiki that is could be overwhelming. The feature that stood out to me the most was that all of the students’ isms were part of the main page. It did make them probably feel like this is who I am and I am proud of it. After looking through the students’ responses to this wiki, I feel like they had a good grasp on the purpose of this online experience. There was a huge benefit to learning this lesson on the wiki. I do not think that the students would have gone as in depth on this assignment if they would have had to do it on paper. There was a lot if interesting things that they added to their ism. It was a neat thing to see.

http://mcadorylab.wikispaces.com/ McAdoryLab Wiki The wiki that I researched has been made for K-5th grade classes in the McCalla School District in Alabama. It is called McAdory Elementary School Technology Lab Wiki. The purpose of this wiki is to give the students (K-5) a website that links them with other classrooms around the world. This is also a website for parents and others to share projects that are created in Mrs. Jones’ lab. Links are continuously downloaded that help the students in Mrs. Jones’ classes share resources. Mrs. Jones has uploaded much of the website with additions by students mostly in the 4th and 5th grades. Mrs. Jones’ site is very easy to navigate. There are links sorted by grade level as well as subject which makes the searching quick and easy. There is also a link to Mrs. Jones’ school’s home website. A blog, teaching curriculum for the state, and technology objectives are also listed on the home page for quick access to important information. When a student enters the website he/she would most likely click on his/her grade and then search for the appropriate link. Some of the links include; games, science, and math. Other teachers from around the country have listed links to their web pages as well as certain websites that may be beneficial to Mrs. Jones’ students. What sparked my curiosity of this wiki is that this wiki has been started by an elementary school’s technology teacher. What a great step for an elementary school to take. She can work directly with the teachers in her district to employ this website into their daily lessons. One such lesson that the students utilized on this wiki is the history of the civil war. Word documents and videos have been uploaded as well as links from other students outside of theirs. This is the easiest way to share information when compared to a hand written, typed or in-class lesson. Posting the childrens work and allowing comments and new source information is a truly beneficial learning and teaching strategy that should be utilized more.
 * First Wiki Search (TC 02/09/2009)**

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wikis (MK, 2/9/09)

Sharon Vanderhook created a wiki, Welcome to the Wonderful World of Wikis at http://wonderfulworldofwikis.wikispaces.com/. It was created for her grade 6/7 class in British Columbia, Canada. This wiki covers a variety of subjects including: math, literature, career exploration, and drama.

The purpose of the wiki is to disseminate information and create an online learning environment. The teacher has created living documents that are updated not only with homework assignments, but discussion boards for assignments and interactive copies of her lectures.

I looked at quite a few other wiki’s before choosing Ms. Vanderhook’s. Many were merely newsletters, postings with homework assignments or lists of links. This one however, was much more comprehensive as well as having more interactive content. The class notes section was far from being the newsletter that I had thought it would be. The class notes section was an interactive posting of notes on the chapters of their math lessons. Students were encouraged to add detail or expand on the concepts they learned in class. What a great review resource for the students or even a “make up” tool for when the occasional absence occurs.

The discussion board had tabs for book talks. Teachers can pose questions, start discussions and moderate an online chat about the assigned reading. Again, this is a great interactive tool, very much like the online discussion board format we have been utilizing.

Most of the content is “home grown,” it was created by Ms. Vanderhook. There are a few links to other sites including one to learn to create your own wiki. Overall I think it is a great combination of information about the classes as well as interactive learning tool for the students.

This wiki, located at http://gowest.wikispaces.com/, is a student created wiki on the Oregon Trail and westward expansion. This wiki stood out to me because of the amount of student work on it. Most of the wikis I looked at had some student content, but this one is almost entirely made by the 3rd grade students at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA as the culmination of their westward expansion unit. The teacher’s role was supervisory and set up, not the actual content of the wiki (outside of the teacher reflections section). Students did research on teacher selected websites on various topics such as diseases and hardships, the types of wagons, entertainment, food, timelines, and other areas of the topic, then “wrote” their sections and posted them on the wiki. You can navigate easily to the various areas using the menu on the left hand side of the page. I think that in doing this project as a wiki instead of a traditional poster, research paper, or even a powerpoint project, the students learned not only research skills and about the westward expansion, but also collaboration and technology skills. The wiki has a link to Bubbleshare where they have a slide show on how they measured out a wagon, giving this project a high-tech presentation of a low-tech hands on aspect. From the content as well as the teacher’s reflections, I can see that this was a successful project that taught objectives other then social studies – technology, math, social skills and cooperation, research skills, organization, and proper documentation of sources. Plus, it made learning fun.
 * Cindy Bode’s Go West! (NH 2/10/09)**

=“With Luck, the Future will be Stranger Than My Fiction”= (RP 2/10/09) My chosen classroom project to share is http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com It is an example of wiki being used to help pupils learn about how emerging technologies will impact education, employment, politics, government, the arts, entertainment & leisure, science & the environment, and health. The name of the project is Horizon Project 2007. Its address is http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com The wiki is a collaboration of five classrooms located in: The five classes cover grades 10 through twelve. The seven subject areas are: The purpose of the wiki is to investigate, research, discuss, analyze, and evaluate the seven subjects (listed above) and how they impact:
 * Bangladesh
 * Georgia (USA)
 * Melbourne (Australia)
 * Vienna (Austria)
 * Shanghai (China)
 * User-created content
 * Social networking
 * Mobile phones
 * Virtual worlds
 * New scholarship
 * Emerging forms of publication
 * Massively multi-player educational gaming (MMEG)
 * education
 * employment
 * politics
 * government
 * the arts
 * entertainment & leisure
 * science & the environment
 * health

The role of the teacher(s) is to “guide students to understand this world and [help them to] be comfortable in a collaborative business world that literally never sleeps.” Additionally, the teachers are there to make sure that the requirements are met (http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/Requirements for Teachers).

The role of the students is to work in teams collaborating with team members to create wiki pages with embedded multimedia objects, within the time limits and scope defined.

From my perspective, it appears as if the majority of the site was create by the students within a robust framework created by the teachers. The student content is limited to the multimedia objects and supporting text inserted into the wiki pages.

There is a concise home page with an introduction, containing links to each of the seven subject areas which are, themselves, their own wiki pages. On the home page are links to each of the collaborating classrooms’ schools, corporate sponsors, and a left-side banner with links to a variety of student resources and rubrics. Also included are digital clocks set to the local times of each of the five participating schools. From the introduction you can go to pages covering each of the subject areas. Each of the subject pages contains several multimedia and text articles that relate the subject to each of the impact areas.

Each subject area contains a table of linked contents. Also included are YouTube and TeacherTube video objects, original text (with plentiful embedded links) print cartoons, original and non-original graphics, charts, and photographs.

On the positive side, one feature that stood out was that books are an inefficient delivery method of information; by the time they are printed, the information in many is out of date. The author made a prediction that libraries will go the way of the dinosaur. Another was a video (and supportive text) about the future of cell phones (in ten years’ time). In a decade, cell phones will be your PC, your TV, email, movie theater, hi-def camcorder, quality camera, projector, and remote control, MP3 player, game device, built in GPS and waterproof and have a bigger screen. The short video was a collection of short videos (presumably done on a cell phone).http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/Mobile Phones

On the negative side, the MMEG and the Virtual Worlds videos are extremely difficult to understand due to the loud background music added as a sound track to the video content. It seemed to me that all the students learned something from their wiki experience. Among them are:
 * Script writing
 * Script reading
 * Interviewing skills
 * Video camera operation
 * Video and audio editing, including dubbing

The benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki was learning to walk the talk. To learn in any other mode would be hypocritical.

The Year 8 students at Dubai International School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates created a class wiki related to the juvenile fiction novel “Holes” by Louis Sacher. The “Holes” wiki ( http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/ ) demonstrates the students’ depth of knowledge not only about the book, but about a variety of topics related to the story. These topics range from stealing to onions; from juvenile correction facilities to palindromes; from inventions to Pig Latin. The wiki addresses reading, writing and English specifically, and even includes a bit of graphic analysis. Clearly the teacher’s purpose was not simply to have the students understand the characters and plot, but also to immerse the students in the story allowing them to creatively express their personal reactions to the book.
 * Mr. E’s Year 8 Students at DIS, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (KB 2/10/2009) **

The teacher, Mr. E., seems to have had a minimal role in producing content for the “Holes” wiki. Based on the discussion and history tabs on the wiki, Mr. E. got things started with the students, then backed off and assumed primarily an advisory role. He reminded students of target dates for certain tasks, reviewed content for correct spelling and grammar and approved major changes the students suggested. Then he let the kids take care of things. For example, Mr. E. posted a comment saying simply “This has quite a few typos to correct.” ( http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/message/view/Summary+of+the+Story/553106 ) The history shows no other comments from Mr. E. regarding typos. I didn’t notice any glaring typos in the summary of the story, so obviously the corrections were made, assumedly by the students. Again, based on the discussion and history as well as the material posted, the students were responsible for building and editing content, creating links, contributing original writing, responding to discussion and communicating with one another about content improvement and task assignment. They asked for help from and offered help to each other on several projects.

Visitors to the site have nine navigation choices: Home, Summary of the Story, Camp Green Lake, Quiz, Then and Now, Characters, Wacky Inventions, Styles of Writing and Other Pages here. Each page includes tabs for the page itself, discussion and history, as well as the common “notify me” tab. Content includes text, photographs, images of student artwork and links to outside sources such as Wikipedia. Students contributed original palindromes, a quiz with links that offer up immediate feedback to the visitor’s answers, time and tension graphs which graphically represent literary tension as the story progressed chapter by chapter. Links to side-bar items add depth to the main topic of each page. For instance, when discussing one character named X-ray (real name, Rex), the wiki offers a link to a page dedicated to Pig Latin.

While I found much of the content cleverly presented, one feature that stood out to me more than others was the navigation selection called “Wacky Inventions.” The main character’s father is a mostly-unsuccessful inventor. His luck changes, and he finally hits upon a winner. The tie-in to inventions includes a solar powered scooter, mosquito bite scratcher and (my personal favorite) the indoor sundial. ( http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/Wacky+Inventions )

Some of the learning experiences, particularly the writing and drawing components could have been done in a non-technological format. However, the depth and breadth of this wiki were certainly enhanced because the lesson revolved around creation of the wiki. The subprojects (palindromes, quiz, time and tension graphs, etc.) made sense because they were all interrelated. I think this interrelation made the story more than just a story to these students. “Holes” became an experience for them. Preparing the wiki content for the eyes of the world seemed to make the students more intent on producing good work such as correct grammar and spelling and a pleasing layout with consistency in format. The biggest benefit may be that the wiki has connected these students to the world beyond their doors. Visitors from Australia, Germany, Malta, Texas and Pennsylvania have put pins on their map (part of the “Other Pages here” selection). They now have a pin from Neenah, Wisconsin, and their learning has become mine.


 * Mrs. Sheftel’s Centennials (EB 2/10/09)**

Mrs. Carrie Sheftel has created an interactive wikispace for her 4th grade class (http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com) at Carl Sandburg Elementary. The school is located just outside of Denver in Centennial, Colorado. The class wiki covers all areas of Mrs. Sheftel’s 4th grade classroom, including a Homework Page and Student Work page.

The purpose of the class wiki is to provide students and parents with information with the happenings of the classroom throughout the school year. Mrs. Sheftel created the wiki page and maintains the organization and content of the information. The students are able to look up their weekly assignments and spelling words. They are able to display their computer projects on the Student Work page.

Mrs. Sheftel’s class wiki page is very well organized. She introduces the class wiki with a slide show presentation outlining the classroom expectations and what to expect in each subject area for the upcoming year. There is a variety of classroom and educational content on the 4th grade wiki page. The Educational Links page provides approved links for students and parents to access for additional learning. The links are separated by subject matter to guide the students. The Parent Pages offers each parent a glimpse into their child’s classroom. Mrs. Sheftel outlines the monthly coursework to keep parents up to date on what their child is learning.

The Pen Pal page of the class wiki is a very exciting feature. Mrs. Sheftel and her class have started blogging with Mr. Kelly’s class in Australia. It is a wonderful experience for her students to connect internationally with other students.

The class wiki is an ongoing tool the students will use throughout their 4th grade experience. The student benefits from the class wiki through technological interaction with the teacher and their classmates. The Lessons page offers students the chance to view video recordings of Mrs. Sheftel’s lessons, just in case they missed something in the presentation. The class wiki is an invaluable tool for the parents to stay connected with the teacher and their children.


 * George Street Normal School Room 16 (JT 2/10/09)**

The wiki that I went to was George Street Normal School Room 16 at [|www.gsnsroom16.wikispaces.com]. This class is located in Otaga, New Zealand. This wiki is for year 2 and 3 students, which translates to 6,7, and 8 year olds. In this wiki they cover language skills, math, geography, geology, and science. The purpose of this wiki was to allow students to become more independent in the way they study and find out answers to their questions. The teacher becomes more of an advisor to guide the students towards discovery, versus telling them how to solve their problems. The students are then able to work on projects while the teacher is assisting other students in activities such as guided reading. If the students on the wiki have questions, they are able to IM the teacher so as not to disturb her and the other students during reading time. The majority of the content seems to have been initially created by the teacher. There are parts where the teacher has posted a question for the students and they have replied with their thoughts along with other questions that they are wondering. The setup of the page is pretty straight forward. On the lefthand side are links to Home, Language, Maths, Topic, and Rules. Each one leads to another section pertaining to that topic. Under the Maths link, it leads you to different sections in math and computer based games and learning for the different topics. Under the Topic link, there are sublinks to their current project or discussion. When you click on any of the links, you are also able to find links to other websites concerning the topic at hand. There are also links on TeacherTube for videos of the topics on hand. Most of these appear to be added by the teacher. I really liked how the topics were related to the children by explaining the topic as well as having visuals for the students to see. This allows children with different learning styles to have more than one way to take in this knowledge. I feel that the students were able to help themselves in solving problems with this wiki. The teacher set up areas to look, and had a rule that the students must ask three other students before they could ask the teacher. This allowed for more collaboration, and let the students possibly teach each other. With the lessons and topics on the wiki, students are able to click on different links if they had further questions on the subject matter. They also were able to ask questions on topics that they wanted further explanation on. It seemed to me, the students took an active interest when they were more hands on.


 * BROKEN** **ARROW** **PIRATE** **(BG** **2/11/09)**

Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in an Enhanced Learning Program discovered a creative way to research everything there is to know about pirates. The teacher, Mrs. Moffitt, simply gave an introduction explaining how the students learned their research strategies through Big6 Skills, a website designed to teach students ways to gather information. Otherwise the students compiled all their information themselves and shared it on this website, http://arrrpirates.wikispaces.com. The web page is cleverly done with various subject sites listed on the left hand side and colorful information with pictures on the right. Each page is researched and written by a student. Added information or links direct you to other student pages or websites such as, wikipedia. For example, on the page Piracy Prior to the Golden Age, it talks about the Egyptian Empire which then takes you to another link, PBS.org. Anything you ever wanted to know about pirates is included, such as: pirate ships, the Golden Age of Piracy, pirate biographies and modern piracy. The purpose of this wiki not only taught students interesting facts about pirates, but it showed them how to use the internet by gathering and accessing information off various websites. They learned how to design attractive web pages that are not only interesting, but informative for the reader. They then posted it on the wiki. Students worked on writing research articles that covered several topics. So they learned history as well as how to compose a research article for the wiki. As a reader, I was amazed at the amount of work and research that went into organizing this wiki. It’s very easy to go from one link to another, learning about different facets of history along with piracy. You leave the site with a broad base of information. And with that, I believe the students learned a great deal from their experience. I don’t believe they would have had so much information at their fingertips if it had been done through textbooks rather than the internet. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I have chosen a technology lab wiki created by Mrs. Jones, a technology teacher from McAdory Elementary School. The title of the wikispace is named McAdory Lab and is located at http://mcadorylab.wikispaces.com. McAdory Elementary School is located in McCalla, Alabama. The grade levels covered within the wiki are kindergarten through fifth grade. Kindergarten <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">engages students in learning letters and the reading process, while first through fifth grades develop and enrich students’ math skills using a variety of different avenues. Also, science is introduced in fourth and fifth grades. However, it is obvious that math is a primary focus and dominates the wikispace activities.
 * MCADORYLAB (JB 02/12/09)**

The purpose of this wiki page is to share resource links with parents and students. It is also a platform for sharing projects created in the lab with a worldwide audience. Mrs. Jones is the facilitator and creator of the framework on the wiki page. There is a lot of content intertwined into the McAdory Lab wikispace. The page is setup with bright yellow, green and blue colors to catch the reader’s eye. The left side-bar contains individual links for each grade. Within each grade level there are many activity links to educational games involving letters, reading, science and of course math. This year Mrs. Jones is having different grade levels help write a lab blog that involves the students’ ideas and questions.

The McAdory Lab wikispace grabbed my full attention. When I started to click on all of the activity links I discovered entertaining educational games such as <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[|Math Dojo] <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[|Decimal Football] <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, and <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[|Math Tetris - Piggy Bank] <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. I found that these games provide enrichment and challenge students while having fun. There are many additional interactive math websites Mrs. Jones makes available on the page. I see this wikispace as a huge benefit toward motivating students to work and learn outside of the classroom.


 * A Good Hobbit To Get Into (KA 2/12/09)**

Mr. Brown and his fifth graders from Pocantico Hills School in Sleepy Hollow, NY, have come up with a unique way to chronicle the experience of reading the book, The Hobbit, in their English class. They call their wikispace, Hobbitalk. The address of their site is http://hobbitalk.wikispaces.com/. It was the class' first attempt at creating a wiki and and as Mr. Brown stated, “It was quite an exciting experiment.”

The home page of the site is very eye-catching. It has a slide show of pictures of the book's characters that grow in size as if they're moving towards you. The navigation menu has 14 choices from which students can gain access to assignments, a grading rubric, rules, a chapter section, and vocabulary. This area seems to be the nuts and bolts of the site. The chapter section is interactive in that the teacher posts questions by chapter and the students can answer them but also respond to other's answers.

There is also a section that lends itself well to the student's creative side. It includes such sections as Hobbit Art, Cryptic Comments and my favorite, The Hobbitty Awards where the students came up with criteria to nominate such things as creepiest creep, and most dramatic scene of the book and then vote on them.

The creative writing section allows for such things as chapter rewrites, poetry and character interviews where the students wrote the questions for a character and then answered them the way they thought the character would've answered them. To further broaden their exploration, the site included a section called Hobbit-o-pedia and and “Lovely Links,” such as http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/MainPage.

My overall impression of the site was how fun it must've been for these students to explore such a fantastic book in such a new and creative way. I believe the benefit from using a wikispace to explore this book was that students could really get involved in their own learning process. It enabled them to work collaboratively and get immediate feedback from their teacher and classmates. I would say they created at least 75% of the site with their teacher acting in more of an advisory role. They wrote questions, (traditionally the teacher's role) as well as the answers. What's more, they learned about how to create a wiki, how to scan pictues, and add video. These are tools that they would not have learned if they had gone the traditional book study route.

I am willing to bet these 5th graders learned more about The Hobbit, the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien, and wikis, than they ever thought possible. From the artwork and poetry to the character interviews and the technology that held it all together, the whole site was very clever and well thought out by student and teacher alike.

The Aristotle experiment ( http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/ ) is the brainchild of David James Conley, an English/Literature teacher at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, CA.
 * The Aristotle Experiment (DB 2/13/09)**

Mr. Conley set up this wiki to show and help students in doing “book reports”. Each book that is in their curriculum has a project page. This page lets the students know what is required for each report. This includes links to sites to help with different portions of the projects.

For one book, Homer’s “The Odyssey” the class is split into teams. Each team has to create a wikipage about a particular section of the book, including a visual recreation, a web page and written analysis of that section. The students can use the wikipage to help delineate tasks, discuss the project and complete the project. The teacher can enter his comments and advice as the process is ongoing.

A tremendous advantage of this wiki is the ability it gives for the students to communicate and collaborate during the project and the ability for the teacher to help and keep the students on track throughout the process.

Could this project have been done using only verbal communication? Yes, but the ability to have instant feedback and to read and see what others are doing throughout the process makes it much easier for collaborative projects.


 * KEMPSVILLE-AVID** **MIDDLE SCHOOL (AL 2/11/09)**

AVID students at Kempsville Middle School, in Virginia Beach, VA have created a wiki (http://kempsville-avid.wikispaces.com/) that connects them with students at Priory, a K12 school in Bangor, Northern Ireland, a sister city to Virginia Beach. (AVID is a national, non-profit college preparatory program for grades 4-12. Their website: [|http://www.avidonline.org].)

The wiki is not assigned any specific subject area, but its contents suggest it is a lesson in geography, culture, writing, and communication. Teachers and organizers involved in the project provide assignments, participate in discussions, and create the overall structure of this large multifaceted wiki. Students’ work makes up the majority of the wiki, however. They may discuss topics of their own choosing, check the weather in Ireland, read and write their own stories, create profiles, link to related websites, and check assignments. Some parts of the wiki are password protected and probably contain more of the students’ assignments.

The purpose of the wiki, it seems, is to simply encourage creative communication between students in two distant places. Not only do the students in both countries learn fluency in electronic communication and networking, they are provided the opportunity to explore a different culture. The most striking aspect of the wiki was the fact that the students were almost completely in control of discussions, and were free to talk about their own interests. Lengthy chats about favorite bands, sports teams, and holiday traditions can be viewed, and they are a lot of fun to read.

Although students didn’t learn facts or “book smarts,” they did learn about people, cultures, and communicating. Their freedom to create led them to learn things that they wanted to learn which builds self-esteem and character. The wiki medium allows them to communicate in real time and get almost instant feedback to their participation. The Kempsville Middle School students and Priory school students can communicate, in minutes, what would have taken months in pre-internet times.

**Camp** **Oak** **Wiki (CT** **2/12/09****)** The name of my wiki is Mr. Rickert’s Wiki Page and the web address is http://crickert.wikispaces.com/. It was created for a third grade class in nearby, Oakfield, WI. The teacher, Mr. Rickert, created the wiki for his students and their parents as a place to easily access weekly newsletters, spelling words and any parent letters that were sent home. He updates special projects the class is working on and examples of student’s writing assignments. There is a link to math games for the students to play. The students and parents of Mr. Rickert’s class can use this wiki as a helpful resource. Hard copies of the documents are sent home but sometimes they can be lost. Also many students have more than one family they live with. Both sets of parents may want to see or quiz their child with the spelling words.

The content of this wiki is created by Mr. Rickert, except for the papers written by the students that the teacher uploads to the wiki. The web page was created by a Packer fan. The background colors are different shades of green and there is a Packer helmet in the top left corner. Subject sites are listed on the left side.

The feature that stood out to me was the link to the accelerated reader book find. The accelerated reader (AR) program is very popular and I personally did not know how easy it is to check if a book from home has an AR test. The students that visit this wiki space can learn from the math game link. The major benefit of this site is that it is kept up to date and anyone can access it on the internet.


 * Mr. Anguiano’s 6th Grade Class (SH 02/13/09)**

“Mr. A- Ancient Greece” wiki (http://mra-ancient-greece.wikispaces.com/) is made by a 6th grade Ancient World History class. The purpose of this wiki is to both understand Greek Mythology and also (oddly enough) to learn the presidential election process of the United States. The students appear to have created most of the information on this wiki, including research and student-created artwork, as well as fictional campaign posters encouraging votes for specific gods to be President. The teacher appears to have laid out guidelines for the general layout of the site, including plans for the Election Process, posting of history, and assigned gods to each student. It remains easy for a teacher to monitor their students’ involvement and progress when completing wiki assignments. The teacher can view when a particular user ID (student) logs on to the wiki and can make highlighted the edits that user has made. (Wiki Wisdom p.3) The wiki has a welcome page/homepage that links you straight into the first of the two main content pages: Greek Mythology. This page then has picture links to individual pages on each Greek god as well as a link to the second main content page: Election Headquarters. This Election page has links to the three political parties’ pages, as well posted radio campaign MP3s, and a link to the discussion between candidates and classmates. The content of the wiki is both research-based, which, although not cited, appears to be general mythology that could be commonly verified in a variety of locations, and also student-created fictional biographies and political campaigns of the Greek gods. I loved on this wiki that the links weren’t all written out, but rather the students designed symbols for their Greek gods and used the symbol as an icon to link to the god’s biographical page. I thought this feature was both artistic and very user-friendly. From this wiki experience the students learned both about mythology and a current national event, as well as graphic design, web layout, how to make links and post pictures, and use message boards for a written class discussion. Wikis are about collaboration in the classroom and meeting goals, both individually and as a class. They are about a real-life, real-time experience where a student’s content and edits are meaningful to a live audience. (http://eduscapes.com/sessions/readwritewiki/ Section 2) The colors, patterns, links, etc. are not overwhelming to students, or to as Jukes and McCain refer, Digital Natives (p. 95, 100). This is the world in which they are comfortable and work best. Jukes and McCain bring up the author Steven Johnson’s suggestion, that students today are “very sophisticated thinkers who amongst other things, have learned to take risks without being reckless, have learned to deal with failure, are confident, motivated, and expect a lot of themselves—in areas they care about” (p. 92). The benefit of doing this unique lesson on a wiki as opposed to in the non-tech classroom is simply that the students in this technological age can connect better to the computer lesson format rather than paper and pencil lesson format. They already are comfortable and excited about using technology everyday, and the world will continue to move in the way of technology. Upon entering the workforce the 6th grade students of today will not find using wikis fun and innovative, but the skills they learn on a wiki today will help them to be all the more prepared for what comes in 2015. Works Cited: Anguiano. 2008. “Mr. A- Ancient Greece” wiki. Retrieved 2/13/09 from http://mra-ancient-greece.wikispaces.com/. Davis, Michelle. 2007. “Wiki Wisdom: Lessons for Educators.” Education Week’s Digital Directions. Retrieved 2/13/09 from http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2007/09/12/02wiki.h01.html?print=1. Jukes and McCain. 2007. “Windows on the Future: Thinking about Tomorrow Today.” InfoSavvy Group. Pages 73-103. Lamb, Annette. 11/07. Updated 8/8/08. “Reading, Writing, and Wikis: Nurturing a Sense of Wonder Across the Curriculum.” Retrieved 2/13/09 from http://eduscapes.com/sessions/readwritewiki/.

Because I was not really impressed with the wikis I found on the link we were given (and because I noticed that most of them were for high school classes), I “googled” a search for “elementary class wiki” and found an awesome website (including a wiki) that I just have to tell you about. (http://www.smithclass.org/) The name of the teacher who put it all together is Mr. Terry Smith, who teaches fourth grade at Eugene Field Elementary School in Hannibal, MO, and according to his bio on the website did a lot of technical writing and editing for several computer companies before he went into teaching. The website is a real testimonial to his skill in both technology and teaching, and the wiki is only one of the fun parts of it.
 * Mr. Smith’s Fourth Grade (JS, 2/13/2009)**

The wiki (http://smithclass.wikispaces.com/) was teacher-designed for the students’ use. Mr. Smith, who has traveled extensively (http://www.smithclass.org/acts/mr.htm), uses the wiki to integrate students’ knowledge of history/geography, science, language, literature, and even art. His fourth grade regularly communicates with children in Taiwan and Australia, completes projects in tandem with schools around the world via MP3, email, web cam, etc., and showcases the results on the wiki. The first project on the wiki is a podcast the children did about the history of their hometown, Hannibal, MO. On a different link you can listen to the children’s recorded greetings to their friends in Taiwan, one of which includes a child counting in a second language. You can click on the Coral Reef Project, which takes you to photos of the children’s art (sea animals); click on a picture, and you will find that child’s report about the animal he or she drew. There is also a link on the wiki to Kidlink Landmark Project 2009, which is like a trivia game that children all over the world can play to help them learn about places on the globe.

Both the website and its wiki are beautifully designed and easy to navigate. That is what stood out to me, because that is what I was looking for. The pages are organized, coherent; they do not have information scattered all over, as I have noticed a lot of other wikis do. Mr. Smith makes great use of photography and SchoolTube to make his site colorful and interesting. Although there are more links (and fun projects) on the website itself than on the actual wiki (the collaborative part), students visiting either one would definitely be engaged and definitely would learn a lot. I learned a lot, just watching a few of their videos!

I think that the main benefit to having this type of class wiki is that it connects children from all over the world. While I do not really appreciate all the political implications of globalization, I love the academic implications, because I like to travel myself, and find communication with friends in other places absolutely fascinating. I think children need to learn as much as possible about the history, geography, and cultures of their world, primarily as a means of finding their own identity in that world.

1. About Mr. Smith (2009, February 13). Retrieved February 13, 2009, from http://www.smithclass.org/acts/mr.htm 2. Class wiki (2009, February 13). Retrieved February 13, 2009, from http://smithclass.wikispaces.com/ 3. Mr. Smith’s Fourth Grade (2009, February 13). Retrieved February 13, 2009, from http://smithclass.org/

I reviewed an AP History wiki project entitled Holocaust Wiki Project, located at [|http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/%7Eahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=Holocaust_Wiki_Project]. The class that utilized this wiki project is from the Grossmont Union High School. The students are in a high school AP World History class. The wiki was organized to help the students review for the end of term AP Exam by participating with a group to report out about a specific major event in history. The second project consisted of writing a story about a family living during the Holocaust in a choose your own adventure format. The students were responsible for creating several pages on the class wiki relating to these assigned projects. The students created the majority of the content. The organization of the wiki was somewhat challenging to find what I was looking for. It took various clicks until I could find examples of group projects and learn about this class’s projects. It would have been easier to navigate if there was some kind of table of contents with imbedded links to each aspect of the site. Once I stumbled upon several group projects of stories involving a specific family during the Holocaust, I noticed that only one of the projects I viewed included a map. Most of the projects I observed only included text. All of the projects I looked at included links at the bottom of the pages to new pages as you chose the decisions the family had to make during the Holocaust. Using a wiki for a project like this would make it easier for group members to edit and post their drafts until all members had a chance to revise or edit the content until the entire group agreed on the final product. It appears that the projects took considerable time to put together by researching, drafting the choices the families had to make and the potential consequences of those choices, and developing a final copy. Working as a group would create a better project since you have more than one person developing a final product. By using technology, group members can make their projects more complete with images of maps and links to additional resources (if relevant to the assigned project).
 * Holocaust Wiki Project (EB 3/21/09)**

**Class Wiki (KB 3/29/09)** After looking at and exploring several wikis, I finally found one, called “Class Wiki”, that fit perfectly with my grade level (second grade). Mrs. Topence created a wiki site for her second grade class in Utah. Her wiki can be found at http://ktoponce.wikispaces.com . The primary subjects that this wiki includes are: writing, health, social studies, and math. The purpose of this wiki is to provide a resource for the students to enhance their education. It also gives students the opportunity to share their work on-line. For example, a topic that her second graders were expected to master was continents. By clicking on the word “continents” at the home page, it brought you another link that listed each continent. When clicking on one of the continents, it opened up to a second page that included a list of facts about this continent done by each student in the class. You could tell that the students went into the wiki to add their facts because there were several spelling and grammatical errors. Some continents, like Australia, included a link to a you-tube video to learn more about that topic. Also, the students posted a writing piece and illustration about their favorite continent. Mrs. Topence also included a poem that was recited by the children discussing the continents. This page alone provided a way for the students to share their work, read their classmates work, learn more about the continents by watching videos and read more information by going to another web page. The web pages and the videos were age appropriate and provided additional information to expand their learning about the continents.

Another area that the students could link to was a feed timeline. This included a month-by-month calendar with either Weekly Reader Publisher links or Science News For Kids. The students could read current information by choosing the topic of their choice from the calendar. Mrs. Topence also created a geometry page which looked as though her class was expected to complete it independently or at a time when they were at a computer lab. Her directions at the top read, “Second grade-write your name next to one of the solid or plane figures. Add in the details in the appropriate squares about your shape. Good luck and have a blast!!! When you are done, scroll to the bottom of this page to go to a fabulous website with a mini movie and games” ( http://ktoponce.wikispaces.com/shapes ).

Underneath her class picture on her homepage, you could click on each student’s name to see and learn more about that child’s interest. Some of the things that were included consisted of the following: favorite song, three things they do well, what their friends say about them, the most important thing to them, things that they would like to improve on, etc. This page also included a video of each child reading.

The role of the teacher on this wiki was to provide the parents with an inside view of their child’s education by viewing and listening to examples that were done by their child. The teacher also provided a learning experience that engaged the students in technology that enhanced their learning through geometric shapes, continents, and writing. Mrs. Topence created a great opportunity to intertwine technology with teaching and helping to promote student achievement. She also provided a means by which the parents may become more connected with their child’s learning beyond conferences.

Although Mrs. Topence organized the content and layout of the wiki, the students also had a major role in using this wiki to add information about themselves, learn more about a topic that they are studying, and having to input information rather than using a worksheet to show the same results. I am sure that her students take great pride in their work that has been showcased on this site.

The framework of this wiki was very nicely organized and easy to follow. All of the extra links to other websites, you-tube video, and student content was flawless. It was easy to navigate through and even provided another link to Mrs. Topence’s classroom web site that gave more information about her curriculum, school news, upcoming events, and many other classroom related items. Her wiki also provided access to a classroom blog.

Out of all of the other wikis that I viewed, I enjoyed this one the most. The organization of this wiki was one of the features that I liked the best. The students were provided with multiple opportunities to learn through the use of writing, filling in information, using visuals to apply what they have learned, and watching videos that were linked to their interests. With clear expectations and directions, I am positive Mrs. Topence’s students are able to use this technology to increase the amount of learning that takes place in her classroom.

This is the first time that I have ever viewed a wiki, and I have to say that it was definitely an exciting experience. Now that I have a little more knowledge about how wikis are used, I can begin to start my own wiki for my second graders. This assignment was very beneficial because it gave me an insight on how to integrate technology in my classroom.

The title of the wiki page is 16. It is for Room 16, George Street Normal School, Dunedin, New Zealand and can be found at http://gsnsroom16.wikispaces.com/ . I could not find a specific age range for the class, but they seemed to be somewhere in the range of Kindergarten – 3rd grade. The subjects covered are, Math, Language Arts, and Specific topics the class is studying. The purpose of the wiki is for the students to learn through inquiry. The teacher sets up the parameters in which the students will be able to search. The students then search to answer her questions at their own pace. There is also a link where the students can go that links them to the online dictionary, [], and more. The teacher is the facilitator. She uploads websites, videos, etc., that will help the students answer the questions that she posts. Information may be regarding Math, Language, or a specific topic that the class is discussing. The teacher has also put links on the page about the rules for using the wiki, as well as what to do and where to look if you have a question. The students are participating in inquiry learning. They were given assignments each day that either consisted of computer work or non-computer work. Since there were only a few computers in the room, the students switched back and forth each day. The teacher has created the content on the wiki with input from the students. The students asked the teacher to put some agreed upon websites on the wiki for those that finish their work. They discussed and came up with a list of appropriate websites that the students are able to search on. The teacher then made a “fun page” for the students containing those websites. On the left hand side of the screen, you are able to click on tabs for Home, Language, Math, Topic, Questions, Help, Rules, and Action Research (for teachers). When you click on a tab, it brings you to that specific page, where you will find more links that pertain to that tab. I don’t quite understand the labeling for some of the links on the pages. I’m not sure if possibly the class is divided up into groups and they each have their own link or not. It is not clear. The content on the wiki is mainly links to areas where the students can search about a topic or can get practice for reading and math. For instance, on the Topics page, there are links about the topics that they have covered such as; China, Beijing Olympics, Fabrics and Fibers, etc. Clinking on any of those links brings you to another page that has more information on that topic. By clicking on the Math or Language, it brings you to a page where you can select what you want to work on. For example; if you click on Math, it will bring you to a page where you can decide if you want to work on addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, fractions, number knowledge, and more. Clicking on one of those links usually brings you to a game that works on that skill. I did not find any content created by the students, other than their answers that were given to the teacher in response to a reflection question. I really like the fact that there were specific rules that the students had to obey by when using the wiki. They were to ask 3 people before asking the teacher, they are not allowed to interrupt her small group, and they know that if there is a problem on the computer that they cannot fix, they put the help sign on it and find their other non-computer work to do. I also liked many of the games that were linked up for extra practice. There are so many good websites on the internet; it is nice to have them centrally located, where the students know where/how to find them. The students are then able to be more independent and responsible for their learning. Yes, I feel that the students learned more through using the wiki then through a non-technological format. The teachers states on her Action Research page, “…in life people don’t tell you what you will learn before you have an experience. I don’t think that students learn to do this if we tell them what they will learn all of the time. Often the students have talked about things they have learnt that I didn’t think of…I think a focused inquiry into the concept you are trying to teach is a far more powerful way of making learning explicit without doing all of the work for the students.” I agree with what she is saying and I think that it is a great thing when children can have some control of their learning. The students seemed very excited to do the wiki work. They were able to take more control over their learning and take responsibility for it. In their reflections, many talked about how much more information they learned by having the wiki then just by having the teacher tell them things or show videos.
 * Johnson’s Wikispace Review (3/24/09)**

**Code Blue (AE 3/25/09)**

I discovered a wiki called Code Blue http://codeblue.wikispaces.com/ where 6th grade students from Malaysia learn about the human body. The wiki is designed to simulate a medical clinic. The students appear to be divided into 3 medical clinics where they describe their credentials and special field as a medical practitioner. One student is an Immunologist, another is a Cardiologist, an Orthopedic Surgeon, a Gastroenterologist, a Neurologist, and a Pulmonologist. The student doctors worked together to design a logo that is photographed and placed on their clinic's homepage. It would’ve been neat if they could’ve found a way to collaboratively create their logo digitally. I wonder myself how logistically possible that is with 5-6 students around one computer.

For the Immunologist’s homepage, the students in their clinic collaboratively collected information about what an Immunologist does and how the Immune System works. There are pictures and links to other sites that describe diseases one may need to fight with the Immune System such as the flu and chicken pox. All of the images are cited and there is a wealth of information all in one place, all collect by the students.

Finally there is a patient section where a bio is given with symptoms. I don’t know how much information is included by the teacher, but I would leave the diagnoses up to the students and have them attempt to diagnose and treat the various illnesses. Although this does sound like fun, I am a Health teacher with a background on prevention. Creating diagnoses’ as if I were a doctor could potentially make me look like a fraud. We would have to research on Web MD a lot to make sure that we were correct and we would be learning together. I’m not comfortable deciding if they are correct or incorrect with their diagnoses, however I can agree that they could be on to something. Even when patients see real doctors they sometimes get second opinions, right?

The wiki is easy to navigate as the clinic pages are all located on the left column. There are tabs on the top to change the page to the discussion forum or history. What I like most about this wiki is what I can learn from it myself. There are links to information about the body systems that I can use right now in my classes. I am sure that the information is much more accurate than what I get from my textbooks from 1995. I want a laptop for every student now more than ever. Do we even need textbooks anymore? = Welcome to Mr. Armstrong's U.S. History Wiki! (SV 3/25/09) = = When I was tasked with creating an Advanced Social Studies class for 6th, 7th and 8th grade at St. John school, I developed a curriculum that did not include any worksheets, tests or book work (aside from reading.) Rather my class is graded on the quality of student research, the creativity of their presentations and the thoughtfulness of the essays they must write after each unit. As I was looking through the educational wikis, I was struck by a wiki that develops an 8th grade class structure similar to mine. I chose “ Welcome to Mr. Armstrong's U.S. History Wiki!” (http://delmarhistory8.wikispaces.com/) because I would like to create a similar wiki for my own classes. = = This wiki, created by Anthony Armstrong of Del Mar Middle School, Tiburon, California is described by the teacher as “An 8th grade U.S. History class wiki designed around students investigating and doing history, not having it fed to them” (http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis ). The wiki provides links to the students with their assignments, rubrics and the ability to communicate with the teacher and each other in or out of class. Also very exciting is that the wiki also gives students the ability to podcast, which could open up presentation possibilities for projects that the students would do. Most of the content on the wiki is created by the teacher, but student work and communication are important elements on the screen. There are also links to class documents, like “excuse for late assignment” sheets. The wiki is organized into historical units based on the textbook used in the class. However, all of the information from the book is on the wiki, and can be read at any time. Student work can be found organized by class periods and on the message board area of the wiki. Many of the students contributed cartoons for their projects, an idea I have thought about, but did not really know how to do. = = The wiki also links to other informational websites, including a sort of “all inclusive” sight sponsored by the Contra Costa Office of Education ( [] ). This website serves as a “one stop resource” to a variety of educational websites like Discover Education, Math Quiz and World Book Online. There are also links to resources providing techniques for creating and uploading videos and other media centered presentation formats. = I chose this wiki because I am always looking for new ways to guide my students. This format would give them far more ways of doing research and showing knowledge than they currently have. I am going to use the information that I found to set up a similar wiki for my classes next year, and incorporate the tools I have found. I also looked at the student work, and they created high quality work that was accessible and showed depth of learning. I was very impressed with this wiki, and will use it as a model to enhance my own classes.

REVIEWING ADAMS NEWS WIKI (LL 3/25/09) Adams News Wiki at **http://adamsnews.wikispaces.com/** is an interesting site. It is a website created for a middle school in Redondo Beach, CA. This site is very user friendly and interactive. It is full of information about the school. Pictures of students, teacher interviews, events, school activities, a calendar section, and an explanation of the mascot are all interesting aspects to the site. I especially enjoyed all the pictures of students since it gave a real sense of the school. Most students know how to post pictures so this would be the easy part to implement. Students would benefit from creating and maintaining a site like this by feeling a part of the school and community. There are links to msnbc.com, schoolnotes.com, newschoolnotes.com, and many //ads by Google// with links to other sites. The links to notes by teachers showed the involvement of the whole school in technology. What a nice resource for parents and students to have such useful information. I would like to look at adding this to our current school website. The teacher, Stu Woodard, is the facilitator, but the students maintain the site. With many families using the internet on a daily basis it would be a real benefit to have all the school information so easily accessible. I worry that I would miss some of the parent calls for the information, but maybe our conversations would evolve into something else. There are still a few families that don’t have internet access so there would need to be a way to get the information to families in hard copy. I will use this information as the foundation for a meeting with our technology department to have my students create a similar site. It would probably be best to start out as a class site and then evolve into more student involvement in the district site. Something like this would be an excellent integrated unit for students. There is so much from our computer, language arts, life skills, and social studies curriculum that could be utilized for this type of project. We would also have to bring in staff from other areas to help us out. The collaboration possibilities are endless. Students would be able to demonstrate that they have the ability to use critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and social skills. With a writing emphasis students would use skills that are traditionally emphasized in only one subject area. I was a bit skeptical of the Wiki idea until I found this site and the wonderful opportunities that it presents.

** Terry The Tennis Ball (MG 2/25/09) **

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The wikispace that I found the most interesting was the page created by a teacher from **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">Bellaire ** **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">Primary School ****<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;"> in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The teacher’s name is Mrs. Pearce and she is a third and fourth grade teacher. The address for the wikispace http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com/About. The teacher started this page almost three years ago. The wikispace is a place for the student writer to create their own “Choose their own adventure.” It also creates an opportunity for the students to have their writing seen by other people. **

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal;">The wikispace seems to be a great resource to encourage students to become engaged in their writing. The students are the ones that are writing the story and adding to the book. I think that many of my students will be more engaged in their writing if they knew that other people could read the stories. This would be a great way to have the student’s relatives see what they are doing. The school has posted the wikispace and has links to other of the schools’ wikispaces. I think that I would use the wikispace to give the students a chance to journal after they have finished an assignment. Overall I think this would be a great resource to make students writers.

Follow Me is a Wiki I found through the Eduwiki.us site (http://eduwikius.wikispaces.com/) which is a place where educators can go to find good wiki sites to use with kids. Follow Me (http://Followme.wikispaces.com) was developed by Brandon Lutz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Lutz is a fifth grade teacher and with his class has presented Morpheus Fortuna, a bog turtle, which is circling the globe on perpetual vacation. Morpheus is a stuffed animal made at the Build-a-Bear Workshop, per instructions on the wiki. Morpheus http://morpheusfortuna.wikispaces.com/ travels from school to school and is an ambassador for learning about bog turtles and so much more. Students post messages on a blog page for Morpheus and have also embedded videos about his adventures at their school. Morpheus has visited 12 different schools and at this printing has 5 cousins that have also started traveling around to different schools. The Follow Me project can take on a life of its own. Aside from helping kids and teachers to USE technology, this project helps to teach local or world geography depending on where your animal goes. There is a tracking page where students can go to view maps and check distance traveled totals. The videos and photographs that are posted on the wiki are signs that students/teachers are using outside technology to enhance the character’s visit. In one video children talk about learning more about the animal that is visiting (bog turtle, black bear, etc.) and students are using their knowledge to post to blogs for all to read about the adventures of their visitor. Most 5th graders are past the stuffed animal stage, but I believe that a class mascot, such as Morpheus Fortuna is a great motivator for students to excel in all subject areas. The links on the page include student projects like videos and photographs and teacher projects (none posted yet). Visitors can view all of the schools that Morpheus has visited and read his blog of adventures. I believe that the majority of the information on the wiki is provided by students. This seems to be a project that was initiated by a teacher and explored and expanded by kids. My favorite part of the wiki is the photos and videos of the kids with the stuffed turtle. Its easy to see by the looks on their faces that they are having fun and by the information they are sharing that they are learning. In one video in particular the kids get very animated and actually talk with accents. Its fun to see the creativity that comes alive when kids use technology. This would be a cool lesson to try with kids without technology, however, based on our reading in Jukes and Mc Cain this week; kids today are all about instant gratification (p. 84). They would probably lose interest if they had to wait for snail mail to bring word about their mascot. There are a few drawbacks to this wiki, however. I am in a district where money isn't an issue for most kids or teachers. However, the directions to join the wiki with a mascot of your own have you going to Build-a-Bear Workshop to get an animal and register it there with a formal name. Some teachers are not going to spend $20-$30 to get a toy from Build-a-Bear. Also, there was a place on the wiki page to send money or buy Follow Me items to help support the wiki. Again, I thought the shirts were cool, but I wouldn’t want kids on there thinking they have to send money to keep the project going. Its just something that I believe, as educators; we need to be more sensitive about.
 * Follow Me Around the World (MSL 3/26/09)**

Wiki: Study Skills (EC Revised 3/29/09) The wiki that I choose is the 6th Grade Study Skills that can be found at the following link http://studyskills6.wikispaces.com/. What fascinated me most about this Study Skills wiki is that it is maintained and run by a 6th grade teacher named Kim Cofino in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The main purpose of this wiki is to help her students “use this space to organize, compile and maintain information about the study skills we have learned this quarter” and “add any resources to this page that you feel would be helpful for other sixth grade students at school, or around the world” (http://studyskills6.wikispaces.com/, para. 1). The wiki homepage has a set up where you can find several external links to other study skills websites in the middle of the page. On the left side of the page you can follow the links to other pages in the wiki. While browsing the other wiki pages you will find a few more external links on study skills as well as several tips and resources on study skills created by the students. After roaming around the wiki pages created by the students, it was evident that the students made a lot of effort in creating them. Many of the pages had at least 10 revisions from the original and some of them had over 20 revisions. Overall, the wiki would be very useful for a student who would like to find internal and external websites dealing with study skills. Not only does the wiki show a lot of both teacher and student participation in its creation and continued maintenance; but there is a lot of potential here for students to add more materials, learn different study skills strategies, and discuss what is on the wiki with staff and students both local and abroad.

=MRS. KOOPMAN’S STARS (LS 3/28/09)= =The name of my wiki is desbuffalo. It can be found at the following web address: http://desbuffalo.wikispaces.com/. This wiki was created by Mrs. Koopman’s 5th Grade class at Discovery Elementary School in Buffalo, Minnesota. The wiki is easy to navigate due to the links located on the left hand side of the page. The links take the user to the different subjects and areas of the wiki.= =Many subjects are addressed through this wiki. The main subjects addressed are Writing, Literature/Reading, and Math. There is mention of some Science and Social Studies Units, as well as an Art Unit. Mrs. Koopman uses the wiki as an extension of the classroom. The purpose of this wiki is to allow students the opportunity to communicate with each other and with Mrs. Koopman. Students post book reviews and responses concerning books they have read. She also posts lessons that the students can reference if needed to review the information taught in the classroom. Students are also asked to post information they find about units being studied.= =The outline of the wiki was provided by Mrs. Koopman, but the students contribute a lot of the information provided. Mrs. Koopman maintains the wiki by posting assignments and updates information such as lessons. The students contribute to the wiki by posting book reviews and relevant information pertaining to units of study. The links on the left navigate you to student work in Writing and Literature. There are book reviews about the students’ favorite books. I found some very creative pieces by students about the Water Cycle. There were some poems and even a rap. There was also a link to some games and another one to the class blog. This page had information for parents about the class and Mrs. Koopman.= =I really enjoyed the section on Literature. This consisted of a list of books that students could read and discuss. It was nice to see some of the postings done by the students. The majority of them were well planned and easy to understand. I also liked how Mrs. Koopman had a section that compared and contrasted a wiki to traditional book reviews. By reading this section, it was clear to see the pros and cons to using a wiki as the avenue of reporting about a book.= =I think the students did learn from using this wiki. It allowed them to see their thoughts in writing and read through them again before submitting the changes to the wiki. They could read about each others’ thoughts without a time restraint. Furthermore, they could take their time in composing their responses and this made the content more substantial. It also was an opportunity for Mrs. Koopman to discuss proper citations when using other people’s work.=

E- Portfolio (SH 3/28/09) The wiki I reviewed was a wiki that served a different purpose. It did coordinate information like the video “Wiki’s in Plain English“(http://wikitechie.wikispaces.com/wikis+in+education) stated, but it did it in a different format than the video suggested. Instead of serving as a means for communication, it served as a way for a student (Joe Pickering) to communicate to the world and potential employers his accomplishments, skills, awards and academic experiences he had while attending the Center for the Arts and Technology Pickering Campus in Phoenixville, PA. In continuing with the slight differences between this wiki and others I previewed, this wiki was not focused on particular grades, rather it span the entire high school career of this particular student. In addition, it was not geared towards one class, it encompassed all learning experiences. However, it was clear that the majority of this student’s work was completed in carpentry or other trade style classes. On the page entitled Senior Project Research Paper ([]) he did make a reference to an English class. Other classes were not specified directly on the pages.

It is clear that the teacher provided the assignments and outline for the wiki, but what I enjoyed about this wiki is that the student created, wrote, and determined all of the content he included in his Wiki. I am sure the teacher helped in editing but the accomplishments and activities were all completed by the student. In this particular wiki, the student had to construct an e-portfolio which included: assignments, activities and accomplishments from his four years at this particular school. a cover letter, resume, thank you letter, career plan, lists of awards, accomplishments, and community service projects, research papers, job shadow experiences (these included sound bites as well as a transcript from the actual interviews and experiences), certificates earned (this was a carpentry program) and pictures of different products created. Overall, this was a detailed outline of the skills the student had gained as a result of participating in the program that would help him get a job. In addition, the title page gave contact information where he could be reached by potential employers. In short, this was a job application of the 21st century.

The website started out with introductory pieces such as resume, career plan, and cover and thank you letter to allow you to get to know the student. It then moved into more in-depth activities such as job shadowing and research and ended with the accomplishments, awards, certificates, and community service. This wiki was formatted much like a resume starting with the get-to-know-you information and ended on a very positive note. There was not one feature that stuck out at me, rather the whole organization of this wiki. Our 12th graders put together a portfolio (which is a series of reflections and artifacts using sheet protectors and a binder) and product a presentation (PowerPoint). This puts that to shame and I was looking at this as a possible next step for our passages classes. I did like how easy it was to navigate,, which is a major factor for people when determining what technology to use.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">I do not believe that the student learned from the wiki, rather I believe he learned from the assignments that had to be included in the wiki. However, that is not to say that the student did not benefit from completing this assignment on a wiki instead of the format my school uses. He did benefit because with a wiki an authentic audience will be viewing your materials, including potential employers. If students know that their teachers will be seeing this, and even the community members we bring in, there is one level of quality that they will expect of them. However, if they know that potential employers, schools, or anyone can look at their portfolio, I believe they will want it to be the highest quality. In addition, this format allows this portfolio to be an evolving piece that can be changed as the student moves to post-secondary life. In a traditional format, you had to remember where you saved the file, hope it was not on the computer that crashed, and revise it. This makes the retrieval and revision process easier. One final note, wiki allows this “living resume” to reach more potential employers or school and saves on postage. J

You can view Joe Pickering’s E-Portfolio at http//:pickeringportfolio@wetpaint.com

I explored a wiki called Spanish-Farb, http://Spanish-farb.wikispaces.com/ which was created by 7th and 8th graders from Farb Middle School in San Diego, California. This wiki covers the Spanish language and culture as being taught at Farb. The purpose of the wiki is two-fold: first, it was intended as an assignment for middle school students and they were assessed on what they had learned in their Spanish class, and on developing the wiki itself; second, the wiki is intended to serve as an onliine resource for students who need additional review of their class work, or to assist students who have been absent. An additional outcome of this assignment was to show how to take and use Cornell notes electronically. The teacher laid out the framework for the wiki, describing the group project of the wiki, and laying out the rules, expectations and a rubric for the students. The content of the wiki itself was created by the students. Students were required to work in groups to outline the textbook and to research and provide outside links to extend the content of the outline for the wiki users. The wiki has a home page, which is also the home page for Farb Middle School. The user can access the school calendar and events on this page. There are several headings to click on to see a description of the project, the instructions, the rubric, and even a link to the moodle for educators. The main heading is “Topics” which brings the user to basically, a table of contents for the textbook. It is arranged by units and topics such as vocabulary, verb tenses and usage, holidays and celebrations and maps. It is very easy to navigate around the site and each topic offered clear examples of how to use the vocabulary or verbs. There were a number of appealing graphics as well as links to things like maps and photographs for additional information. The feature that most stood out to me was the ease of using this wiki. It was intended for middle school students, and it has a very clear framework making it easy to find information. As someone who has studied Spanish for a number of years, and has 3 Spanish speaking children, I can see that the students learned a lot about the Spanish language and culture in their class at Farb. Additionally, they were successful in working collaboratively to create the Spanish-Farb wiki. The benefits from this assignment were that students had to work cooperatively to apply what they had learned from the class and make it meaningful to others. Although the assignment involved knowledge and comprehension skills, it also forced students to engage in higher level thinking activities such as analyzing information and synthesizing it, designing the wiki and producing a final product. Finally, students benefitted by enhancing their use of technology in creating a practical tool for themselves and others.
 * SPANISH-FARB (AH 03/28/09)**

__**MRS. ABERNETHY’S GLOBAL GORILLAS** (AM 5/2/09)__ __Name and Web Address for the wiki__? http://jabernethy.wikispaces.com/ Mrs. Abernethy’s Global Gorillas

__Where is the class located that created the wiki__? Greenville, Pennsylvania

__What grade level is the class__? 5th graders

__What subject areas are covered__? All core subjects are covered as well as, news, information, calendars, events, updates, blogs, and class happenings. Social studies is covered through American Revolutionary War link, Civil War Wiki, Class Election Wiki, and Colonial War 08’ link. They incorporate technology into their classroom with classroom computers, a mobile lab, a smartboard, a projector, a karaoke machine, a web camera, microphones, scanners, iPods, iPod recorders, Bose iPod speaker dock and more. They love to skype and the incorporate learning into the classroom by skyping younger students and teaching them about things they are learning. They skype older students and play “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” with them.

__What is the purpose of the wiki__? The purpose of the wiki is to link parents, staff, community and students together in the form of information and resources surrounding the 5th graders in Mrs. Abernethy’s class. Parents can view pictures, receive updates on their children, view classroom resources and homework, and basically link themselves with their child’s classroom events. Students have the ability to take digital imaging and link it to the wiki to show what they are doing in class, what specific things they are learning each week, video clips of gym class, pod casts of students carrying out activities such as singing, sports and student presidential oaths. They also create blogs to link student learning to books, such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and also blogs that link student learning to science curriculum such as the water cycle, weather and more. The purpose of the wiki is endless in creating student learning and technological learning opportunities for these 5th grade students.

__What role does the teacher fulfill on the wiki__? The teacher’s role of the wiki is to monitor and upload information to the wiki page.

__What roles do the students play on the wiki__? The students are involved in information that is uploaded, pictures, and there are two areas created by students: modern media and trading cards. Students create blogs, pod casts, skype, and more. Each student has a wiki page created just for them. They introduce themselves and have links to specific interests of each child. The students decipher what information is important to upload to the wiki and how it should be delievered. Students skype younger and older students to create learning opportunities for themselves and other students.

__Who created the majority of the content on the wiki (students/teacher)__? Teacher and student work side by side to create the content of this wiki

__Describe the framework/organization of the information on the wiki__? The framework of the wiki is set up like a web page. The information is listed on the side in a panel of lists and the front page is linked with video clips and pictures. The wiki is complicated with lots of links webbing out to pod casts, blogs and web links. I will admit that the wiki seemed a bit overwhelming at first because it seems as though you click on a link and then are brought to all sorts of other links. There are video clips and media players that also are uploaded in various sites. The navigation page to the left gives a brief title of the link, but once you are in the various wiki sites, there is a ton of information for the user. The information is kid friendly and easy to read and understand. You can tell by reading this wiki that the kids are very involved in the content.

__Describe the content__? The content of the wikis is informational, educational and resource based. There are areas created by students, for students, for teachers, links for classmates and parents. There are links such as games, blogs, pictures, content area discussion boards and much more.

__What is one feature of the wiki that stood out to you__? I really enjoyed the podcast tutorial set up by the teacher. I have been interested in podcasts for my classroom and after looking at the tutorial set up on this wiki, I was able to set one up on my own. It was very easy to understand and the visual was very helpful! I also liked that she gave ways to incorporate podcasts into the classroom. I loved the way the students used the skype also. My girlfriend likes in Saudi Arabia and we skype with her class every now and then and I find that my students love this activity. I liked that they used the skype to teach younger students something they learned about and the older students to challenge them with the game “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” I think our 5th grade buddies would love that game.

__Does it seem like the students learned from their wiki experience__? It seems like the students got a lot out of the wiki experience and continue to gain experience from it ongoing. I would think that the students need to be involved in keeping the wiki updated and current, with the help of the teacher, therefore making the experience ongoing.

__Was there a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format__? I like that the assignments link you up with the site we need to be on, but then let you take it from there independently. I find myself checking out all sorts of new sites that I wouldn’t have seen had I not been using this type of learning experience. I enjoy learning new technological ways to learning, but sometimes need a little motivation and direction, which this class provides.

http://desbuffalo.wikispaces.com/ This is a wiki designed by a teacher in a magnet school in Buffalo Minn.,combining 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Its home page states the mission of its charter, the 5 c’s: Care, Celebrate, Contribute, Cooperate, and Collaborate. The wiki is maintained by the teacher, Mrs. Koopman, who provides most of the information on the wiki. It covers all their core subjects from writing, to social studies, to math. It provides the current assignments, along with the history of what the class has learned with links for further study. It has podcasts of performances and archives of student’s work, which I especially liked. How nice to leave the camcorder at home and have a performance available online to download later, or have a grandparent view their work online. The students join in discussions, blogs, and do assignments on the wiki. One assignment involved a scavenger hunt of poetry and multiple links to find the answers. The site was easy to navigate around, overall. Each page had the headings of all the other main subjects at the top, so you didn’t have to use arrows to get back to another spot. It even had a page about the teacher and her interests outside of class. It was divided up into sections by subject, blog, and even had background info on what a wiki was for a new user. The links page was full of general links to news websites, PBS, museum sites, as well as specific sites about items they were learning. While I couldn’t tell if students learned on this wiki, it seems to me a great resource for parents and students. By collaborating, they were learning how to be fluent in technology and at the same time they had all the information learned available to be reviewed as needed, and links to go deeper, if interested.
 * Desbuffalo Wiki (JH 6/8/2009)**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Constantia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">**Sixth Grade Med School (JE 6-9-09)** The name of the class wiki is “Code Blue”. The address for the wiki is http://codeblue.wikispaces.com. The location of the class who created the wiki is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a class of sixth graders at an international school. The subjects that this wiki cover are science and biology. The purpose of the wiki is to help sixth grade students learn about the human body by opening an “online medical clinic”. The teacher lists many websites under each category of the body system. She lists seven systems in all. One is “all systems” and she also has digestive, immune, and nervous and so on. The teacher lists sites where students can learn about subjects such as alcohol, drugs, bike safety, sun protection and others. Many of these links have interactive activities the students do to learn more about the particular system or subject. The student’s role is defined on the left side of the wikipage with a long text box. Within this box the students are doctors. They submit their bios and specialties in medicine. The students are then grouped into clinics where they present case bios, symptoms, and treatments based upon what they have learned. The students provide links and pictures from websites to support their theories. Each student doctor may describe how a certain body system is affected by the proposed disease. Some cases were drug overdose, anorexia and blood vomiting from alcohol abuse. One feature that stood out to me is the link, “Yucky and Cool Body Systems”. The web address is: []. It tells you all about the gross and cool stuff human bodies create. It plays sound effects when a selection is made from the list. Among the choices are: zits, pee, poop, belches and gas. This site is sure to please most sixth graders! I believe the students learned a great deal from this wiki experience. They had to research what education and what types of specialties doctors have. They had to research and then present clinic patients and cases with their knowledge about the body systems. The benefit to learning this lesson as opposed to a non-technological format is the hands-on, learning from doing and the students being the “expert”. You learn so much more when you get decide what kind of doctor you will be and write a bio than read a list found in a book. The critical thinking and theories involved in coming up with medical cases and then backing them up with body system knowledge is retained more than a teacher lecturing about what happens when a person drinks too much alcohol. This is a great example of learning by doing.

http://dorman-data-digest.wikispaces.com/ This wiki was designed by Jennifer Dorman. Jennifer is a teacher at Holicong middle school. Although it is listed as a middle school, the wiki also lists the information as a supplement to 9th grade history. It’s a wiki that focuses on American history from the end of the Civil War through the end of WWII. While a majority of the content is from the teacher, there is plenty of content provided by the students as well. The wiki has many purposes. It serves as a resource for content pertinent to all of the teacher’s lessons. It appears that the students have access to everything they’d need in order to complete class projects from anywhere there is a computer. The agendas, assignments, and special projects are all listed. Actual content of the wiki includes essays, podcasts (my favorite feature), links to external sites, daily schedules, and a chat room. The one feature that stood out to me was the podcast on the homepage. It was an interview of a WWII vet by his granddaughter. Not that podcasts are anything new these days, but to hear such a cool interview from a WWII veteran was really impressive. It appears as if this wiki is a very important part of this classroom, so I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a good amount of learning going on. The benefits of this format as compared to text are too numerous to list. The audio and video that are imbedded alone make this so much more useful than an out of date text. I think that an important advantage is the fact that you’re not pulling most of your information from one or two texts. You avoid a certain publisher’s slant regarding specific topics. With the wiki, you’re pulling information from multiple sources. One aspect that I do not care about this wiki, or most others, is how the content is not in a “clean” interface. I think that it’s sometimes hard o find specific information because links seem to be strewn all over the place. More defined borders would certainly help.
 * Dorman-Data-Digest (PG 6/12/09)**

For the classroom example of how a wiki is being used I chose roomtwelve.com. The web address for this site is classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=41233. This site was created by Mr. Mark Ahlness. The blog is for a third grade class in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of the wiki is for the students to keep a journal and for parents to see what their child is doing in class. Mr. Ahlness’ role in the blog is one of a leader. He posts a lot of things to it. The reason for that is 3rd graders are first becoming acclimated to a blog. The students are responsible to respond to the teacher comments on the blog or to post their own comments on the blog. The type of content that you will find on this page are links to things such as the schools website, and links to other teachers classrooms throughout the country. Also posts from the students in the classroom. One of the assignments was for students to write their favorite way to stay cool in the summer. Not only do the students benefit from having this blog but I believe that it benefits their parents as well. They are able to see what their child is writing and can track their progress. When the child goes home and their parents ask “what are you doing in school” they can show them what they wrote.
 * MIGHTY WRITERS 2008-09 (AT 6/12/09)**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">**Lazaro’s Science Wiki for San Jorge college (DB 6/13/09)** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The wiki I selected for this assignment was set up for the purpose of a science class. This wiki has a tremendous amount of content. On this wiki is a home page to identify the teacher who created it and is the primary source, a calendar, online activities, classroom information and procedures, homework, tests, an area to display student works and projects, links, pages for parents and so much more. The web address for this wiki is http://science-learning.wikispaces.com/, and was created for Middle school aged students from San Jorge School in Lima, Peru. The teacher has this set up to be an ongoing wiki that gives the students a place to take online tests, prepare for labs, do worksheets, submit projects and more. An area that stood out for me was a place where the teacher could put small clips or videos that the students could use for increased learning of a subject, the example I looked at was on crystal creation for a lab project. I would have to say that the students learned from this experiment quite well as the teacher has set up a new one for the next school year with many improvements and a cleaner look that will allow for easier navigation. After reading about and rethinking my opinion on technology in the classroom, the students are allowed to use many of the technological tools to receive, work with, and demonstrate their lessons. I was overwhelmed with the content of this wiki and have many visions dancing in my head for the future in my own science class.

=**STUDY SKILLS (RM 6/14/09)**= The name and address for this wiki is Study Skills and the web address is: http://studyskills6.wikispaces.com/ The class is a 6th grade class from Mont'Kiara International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This wiki allow Grade 6 students create an online reference to help other students with their study skills. It appears that students create the majority of the content for this wiki and have the opportunity to share study skills, habits and ideas with other students. The teacher, Kim Cofino encourages students to create or add to the wiki their experiences in studying that work best for them. Mrs. Cofino proofs and monitors the wikis for accuracy and validity as well. The wiki is well designed in a very simple, yet effective format. Menu bars are located on the left and links to other websites and other resources are located in the body of the web page. A couple things about this particular website stood out for me. I thought this was a very clever way to allow peers to learn from each other. Sometimes students may tune out adults at times, but hearing the message of proper learning skills from each other is a unique idea! The other thing that stood out was the link to a "learning styles quiz" website which allows the students the chance to learn what their learning style is. Although this wiki is a work in progress, the students have a chance to create a very well conceived wiki and share their study habits and ideas with others. At the same time, students who wanted help in developing a study plan for themselves now had a valuable resource to help them as well. I believe learning this lesson as a wiki was much better than learning in a non-technological format in several ways. The students can add to the wiki when something new comes up. The information is always available 24/7 wherever the students wish to access the wiki. Also, students from all over the world can learn from other students, once again demonstrating how technology is making the world seem so much smaller!

After viewing many of the example wikis from the website educationalwikis.wikispaces.com, I discovered a wiki entitled Bergmann Science (http://bergmannscience.wikispaces.com) createdby an 8th grade science teacher named Chris Bergmann from Kinard Junior High School in Fort Collins, CO. This wiki encompasses three classes taught by Mr. Bergmann, Honors 8, Science 8, and Geo-Space. It also has links to the basketball team and the teachers’ band. This wiki is well organized. Each class has its own website that includes a basic welcome, resources including class notes, PowerPoints, videos, websites, and daily information about the class and the printable homework for each night. It also included a discussion page for the students to ask and answer questions of each other and of the teacher. After reviewing the discussion board, many of the students showed appreciation toward the teacher for creating this capability for them along with posting many helpful tools. The feature that this wiki includes is information for the parents and a way to initiate conversation with their middle school student, which at times, can be very difficult. This wiki informs parents with the unit the students are working on along with a dinner table discussion question for each night. The purpose of this wiki is to inform both the students and the parents of the current happenings in each class. This wiki ties home-school communication together. This type of communication is very beneficial in the students’ relationship with school and home. The wiki is also set up for the students to discuss and learn information together. The skill of communicating, cooperating, and coordinating information via technology is a skill that the students will need to know and be comfortable with using for their future. The majority of the content on this wiki was created by the teacher, however, it is student centered. The teacher has posted many photos and video of classroom experiments. The role of the teacher plays in the wiki is the “guide of the side” role. The teacher is posting enough information to engage his students in creating their own learning amongst each other. There is a benefit to learning this content through a wiki verses opposed to a non-technological format. In a non-technological format, students may not be comfortable raising their hand and contributing in class with many eyes on them. Also, they may think of a question or comment after class, but because class is over, that student will not be able to share their thought. Using the wiki, a student can log on at any time and say or ask the teacher or other students as soon as the thought comes to him or her. There are also many different resources for the students to investigate and use in order to better their understanding and education.
 * Bergmann Science (NO 07/08/2009)**

b) What is the name and web address for the wiki? Mr. Klingman's Wiki Space http://bear-den.wikispaces.com/ c) Where is the class located that created the wiki? Atlanta, Georgia d) What grade level is the class? 8th Grade e) What subject area(s) are covered? Global Studies
 * Dan O’Brien's Cyber Search (DO 7/08/09)**

f) What is the purpose of the wiki? The purpose of the wiki is to inform the students of all the course requirements along with engaging the students in learning activities.

g) What role does the teacher fulfill on the wiki? The teacher put all course information on the web page. This includes videos, games, pictures, and a blog area. The teacher would also answers questions in the blog area.

h) What role(s) do the students play on the wiki? The students acquire information, view videos, play games, and interact on the blog.

i) Who created the majority of the content on the wiki (students or teacher)? The teacher j) Describe the framework/organization of the information on the wiki. In this wiki students know exactly what is expected of them. All class information is laid out on his page. This includes rubrics, instructions, unit prep and text preparation. From this students know what they can do to get the grade they want. There is also an interactive learning game that covers the course subject. Kids love to play computer games. This makes the class fun. This game can actually teach them while they have fun.

k) Describe the content (links to other websites, original content created by students, other). There was not links to other areas but this site did have a lot of useful learning material. As far as content created by students there wasn’t any. The students were involved in the blog.

l) What is one feature of the wiki that stood out to you? I liked the videos that the teacher was able to put on the site. This is a preferred form of education with the current generation. They are not real big on reading text books. The blog area is an area that the current generation would find useful. This site even had the parents involved in the discussion area.

m) Does it seem like the students learned from their wiki experience? I believe that students today are use to this technology and prefer it. I know that my students rely on my blackboard web page and are upset when other teachers are not using it. n) Was there a benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format? The computer games and videos would only be possible using this technology. Also the blog is very useful for any questions the students might have. With students misplacing handouts it is very useful backup for information on the class. It has a lot of the same information that I put on my blackboard web page. Knowing that students learn in many different ways as educators we must deliver the information in many different ways.

http://kimistrymeriwether.wikispaces.com/ This is a Chemistry and Biology site for High school students developed by Kim Pearson at Greenville High School, Greenville, Georgia. Chemistry and Biology units are posted with notes and assignments for each of the units. This site is loaded with information from a variety of sources. You can also click on study skills sites, and chemistry sites for guided practice. The wiki has been created by the teacher. The site has links to many teacher and student made materials; Teacher resources, Links to Science standards, motivational web sites, online textbooks, Science News, Science sites and funny stuff. This is an overall good site for students to find additional information on class materials. I would characterize this as a teacher generated website rather than a student generated one. I believe the teacher generated most of the information. Some of the links are no longer there, and sometimes I was linked to YouTube, with no specific video brought up. I am guessing that these may have been student project links that are no longer there. So I did not see much of the student generated component. I would not know if students learned from their wiki experience. I think that the beauty of having so much information in one place available at your fingertips was very beneficial to students. Students had a variety of resources to choose from. The teacher could direct them to a site that was at their reading level, or targeted their learning style. Students don’t have to read everything on the website, but they can find information that may be useful to them. I think the thing that stood out to me most about this website was just the amount and variety of information available for students to use. I will be looking for links that I might use in my Wiki space.
 * Kimistry Class (AP 7/10/2009**)

**Amistad (TG 7/12/09)** The name of the wiki I found interesting was called Amistad. The location of the wiki is http://kmsamistad5.wikispaces.com/ . The **kms** in the address is for A. Crosby ** [|Kennett Middle School] ** in Conway, New Hampshire. I had to web search the school’s address because it was not listed on the linked web page. The teacher, Rick Biche, seems to incorporate technology well into his lesson planning and instruction. The wiki was used for a lesson on the Industrial Revolution and American History during the early to mid 1800’s. The students were seventh graders. The name of the wiki is somewhat deceiving because there is a lot more to the wiki than just the Amistad case. I find the [|Amistad case] to be very fascinating and at the same time historically insignificant, so I use it in my class. The wiki was used as in introduction to this time period in American history. The teacher had students submit short summaries about various topics from this era with many hyperlinks to other pages the students created with more links to information found on the web as well. It’s very non-linear as the reader can jump around from one page to the next and back again. It would seem to me that students would enjoy and be highly motivated by collaborating on a project like this. They are in a sense putting together their own textbook. The teacher guides them in the direction he wants them to go and they initiate the learning. I really think I could use this in my classes but I would have to require a little higher level of work because I teach high school. This would be a wonderful way to teach any unit particularly history classes. Students could choose topics from a list that are of interest which also help to motivate them. The students would also be working with others to create a final project. As I investigated the site more, I found that this school appears to operate using a block system, similar to my schools.

I found the wiki Hobbitalk, located at http://hobbitalk.wikispaces.com/, to be very interesting. The creator is Mr. Adam Brown who teaches 5th grade at Pocantico Hills Central School in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Hobbitalk is a wiki designed to supplement learning during a class unit on the book __The Hobbit__ by JRR Tolkien. Mr. Brown does a great job of giving assignments throughout the unit in creative writing, art, theatre, and English. The wiki allows students to explore the book and interact with the online resources Mr. Brown provides for them. Homework assignments are posted for easy retrieval at home as well as interesting links fro students to explore related to the book, Tolkien, Hobbit vocabulary, and several videos relating to the book. Student projects are posted to share with each other including artwork, poems, short stories, chapter discussion, and student podcasts. Mr. Brown’s role on the wiki is keep discussion on task and make sure that all student work is concise and related to the book in some way. He also provides additional resources and monitors all student interaction. Students are responsible for completing assignments and uploading them onto the wiki. Students also use their “hobbit” names in all work and are expected to participate in all areas of the wiki. The content of the site is equally split between Mr. Brown and the students. The framework of the wiki was created by Mr. Brown as well as many of the resource sections. The students’ class work makes up the other half of the content including the artwork, poems, short stories, and podcasts mentioned earlier. The information is grouped onto 17 pages by subject and assignment within the wiki. The one feature of the Hobbitalk wiki that stood out to me was how Mr. Brown really made the unit fun and creative for the students. The podcasts are very creative and you can hear the fun the kids are having in their voices. I am a big fan of the book anyway and I would have loved to have had Mr. Brown as a teacher! The students definitely expand their understanding of the book through their interaction on the wiki. They were able to work individually and in groups on the various projects that allowed them to get into the storyline of the book, which is much more interesting than just reading chapters and taking a quiz. The variety of resources would appeal to students with all types of learning styles. Mr. Driscoll’s Class wiki page is located at http://driscoll-class.wikispaces.com/ . The class is located in Thompson, Connecticut at Tourtellotte Memorial High School. The material in the wiki is intended for high school students who are taking Mr. Driscoll’s American Government, Global Studies or United States History classes. The purpose of the wiki is to keep students and parents updated concerning daily assignments, projects, and lessons that have been taught. Although the majority of the information on the wiki is provided by the teacher, the wiki is also used to publish student works that have been completed as part of various class projects. For example, students were grouped together to create powerpoint presentations to present a problem, alternative solutions, a proposal for change and their action plan. There are different powerpoint topics to look at ranging from funding school sports to keeping the library open on Saturdays for students. The teacher who created the wiki, Mr. Driscoll, encourages students to use the wiki as a discussion board to share ideas and ask questions. Mr. Driscoll provides his students and parents with links to supplemental resources for units or lessons of instruction. Mr. Driscoll provides lecture notes, political cartoons, study skill ideas, vocabulary for units, worksheets and powerpoint presentations to the students to support their learning. Mr. Driscoll also provides links to world news leading organizations, newspapers, political websites, radio and television programs. Since his class covers world topics and issues, he also provides links to research national and global issues. The wiki is very easy to use and understand. Tabs for discussion forums surrounding political and historical debates, course resources for each of his classes that he teaches, research links/videos, and student work are all clearly labeled and provide a wealth of information and resources. The feature that stood out to me the most was Mr. Driscoll’s wiki was the amount of useful information that was on the site. He provides study guides, useful readings for outside the classroom, rubrics for guidance, class calendars, timelines, and a wealth of other resources. The other thing that struck me was how much interaction the students had with Mr. Driscoll and other students on the discussion forums. Each question that was posted had 10-25 responses by students. Students also initiated questions and discussions. In the “Hot Topics” discussion forum, students got pretty heated during their discussions about current events and using the wiki. They were able to say how they feel about something where as they might not have done so in a traditional discussion format. You can tell from the student responses that they are engaged in what Mr. Driscoll is teaching and enjoy sharing their thoughts and work in the wiki format.
 * Mr. Brown’s Hobbitalk (MB** **9/13/09****)**
 * Mr. Driscoll’s Social Studies Class Wiki (MP 7/14/09)**

Jennifer Dorman’s Grazing for Digital Natives (DVK 14 July 2009)
This is a wiki set by a teacher to provide digital help for her colleagues, not students, and is packed with useful information. http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/ Because this not aimed at students, there is not a grade level or an academic subject. The purpose of this site is to provide a wide array of resources for educators. It is organized in a very user-friendly fashion, with huge amounts of resources, which is its central value.


 * District:** Central Bucks School District
 * Description:** This wiki houses professional resources for teachers, administration, and staff developers to facilitate the rigorous and relevant integration of educational technologies. Topics included are digital storytelling, podcasting, blogs, wikis, and social learning networks. <http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis>

A language arts and reading wiki, entitled: “Hobbit Talk” can be found at http://hobbitalk.wikispaces.com/. This wiki was created by 5th grade students at Pocantico Hills School, Sleepy Hollow, NY. The students in this class, with the help of their teacher, used this wiki as they read the book, “The Hobbit.” This wiki was used for the purpose of assignments, discussions, projects, and fun for the students. While reading the book, students completed assignments on the wiki. Some of the assignments including working on vocabulary, comprehension, parts of speech, and writing skills (along with many others). There is also a bonus area for students to create and post extra things for bonus points in the class related to the reading. The framework for this wiki begins with the homepage. The homepage shows pictures from the related text, and also provides a menu to pick from. There are different areas that are listed that many be entered, some of which include: assignments, bonus fun, rubric, rules, and chapter work. Each of these menu options sends the viewer to a new page with different information on each. It is very user friendly, and could be easily navigated by both students and adults. A menu item that I enjoyed was a link to other websites, one of which you could find out what your “Hobbit Name” would be! The setup of this wiki appears to have been developed by the teacher. The main role of the teacher was to keep the wiki organized and to provide assignments for the students to complete using the wiki. The main content of the wiki was created by students posting comments and responses to questions provided. One section in particular, named “Cryptic Comments” was for students to post different statements that were made throughout the book which had a cryptic edge. This wiki does an excellent job of allowing student to pull things from the text and have fun with their reading. It gives students a chance to work on reading, writing, and comprehension skills, though it seems more fun than work. Students are able to experience reading and writing in a new and exciting way.
 * The Hobbit (AQ 7/14/09)**

Mr. Tucker’s Career Portfolios (SB 7/14/09) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">CTE teachers have got to visit the wiki site called “ePortfolio Project” at []. This site was the idea of a Career and Technology Educator in <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Phoenixville, PA. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Al Tucker created this wiki for the purpose of giving students a place where they could see examples of an electronic career portfolio (ePortfolio). The sample appears to come from his <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">senior woods/carpentry class. It looks like the teacher simply provided the titles of topics students should include and students upload their personal information from there. This wiki idea could be implemented by any CTE teacher as the information deals with preparing to conduct a job search. Students post a resume’, cover letter, awards, samples of writing or other academic work as well as specific strengths. The part I find the most meaningful is under the Talent Profile. In this area students post a video of them demonstrating a career skill. This is not only a great way to see their skill ability, but also their ability to communicate and see them in person. I think students learn a great deal from this activity as it is helping them put a professional touch to their personal abilities. It also gives them an opportunity to see how marketable they are once you take their experience and put it into a portfolio format. I do not think this assignment would be as meaningful if it did not include the technology application as it is that very piece that makes it fun and meaningful for students because they know if it’s on the Web it will be viewed and it is real to them.

**Mrs. Dorman’s History Class (HS 7/15/09)** Dorman-Data-Digest (http://dorman-data-digest.wikispaces.com/) was created by a 9th grade American History teacher From Central Bucks School District. Mrs. Dorman no longer teaches American History and the wiki page has not been functional for a couple of years, yet it’s clear to see she used technology to motivate her students to take a collaborative interest in their education. Mrs. Dorman clearly explains her objectives for the wiki page. “The Learning community in Mrs. Dorman’s classroom will use this collaborative space to connect with each other and create the tools we will use to construct our understanding of the forces that have worked throughout history to shape the world.” The teacher appears to be the manager/facilitator of her wiki page, yet the student’s handprint is visible in a variety of ways. A navigation pane takes the viewer to a variety of teacher driven sources of content and review, project guidelines, opportunities for extra credit, advanced placement summer assignments, polls, internet links to subject matter, other sources of information, and blogs. The students add podcasts, written assignments, speeches, and blogs. One of the students interviewed her grandfather for a WWII assignment. The embedded video and podcasts stood out to me as something that would quickly grab the attention of the students and would be an excellent way to showcase what’s going on in the classroom to the parents. The quality and sheer volume of student contribution to the wikispace make it very apparent that Mrs. Dorman’s students learned a lot form their wiki experience. I imagine the benefits to learning Mrs. Dornan’s history lessons on a wiki are many. The information is supplemental so the variety and amount of resources offered is a benefit. The students can access the resources on their own time schedule and collaborate with their classmates outside the classroom conveniently. Imagine the pride and sense of accomplishment these students must feel to have their work published for the “world” to see. The wiki experience would offer a challenge to students to always do their best work and be a motivation to learn more. Brownread180 (http://brownread180.wikispaces.com/) is a wiki created for eleventh grade Read 180 students in Ohio. Read 180 is an intervention program for low level readers with a focus on word work, fluency and comprehension. The program is taught through whole group and small group instruction as well the use of technology. This wiki serves many purposes. First, it provides students a common place for discussions, class announcements and assignments. It provides them several links to different technologies they might need to use such as how to develop a podcast, links to Youtube videos or to create a Wordle. They must also post their projects on the class wiki. I can also see parents checking the wiki just to see what their children are up to. Ms. Brown has posted pictures and information about herself, as well as pictures from things that students have done outside of school. She also provides information that is helpful for educating parents about what Read 180 is and how it works. They can even watch video clips from parts of lessons. It seems that the teacher and students use this equally. The foundation is set by the teacher and then students use the tools provided to complete assignments. They all are able to give immediate feedback through the blog. As a digital immigrant, the site could be a little more organized. However, it is probably just right for the digital natives who just want all the information in front of them. All of the links and information are posted on the home page. Then students must click on their class period to post pictures, comments or assignments. The amount of information on this wiki jumped out at me right away. It seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but how incredibly useful to have everything you need in one spot! I also think it is really important that she put information about herself so students can get to know her a little more. Linked to the wiki is an article about what this teacher is doing. Did her students learn and benefit from the use of technology? By spring 2008, nearly all of Brown’s students, including Robert, had passed the OGT and demonstrated growth in Lexile reading test scores. In between jobs at fast-food restaurants and school, several were making serious plans to be a teacher, underwater welder, construction manager and politician. What happened? Technology ( [], para. 4-5). Many students’ attitudes even changed about reading and writing over the course of the year. Finally, it was presented in a way that worked for them.
 * BROWN READ 180 (AR 7/15/09)**

“Wikis, Blogs, Noodle Tools”. Retrieved on July 15, 2009. Website: ( [].

**Geometry Class Wiki (RH 7/16/09)**
The name of the wiki is “Whites-Geometry Wiki.” Address - http://whites-geometry-wiki.wikispaces.com/. The classroom is in St. Paul Academy and Summit School (known as “SPA”) in St. Paul, Minnesota. This is a high school geometry class. The subjects covered includes: basic geometry, logic, 11 lines polygons, triangles, area and perimeter, 3-D shapes, surface area and volume, similar shapes, and circles. The purpose of the wiki is to create a geometry-focused online resource that SPA geometry students can access, reference, and learn from. The teacher’s role in this wiki is as creator, passive teacher, and information depositor. The students assume the learner/explorer role in this wiki. Much of the information on the site is set up to serve as review material for the students to peruse as needed. The teacher created some of the content on the wiki and it would appear that the students supplied much of it. It looks like the teacher possibly gave them an assignment to define certain terms and concepts and then go out on the internet and find images that aptly demonstrated the term or concept. The students made some very nice looking pages for the wiki. The framework is hierarchical in its design. The overarching subject matter is given in the left margin of the homepage. When one of the subject areas is clicked, on; the student is taken to the pertinent information for said subject. From there, students can read the information as posted, or in many instances, click on other links within the page to be taken to outside resources or view pictures. In some instances there are questions with a link given to click on when the students desires to see the answers. The content is primarily geometry-related formulas, terms (many with pictures), problems and their attendant solutions. There are also links to other sites given in order to further reinforce certain concepts in the students’ minds. The primary feature that stood out for me is the excellent pictures which illustrate the various geometric terms and concepts, which the students mined from the internet. The students showed certain learning through the creation of their pages, and I’m sure they all read through each other’s. A real pride of craftsmanship came through in their work, in my opinion. To my mind, there are many benefits to using this wiki over a non-technological format: · It’s multimedia. More engaging to most students. · Its format is non-linear; therefore more progressive and in sync with the digital native’s mind. · You can quickly explore other helpful websites simply by clicking on a link within the wiki. · It is a one-stop repository of the things students need to be reviewing and working on. · Although no discussion has taken place on this particular wiki, the feature is there for the students to ask the teacher or each other questions. · It saves paper in that the teacher will not have to hand out copies of terms and example problems time and again with various geometry classes.

(SD 6/16/2009) The following wiki that I reviewed was titled “Bergmann Science” and this wiki was developed by a science teacher to communicate with parents and students. (http://bergmannscience.wikispaces.com/). Mr. Bergmann works at Kinard Junior High School, which is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. He teaches 8th grade honors and regular science (Physical Science - physics and chemistry) and GeoSpace. The purpose of this wiki is to information students and parents of current topics and projects completed. The design and information of this wiki was very fun, interesting and informative for both parents and students. The classes and units are divided on the blue navigation bar found at the left, so it is very easy to use. By clicking on one of the units, you are given notes, worksheets and youtube.com videos related to the topics covered. This is an easy way for students to catch up on missing work and for parents to see what students are learning. The teacher develops most of the wiki, but students are able to add to the wiki in the discussion section. In the discussion section students are able to chat and ask questions and it was use 3,082 times! This was the most amazing part of the wiki that students were actually using the discussion area! They asked questions about test, projects, science topics… they were actually using the discussion area! I think that the wiki was helping students from home. Even if students forgot an assignment at school, they were able to upload it from home and have it complete for the next day!
 * Mrs. Straw’s Review of Bergmann’s wiki**


 * Mr. Lindsay’s 4th Grade Wiki (MM 9/15/09)**

Located in Saugus, CA (USA), Rosedell Elementary’s 4th Grade class has what I feel is a nice example of a Wiki working in the classroom. The Wiki web address for this class is []. The classroom teacher, and Wiki designer, is Mr. David Lindsay. Mr. Lindsay is in his thirteenth year teaching at Rosedell Elementary, and serves as both a 4th grade teacher and Tech Coordinator. The class Wiki serves primarily as an extension of Mr. Lindsay’s classroom for his students. When you look at the main page, you clearly see that each subject taught in his class (math, science, literature, writing, art, and social studies) has its own icon so students (and parents) can see what the course objectives/expectations are. As you click on any one of these icons, you will see on the far right a more “subject specific” path that students can use to look at a particular course’s material. Mr. Lindsay created the majority of the content on the Wiki page, but his students serve as the editors as noted in the “About this Site” icon. The reason that I like this particular Wiki is that the framework is so easy to follow. On the main page, you have three “primary” headings to choose from: Classroom Window, Curriculum, and Other Stuff. Both the Classroom Window and Curriculum sections are for his students, while the Other Stuff section is for teaching colleagues or visitors to the Wiki page. On the right side of the main page, you have 4 additional sections: Content (teacher profile, blog, and files for students), Owned Communities (Rosedell 6th Grade Team and Tech Bytes), Community Memberships (SWATTEC), and Friends. The one thing that caught my attention is the use of “cartoonish” picture icons. It’s nice to see a teacher that has a sense of humor. When I read the student blogs, I could tell that the students were not only having fun on the Wiki page, but also incorporating it into their classes. Some students posted various class work/assignments, while others posted comments about how they loved using the computers. I think the main benefit of this particular Wiki is that the students can enjoy their daily contributions and involvement with it. It’s a way of introducing “new” technology without getting away from education.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Ye Olde Broken Arrow Pirate Wiki <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">(CG 9/20/09) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The address for this wiki is http://arrrpirates.wikispaces.com/ The students that created the wiki are Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth grade Enhanced Learning students from the Shawnee Mission School District in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. The students created this wiki to show off their research about **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Pirates **. They learned a specific research process through the [|Big6] Skills, gathered their information, and compiled this detailed wiki for pirate aficionados. It is a very neat wiki! The teacher uses a lot of “pirate lingo” within her instructions. All of the wiki details were researched and constructed by the students. The teacher provided the shell, maybe even gave them categories to work within. There is a very detailed rubric provided for the students to follow, and well as a checklist for them to keep track of their project expectations. The subject area covered focuses on Pirates, but covers pirate foods; jobs; rules; what they looked like; weapons; names; Privateers and their eras; types of ships; pirate hunters; and modern piracy. They also have a page with their bibliography and links. There are great pictures within the wiki and each are also connected to an online link. In their rubric they are expected to use one non-fictional book and an electronic source as well as two informational sources. Content information provided by each student also contains links that take you to other student’s research topic within the wiki or to an outside link.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The feature about this wiki that stood out for me was the great organization of the subject matter. It was visually appealing in the way it was organized as well as easy to follow. All of the subject headings that you can search under are found on the left side of the wiki page. Within the content you were reading, you become easily connected to other student links or outside links. It is obvious that the students learned a lot about the subject matter they researched by their quality of submissions. Not only did they learn about pirates, but they became very familiar with a recognized research format that will help them be successful with researching in the future. Once the wiki was created, I imagine it was fun for the students to maneuver through it to read the information created by their classmates, and to see how their information was easily electronically linked to that of their peers. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> I chose kmsamistad5 (http://kmsamistad5.wikispaces.com/) for my first wiki research project. This particular class is taught by Rick Biche at A Crosby Kennett Middle High School in Conway, New Hampshire. It seems that this class is for a 7th-8th grade middle school classroom. The main subject areas that were discussed included the Amistad incident and the Industrial Revolution. The purpose of this wiki was for students to practice communicating online using this particular study as a topic, to take responsibility of their own learning, to master a method of online publication through which they could voice their opinions and to discover the power of reflection. In this wiki, the teacher sets up the introduction to the website, supplies discussion questions and provides a character/event list for the students to elaborate on. The students then fill in the gaps by reading about the Amistad incident and the Industrial Revolution, discussing topics between fellow classmates and detailing characters/events on wiki that they have researched. I would say that the majority of the content was created by students. The framework/organization of this wiki is one in which the teacher assigns each student a number of topics of primary responsibility and a few of minor responsibility according to the areas they show interest. The students are not in groups but are responsible individually for the area of learning they have chosen. Since they may not have or be able to find answers to questions, this provides a great avenue for discussion to take place online among classmates. The content on this wiki had many links for each character/event from the Amistad incident and Industrial Revolution. These are listed in the left navigation bar and each of the links, when opened; contain a page with several paragraphs describing a character/event with additional researched links at the bottom of the page. The thing that I noticed about this wiki was the amount of information that the students compiled and how they interacted with each other as a means to learn about a topic. I would say that the students discovered how to communicate via classroom technology and how to incorporate self-reflection and assessment of the topic into their discussions and character/event studies. In conclusion, the benefit to learning this lesson on a wiki as opposed to a non-technological format was that the students took charge of their learning through technological means which broadened their capabilities and created a renewed interest in the topics of the Amistad incident and the Industrial Revolution.
 * Amistad (RC 9/21/09)**

I visited the wiki, Super Second Graders in Mrs. Hopkin’s class, at http://wikiwonderful.wikispaces.com/. Although the wiki didn’t make a direct reference to where the class was located, the autobiographies the children had written on the wiki told me this second grade class is from Ohio. The subject areas on the wiki included writing (stories), reading (book chats), math and science. This wiki is an online collaborative site of classroom activities and projects. The students share their written stories, produce video re-telling of stories they read in class, create simple videos of what they are learning in math, post their very own online math problems, and share photos of their classroom work. The wiki also has separate photo book sections posting pictures of trips, events, and classroom activities. A lot of the content on this wiki is student created. Mrs. Hopkins facilitates questions/objectives/corrections; students read, research, reflect and share their knowledge. She will post objectives to content areas. She has links to materials they are studying. She also posts links to additional websites as an extension to the classroom in all content areas. What impressed me the most about Mrs. Hopkins wiki is the students have links to their very own personal wikis linked from her class wiki! I can see several benefits to classroom wikis. It is an exciting way to get students involved in the classroom but more importantly promotes information sharing beyond the limits of the classroom. Kids love to see things they create, and having it on the internet, makes it even more special. It allows students to create not only for the teacher but for their fellow students to learn from. By introducing wikis at this grade level, it gives the students a baseline to build into more advanced skills at later grade levels.
 * Super Second Graders in Mrs. Hopkins class (SV 9/19/09)**

The example wiki that I chose, Welcome to Our 2nd Grade Wiki! 2009-2010, is from a second grade class in Southern California. The web address for the wiki is http://mrsibrahim.wikispaces.com/. The reason I chose this wiki is that the students play an active role and that all subjects are covered. Writing is the subject of emphasis on the wiki but there are links as well to Reading, Word Study, Math, Science, Social Studies, and more. The main purpose of the wiki is for the students to use technology to help share what they are learning. Each student has their own link and a small bio that they wrote about themselves. Their individual writing assignments will be posted under their own links. I think it sparks interest in technology and writing for the students. I think this age level should be working with technology, the more opportunities they have the better off they will be.
 * Mrs. Ibrahim’s 2nd Grade Class Wiki (RK 9/21/09)**

The teacher, Mrs. Ibrahim, created the majority of content on the website. It seems as if the students are able to post writing by themselves however, the content for the subjects is handled by the teacher. Mrs. Ibrahim’s wiki is very well organized. The home page states the grade of the students, where they are from and the reason they are using a wiki page. There are links to each students work on the bottom of the home page and links to all of the subjects are located on the right hand side. Mrs. Ibrahim does a nice job of providing links to other websites for some of the subjects. For example, under the science link there is a picture of the current moon phase. There is a link to this picture that goes to the website it is from which, gives more information on the moon and the phases it is in. I thought that the neatest feature on the wiki was a map that showed the location of all the visitors who had viewed their wiki page. When clicking on the map, it enlarges and tells the amount of visitors the wiki has had and it has a dot on the map showing where they are from. I think that this is a great learning tool for the students and it provides a connection for them. Some students may not care where a certain state or country is but when people from that state or country view their webpage it sparks a greater interest. There is a tremendous benefit in having a wiki for these 2nd grade students. While a lot of the wiki use is set up for students to post their writing it gives students a chance to type and work with technology. It also allows parents to view their child’s writing from home and gives them the opportunity to work on it with them. If the students writing was just done on a sheet of paper and turned in to their teacher daily they would be missing out on great learning experiences. Overall, I feel that this wiki is successful and creates an opportunity to enhance student learning. PS. Check out the Wiki Warranty page for acceptable use ideas.

Mr. A’s Ancient Greece is a wiki page (http://mra-ancient-greece.wikispaces.com/) put together by a sixth grade class. The location of that sixth grade class is not stated in the wiki page. Mr. A’s Ancient Greece is a set of pages intended to teach 6th grade students about gods and goddesses in Ancient Greek Mythology. The teacher formed an election where the students sponsored a god or goddess, ask questions to other gods and goddesses and then voted for their favorite to become the next master of the throne. The main page contained a tile of icons. Each icon displayed a picture representing a Greek God or Goddess. When the icon was clicked, a page dedicated to the selected character was presented. The page included drawings that appeared to be done by the students, a description of who the character from Greek Mythology was and what he represented, along with a campaign poster. It appears that the students were able to use various technology tools to create the pictures of the characters and posters. The creativity presented by these young students was astounding. From each page, the user can navigate to any of the other characters pages by using the navigation links found on the bottom of the page. The user can also go to election headquarters. This is where there is a synopsis of each of the candidate’s strengths, campaign posters, and radio ads. There are also discussions where the user can go and read the interviews given by the candidates. There are many intriguing questions asked to the candidates and just as many thought provoking and interesting answers in some of these discussions. The one feature that really stood out from this wiki page was the depth of information that the students included in their bios and discussion interview statements. It does appear that the students were able to learn much from this wiki experience. The use of technology seemed to benefit this learning by making the election framework easy to present information, use and navigate. The election could have been held without the use of technology but I do not imagine that the energy created by this wiki page would have been able to shine through without it.
 * Mr. A’s Ancient Greece (JH 9/22/09)**

The Gifted Kids Network wiki classroom (SH 09/22/09) I was very impressed with the Gifted and Talented wiki called the Gifted Kids Network located at http://talentedandgifted.wikispaces.com/ . I was unable to determine the originating location and identity of the creator of the site. However, the classroom is global in that it enables G&T kids from all over the world to interact and collaborate with intellectual peers. The site even has a lounge to foster cyber relationships. No specific grade levels were given on the page but I got the impression that the students were elementary and early adolescent aged. The class involved several different subject areas including virtual zoos, ancient civilizations, environment sciences and astrobiology. The purpose of the wiki is stated as, “Social, authentic, advanced, learning for gifted and talented students” ( http://talentedandgifted.wikispaces.com/ ). They further state the goal of the site is to have G&T students collaborate with other G&T students from all over the globe while using and developing high technology interest, fluency, and literacy ( http://talentedandgifted.wikispaces.com/ ). I believe the creator succeeded and the student will benefit by using this wiki. The teachers involved in this class operate as mentors directing student assignments and offering resources. The students are responsible for using 21st century skills in researching and presenting the lessons they have learned. The class is formatted with a homepage providing a general outline for the purpose of the class wiki. This wiki environment encourages students to utilize and incorporate a variety of software. There’s a link called “examples of software tools” to teach students new software that can then be incorporated into their assignments. One of the examples is for animoto: a simple, free, video making software. The wiki site features discussion and assignment postings via student blogs. The students use a host of tools to present their materials including podcasts and youtube, slideshare, and VoiceThread. I visited virtual zoos and went on narrated trips all a result of children using 21 century skills to research and present their learning. The benefit of this particular wiki is huge for G&T kids. Many schools are stretched thin on resources for these bright students. The wiki provides a large resource of human capital to collaborate in one place for the benefit of all involved. The opportunity for students to connect with bright peers and engage them in learning that will enhance their knowledge, and their critical thinking and presenting skills, is a huge win for the creators of this wiki and the G&T students using it.

**Mrs. Harju's 2nd Grade Class Wiki (MC 9/24/09)** The address for this wiki is: http://wikiharju.wikispaces.com/ This is the wiki of the 2nd grade class of St. Stephen’s school located in Grand Rapids, MI. The teacher’s, Mrs. Harju’s, role is that of creator and director. She creates the templates for the pages and provides directions for the students. The student's role is to share what they have learned individually and in groups, and provide that information as the content of the wiki.

The wiki is set up in a user friendly way and is very organized. The home page gives a warm welcome at the top in a large eye catching sparkly font, has pictures of the students (taken by the students) scrolling in two rows across the screen, the home page goes on to give the definition of a wiki, what is provided in this particular one, and an invitation to explore.

The wiki covers several subjects including English/Literature, Science, Social Studies and Math. It is set up with the standard tabs at the top, including page, discussion, history, and notify me tabs.

What I really liked about this wiki was the variety in how and what was displayed, as well as the level of student involvement. There are pictures and stories created by the students, accompanied by audio and video. There are videos of the students reciting poetry, reading their letters to the President, and audio accompanying a slide show presentation with the students providing the commentary about Langston Hughes (which appears to be an author study project).

The menu of links running down the left side of the page starts with a 2nd grade blog. The clog contains a story the students put together titled Cloudy With a Chance of Candy ... a spoof on the movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs that was recently released in the theater, and per the blog, the students recently read the book in class. The students wrote their own silly version about their school, "St. Spaghetti,” and a day that it rained candy, and posted it on the blog.

The next link on the left hand is the Student link. Once you click on this link, a list of students appears and when you click on the student's name, you are directed to their own wiki page where they include some information about themselves and other links to their homework, stories, science and to their "monster" which is a picture of a monster each created electronically. I couldn't view the children's homework ... it was "restricted" which is probably a good thing that students can’t view the others' grades and homework. Other links include Langston Hughes, Dinosaur Stories, Spring Glog, and Monsters. These links take you to pages where the students provided a majority of the information including drawings, audio, and sometimes video.

In addition to these links, there are others under the header Links to Great Websites. These additional links include Poems, Science, Social Studies, Math, Wacky Weather Videos, Letters to Pres-Elect Obama videos and Spooky Stories Videos. What is really great about these links is they not only direct you to a page with outside links for the specific subject, but also include work produced by the class. For example, the poems page includes outside links for other poetry/literature sites, and also includes videos of the children reciting poetry.

The wiki also contains information from prior years under the archives links, which is nice so that each class can view what previous classes have created and also know that there work will be there for the next class to view.

I am truly amazed at what this second grade class has produced. Their learning and understanding of the projects and subjects studied is apparent throughout. I think these wikis provide wonderful learning experiences that could not be gained by the traditional work produced on paper. I just think about how my son comes home from kindergarten and is so proud to show me his work and pictures from the day, and I wonder how awesome it would be for him to be able to display his information on a wiki. What a sense of accomplishment that would provide. And knowing that the work is going to be displayed in such a manner, perhaps more care and thought is put into the work. Just think of the skills creating this wiki is teaching the students. When I look at this particular wiki, I think, well here is a group of web designers … that happen to be in the 2nd grade. Okay, I know they are not the full web designers, but what a great start to developing and enhancing skills that will benefit them for years to come. In creating the wiki the students are not only web-designers, but writers, illustrators, editors, collaborators, photographers, commentators, actors (in the videos), and producers. The students are learning skills that enable them to be successful in the world outside of the classroom.

This wiki was made by Mrs. Truby and her fifth grade class in Witchita, Kansas. The web address is http://trubyville.wikispaces.com/. The main structure was composed by Mrs. Truby, while her fifth grade class created the majority of the content on the wiki. This wiki had three main functions 1. What they were learning 2. Their projects. 3. News and current events. The subject areas covered were reading, writing, technology (building a computer), world biomes, and geography. The purpose of this wiki was to share and collaborate as a group. This wiki had some great tools for both the students and others who would visit the site. It discussed what digital citizenship is, the purpose of a wiki. It had great links on how to make a voice thread, how to squeak, sound editing with audacity. The children had some great videos and audio clips on building computers, a polar bear podcast, interviews, student pages, creating their one mystery. They had links for current events, book reviews and surveys. They kept in contact with a student who moved to Australia by videoing conferencing weekly via Skype. They had a classroom pet that they took turns taking home over the weekend. They get a journal of their time with the pet and then they posted their entries along with photos. Each student had a page on which they could post what they did over the spring break and anything of interest to them. What stood out to me in this wiki was the way in which the students worked together as a class. They fulfilled their goal of sharing and collaborating as a group. I believe they benefited from this lesson. They had to work together on their projects. They had to use cameras, digital recordings, Skype, Youtube, to name a few technology based tools. I was very impressed with the content of this wiki.
 * Trubyville (DA 9/24/09)**

There are many examples of wiki’s that have benefited classrooms all over the country I chose one in the elementary school area because one day I hope to be an elementary school teacher and this is a good example of what can be done. Mr. Lindsay teaches 4th grade at Rosedell Elementary in Saugus, CA. The web address for his class is []. When you look at his wiki page you can see all the subjects that he teaches such as math, science, art, literature, and social studies. Along with the courses that he teaches the wiki also has a “Classroom Window” area and an “Other Stuff” area with different icons listed under both for people to browse, find out information, ask for help, and find assignments and other interesting things about what is going on in his class. Also with each icon that you go to there are links on the right side of the page that will take you anywhere throughout the courses that are broken down into specific areas on the wiki site that you would like to go to. Mr. Lindsay set up the site for his class but lets the students edit the material on the site, and as he states “Many of the pages are edited by elementary students, so mistakes may be present” ([]. para.2). Which I think is great; because he is letting his students take charge of the site so they understand how to use this technology for future use. The wiki site that Mr. Lindsay created is not only for his students but also for the parents. He has announcements listed, what was specifically taught that day with instructual videos, and comments on the end of each page whether it is for the students or the parents, and that they are free to contact him if they have any questions. I think one of the benefits that he uses is that the site feels very open and comforting with the little silly icons that he uses on the different pages not only of himself but of the students also. For instance on the student blog page each student has a silly picture that goes up when they posted their work for other classmates to see. The information that he goes through on the site helps to make sure the students are learning their core material but also how to use new technology that will benefit them later as students.
 * Mr. Lindsay’s 4th Grade Wiki (JB 9/24/09)**

y’s Classroom (dl 9.24/09) [] This wiki is used by 6th Grade at the Rosedell Elementary School in Sausage Union, CA The subjects consists of Literature, Art, Writing, Science, Social Studies and Math.<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> The purpose of the Wiki, from what I read, is for the students to explore and experience a shared community on the web and to serve as a resource for parents, students and teachers. It is also there to help the students keep up with assignments and to engage in class projects as well as provide a means for parents and the community to see what the students are doing in classroom and to inform the parents of how they can participate in their child’s learning.Mr. Lindsey refers to himself as the Rosedell’s technical coordinator. He is the initial creator of the Wiki and serves as the facilitator for the parents and the students and anyone else who wishes to participate in the Wiki. He provides information on the subjects that the student’s are learning and shares information with the community and the parents on what they are doing, how they may be involved in the helping their child learn.The Students have a blog section and a section to do assigned projects. For instance, they all had to fill out a template for math value placement. They can use the site to hone skills such as with the brainteaser that has games and challenges. They also have resource to other links to help them and information on what they are studying. They are also able to obtain their assignments.So far, most of the content is created by the teacher. He does inform the students in the “about the site” section that the students are free to add pages and are responsible. I gather as the year goes on the content will also consist of much of the student’s work. They are even able to create avatars to represent themselves. The Wiki site is not only broken down into curriculum but the following: Other Stuff: About the Teacher, About the Site, Resources for Educators and Tech Bytes, Classroom Window: Education News, Homework, Student Files, Teacher Blog, Brain Teasers and Help. It is neatly organized in to 3 sections with a logo representing each link within the section. There is a side bar depicting a site map with what is in every section. What attracted me to this Wiki is that it provided so much for the students. Many of the other Wikis seemed to be used for specific class projects or was used to generally display kid’s work. Mr. Lindsey seems to have combined the best of both worlds. From what of the I saw on the children were doing with the math template it looked like they were having fun and learning. I believe the children benefit from such learning. Each template had the child’s avatar next it and they worked with graphics to fill the template. They are learning technological skills. He states they are responsible for the content and provides a resources to assist them in what they are learning. They have it all on one site rather than having to go to other places to retrieve resources. It also urges them to complete their work since they have no excuse not to find out what their assignments are and know that there parents can see what they are doing at anytime.
 * Mr. Lindsa**


 * MR. CORLEY’S GEOGRAPHY, CANADIAN HISTORY, WORLD ISSUES (JJ 9/23/09)**

The wiki’s name is “The On-Line Learning Community for Mr. Corley’s students at Vincent Massey Collegiate” (http://vmccorley.wikispaces.com/). This particular wiki is being used to enhance learning by incorporating many different learning styles in a single wiki. The class is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This wiki is intended for high school students, primarily in the eleventh and twelfth grades. The classes associated with the wiki cover three subjects; Geography, Canadian History, and World Issues. The purpose of the wiki is to pass in homework without using paper. Mr. Corley’s role is to post assignments on the wiki and provide the sites and lecture for the students to complete the assignments. The students create the majority of the content; however there is no room for discussion. Mr. Corley’s wiki is set up for a direct question/direct answer with little to no deviation. The framework and organization of the wiki are quite interesting. Each student has their own wiki page where they post their answers. Each student page however has a different style of work required for each section of the class such as vocabulary followed by the creation of a word game using those words and definitions. One feature that stood out to me on this wiki was an assignment Mr. Corley attempted to use incorporating many different learning styles and techniques for students to utilize including; photos, building interactive timelines, and basic regurgitation of information from either a text book or a lecture. Every student in the class seemed to be gaining the knowledge of the material with a lot of cutting edge technology, not so subtly, mixed incorporated. The benefit of these lessons being taught on the wiki is that it allows the teacher and students to not only learn this material in many ways, but an opportunity to gain technical knowledge to use in other classes.

I am very impressed with a wiki called Language Arts (8). It is located at []. Clearly, by the title, it was created as part of an eighth grade language arts curriculum. Aside from the sixty-five student members, there are ten student moderators on this wiki. There were so many things on this wiki that jump out at me, but to see students being utilized in this capacity was the most amazing. Interestingly enough, the teacher’s name does not appear within the wiki accept under master administrator. It occurred to me that if educators are conveying the importance of anonymity on the internet, Ms. Ryan followed in suit. I, also, cannot find the name of the school or location of it on this site. This wiki was created as a literature, writing, and persuasive teaching device. Because it is so chalk-full of content, including many interesting links, I believed this was a wiki for nontraditional classrooms, such as web-based schools or homeschooled students. But, I did find one area where the Ms. Ryan mandates the rules of the site where she states, “The rules of the school and classroom also apply to this website” ([]). She upholds that a “customized grammar unit” will be assigned if infractions occur. Thus, it is an in-school classroom wiki. The wiki is organized very well. To the left of the page are all of the necessary tools for current assignments, including, “Today’s Task,” “Page tag,” and wiki site information. On the top of the page you can click on different areas of the curriculum, from persuasive speaking to the traditional literature book, //To Kill a Mockingbird//. Most of the content is via the teacher, while the students contribute with analysis of character, opinion, and linked web sites. Clearly, this is a unique, accelerated, eighth grade curriculum. Based on the discussions and extensive, yet not overwhelming, content of this wiki, I believe that the students learned a great deal from this instruction. The benefit comes in the sharing of information where students are required to take responsibility for their learning. In fact, the final project grade is based solely on the contributions the students make to the wiki.
 * WAY TO GO MS. RYAN (TC 09/27/09)**

The name of the wiki that I chose was Let’s Go West! (http://gowest.wikispaces.com/), which is a third grade study of the west ward experience along the Oregon Trail. I was unable to determine from the wiki where the class was located. But the wiki did have on it a map you could click on and see where and how many times around the world that people were visiting the wiki ([]://gowest.wikispaces.com/). This wiki primarily covered history, especially the experience of traveling the Oregon Trail west. But the wiki also provided the students the experience of creating the wiki, along with other subjects including language and written communication skills and the technology of learning how to move around in a computer environment, along with uploading photos and pictures. The purpose of this wiki was to allow the third graders to learn about the expansion and experience along the Oregon Trail while gaining experience in research, writing, using technological equipment such as scanners, digital cameras, and using a hosting site as www.bubbleshare.com.
 * LET’S GO WEST (RB 9/27/09)**

The teacher provided the information to start the wiki such as the introduction on the home page, and except for the teacher reflections page, the rest of the info and process was done by the students. The teacher on the wiki was in the role of guidance, since all of the information was done by the students, including photos, hand drawn pictures, and the links/websites where the students received their information. The students were teachers in the fact that they researched and put together the pages, but they were also learners by reading and participating in their classmates’ information. The home page contains an introduction along with a diagram outlining information about the Oregon Train. On the left side is a listing of all the pages. The wiki information is under the four major categories of Introduction, Oregon Trail, Fun Stuff and About the Project. The majority of the pages in the wiki were under the Oregon Trail section. In addition to written information students searched for actual photos and posted them along with hand drawn pictures to help describe the content. To provide those students/visitors who looked at the wiki some extra activities, the students even added a fun section. This section had a page with puzzles and another page of math problems relating to the history of the Oregon Trail. Each page of the wiki was a little bit different. It looks to me as if each student was allowed to be as creative as they would like to get their information reported, whether it was plain copy, photos, hand drawn pictures or graphs.

On the left side of the wiki, the pages consisted of the following: Introduction category which had pages of a 1800-1861 timeline, 1850-1869 timeline, and explorers; the Oregon Trail category had pages entitled jumping off places, hardships and disease, wagons, supplies, luxuries and necessities, daily chores, entertainment and games, clothing, food and recipes, fun facts, animals, Native American, and weather; under the fun stuff category there were math problems and puzzles, and finally under about the project there were resources and teacher reflections. One feature in the wiki that stood out was the students downloaded digital photos and then uploaded them to the photo hosting site, www.bubbleshare.com. These step by step photos showed how the students marked off the actual dimensions of a covered wagon in the parking lot, and in addition to the narration the students added a cartoon cowboy hat graphic in each photo on that page.

There was definitely a learning benefit for the students using the wiki instead of the standard non-technological format to learn about the Oregon Trail. The students had hands on experience in the project because they not only did their own research, they also had a chance to see what each of their classmates did in the project, plus in addition to the history they also learned and worked on additional skills. All of these experiences, hands on, and working with and teaching others, helps increase the percentage of knowledge retained by the students instead of the typical non-technological procedure.

I chose Mrs. Sheftel’s Class Wiki (http://mrssheftelsclass.wikispaces.com) For my example for a class wiki because it impressed me, it was for a fourth grade class and I am aspiring to teach elementary students, and also because no one else in my class had chosen to write about it. Mrs. Sheftel’s class is part of Carl Sandburg Elementary School in Centennial, Colorado. The wiki serves multiple purposes, among them are to keep parents and students updated on assignments and homework; to provide parents, students and teachers with abundant educational resources; to provide a space for parents and students to post comments and questions and respond to posts throughout the school year; and to provide a space for teachers to collaborate together on lesson plans. The subjects that are covered are reading, writing, science, social studies and math. The wiki is organized into nine areas. The Educational Links page furnishes links to educational games and information. The Homework area is helpful for students and parents to keep track of assignments. The Lessons area has video how-to demonstrations of the subjects. The Take A Poll area is for posting. The Movie Maker area has video clips of the class involved in various activities. The Pen Palls area displays letters from the class and to the class from their Australian correspondents. The Parent Page supplies parents with helpful links for continued learning at home. The Student Work page is supposed to be a compilation of “student computer projects using Word, Power Point, Publisher and More”, but when I tried to visit, I was disappointed to find that nothing was displayed. Because of this I would have to say that most of the content was created by the teacher, however, I don’t believe this is always the case. The wiki was very user friendly and in addition to the nine areas I mentioned previously, users could also access information by grade, subject, teacher or topic. I was particularly impressed with the abundance of links on the Educational Links page which equipped students with a wealth of information on topics such as internet safety, library databases, science fair ideas and also educational games on all subjects. For example, the Science Center had a cool link in which students could explore Mars by navigating either the Spirit or Opportunity rover across the planet. Over all, I believe this wiki is a very beneficial tool for communication between all users and an excellent way to extend learning beyond the classroom.
 * Mrs. Sheftel’s Class Wiki (LP 9/27/09)**

Mr. Richard’s Wiki Worms (LB 10/25/09) The name and web address for this wiki are: 4-4Adventures at http://4-4adventures.wikispaces.com/ . The school is the Young Hoon Elementary School located in Korea. It is a fourth grade classroom and the teacher is Mr. Richard. The two prominent subjects included in the site are reading and science. It also contained a morning announcement schedule, group projects with data, an aerial map of the location of their school, student work such as sketches of their science observations, links to websites, and much more. The purpose of the wiki was for the students to have material, resources, and discussions within their reach to further their learning in a way different than the traditional classroom. The teacher, Mr. Richard, set up the different pages on the site to pose questions, to allow students to comment, share their ideas, their work, or to help them research topics of interest. The students were really the ones who created and developed, added to, and made the site their own. The framework/organization of the site was that the pages were started by the teacher then the students took over with their work. Some of the pages were just student created either individually or as a group. The site included links to other sites, student work, homework assignments, questions from the teacher on different topics, graphics of visitor locations, maps of the school, rubrics, various organizational tools, and student created pages. It seemed as if the students enjoyed sharing their thoughts and ideas in this type of forum. My favorite section of the site was the Wiki Groups which are groups of students who create their own pages! They have a group title such as Bridge Bird Girls and Wiki Experts. The students have pictures, comments, and other great ideas, hobbies, class projects all student-created on their own pages. It was wonderful to see the imagination of the students (and for them to be able to express their interests to the world!) I got the impression that their teacher allowed the students flexibility based on their interests. He gave them an authentic experience in which the students were more than prepared to utilize based on their prior knowledge of technology.

Arrr, There Be Young Pirate Lovers (JG 10/26/09  ) The wiki that I looked at is called, “arrrpirates” ( http://arrrpirates.wikispaces.com/ ). It was created by fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Enhanced Learning students, although I am unable to figure out which school they attended. As could be surmised by the title, the subject area of this project is everything related to pirates. I believe that the general purpose of the wiki was experiencing researching a topic both off and online. Based on the in depth information found on the site, I also believe that the students involved with this project had a great interest in piracy. I believe that the teacher’s roll in the wiki was to help the students find information; help them put it on the site, and then help them to properly cite the resources in the bibliography. Based on the site “History”, the wiki was created in August of 2007, and it appears that the project was concluded in early December. It is unclear as to how much of the information the students found on their own, but it is clear that each child was assigned a particular section or subsection of the assignment to write, cite, and edit. Most of the content is researched based, put together using language a middle schooler might use in a research paper. Although the homepage is rather simple, the links to different topics related to pirates are clearly organized and aptly named. The framework works for finding information and looking at interesting images of pirate related paraphernalia. Many of the links within the wiki are still active, and I was impressed with the fact that information in one area of pirate content might be linked to another area of content within the wiki. One feature of the wiki which stood out to me was the organization of many areas of information. It is clear that the students thought out how they would display their newly learned information on the wiki. With the vast amount of information about different types of pirates, from different eras, and the specific details of some of the more infamous pirates, I am curious as to how much of what the students found was left out of their wiki to everything pirate. I imagine that the teacher allowed the students to choose the subject that they were going to spend their fall working on. Based on the amount of collaboration apparent in the information, and a few special words of thanks to individuals on the “Bibliography” page, this wiki seems like it was fun to create.

The name of this website is 2nd Grade Class Wiki and is located at http://mrsibrahim.wikispaces.com/. The second grade class producing the wiki is located in Southern California. Subjects covered on the wiki include Reading, Word Study, Writing, Math, Social Studies, Science, Art, Music, Health, PE, Inquiry, Technology and English Language Development. The purpose of the wiki is to allow the students an opportunity to share what they are learning and writing about with the rest of the world. Although it is not clearly explained, it appears that the teacher is responsible for the general setup and layout of the wiki. The students are responsible for entering their writing on the wiki. Each child has a personal page on the wiki where he or she is able to share both completed work and work in progress. The majority of the content does appear to be created by the students. The layout of the website is very manageable. Content can be viewed either by subject area or by student. The one thing that stood out to me was that each child has his or her own page on which they are able to share their writing. I definitely think that students are learning from their wiki experience as the history of the wiki shows that students are constantly updating or adding to their work. The students are continually working through the writing process. I think the benefit to using a wiki for this purpose is that the students are able to share their writing with a larger audience. The children may feel like they have more purpose in their writing because they know people other than their teacher can view it.
 * 2nd GRADE CLASS WIKI (AK 10/30/09)**

The Progressive Era Wiki (http://progressiveerausm.wikispaces.com/) was created by Mr. Chuck Taft for his 8th grade History class at University School of Milwaukee. He created the wiki for students to identify problems and solutions for American society during The Progressive Era. The structure he has established is very clear. Each period is self contained. Each period has its own page and each page has 9 topics. All of the topics for all of the periods are the same The students have clearly identified the problems and the solutions of each topic. Students also included respective images for their topic. At the bottom of each topic (wiki page), is a section of primary sources and citations for research. There are a few different features that caught my attention. First, I felt the students did a very good job of paraphrasing information gathered. Secondly, I thought the primary sources were a bit strange. They didn’t strike me as a source of information as they were mostly quotes from people, excerpts of speeches, rulings of The Court, etc. I’m not sure they were to be a “primary source” source for information as the next section had the citations used for research. I think this is a solid example of integration of Language Arts and U.S. History, but this is something that could have been accomplished with poster board. I would say that the students did learn from the development of the wiki, but the way it is structured by period, to me, misses a valuable function of a wiki as being tool for collaboration when people aren’t sitting next to each other.
 * Mr. Taft’s Progressive Era Wiki (CE 10/30/09)**

The name of the wiki is Team 8 Blue Saves the World! This wiki can be found at (http://team8bluesavestheworld.wikispaces.com/). An 8th grade science class from Pennsylvania created its content. The class is learning how to use technology to improve their understanding of alternative energy. The teacher assigned a project to the class to research different alternative energy sources and then based on their findings; write a persuasive essay on why their particular form of energy is best for their state and the world. Upon completion of their essays, the students are going to contact their public officials and report their findings. They are trying to show the world that an informed group of students can make a difference. The teachers’ role appears to be very limited. The teacher posted the assignment and the students are posting the results of their research to the wiki along with links to the websites that they obtained their information from and websites that they have found interesting. The students’ have also posted links to all of the public officials in the state of Pennsylvania. The information on the wiki is divided up into categories, such as the Notes page which contains the different energy sources that were researched and the information that was found, Links, Projects, Pictures, and Make a Difference which contains the links to all of the public officials in the state. The artwork under the Pictures category is very nice and the links on the wiki work well. The feature of this wiki that stood out to me the most was the map that showed where all the visitors to the wiki were from. The students seemed to like learning where people who visited the site were from based on some of their discussion posts. I think that this feature is a benefit to doing this assignment in a non-technological format. Students can interact with people from around the world and they can discuss what they are learning. Especially with the topic of alternative energy, having a global perspective can make this project an even more enriching learning experience. The students seemed to have learned more than just science from doing this assignment. They have learned about government, technology, composition, a sense of community, and how to take a stand for what you believe in so that change can occur.
 * Team 8 Blue Saves the World! (JC 10/31/09)**

Dr. Reich’s Chemistry Wiki is located at http://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/. The wiki was made for his high school chemistry I and chemistry II students at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The wiki originated when Dr. Reich was at Natick High School in Matick, Massachusetts.
 * Dr. Reich’s Chemistry Wiki (DB 11/01/09**

Dr. Reich states on his wiki home page that his “goal was to incorporate another medium in which my students could learn, process, and develop skills in chemistry.” He further states, “ it (the wiki) showed its ability to share information, post student work, and enable student collaboration.” In this wiki, the teacher serves as the director of information that the students are to find and then place on either this wiki or a wiki that the students have made themselves. Under the guidelines posted by the teacher the students have produced a history of the atom through various timelines and proposed models. When looking deeper into the 1408 pages with edits, the students report on a wide variety of actives and projects.

Finding information on the wiki was most easily done by clicking on the one of the lines in the boxes in the left margin. There are four lines, one for each term that can be clicked for lesson plans for each of the terms. The line labeled as Page List directs you to the content that is stored. Once on a page, the reader is presented with options that include discussion, history, and notify me in addition to page that when clicked allows you to see the author of the page and to have the ability to print the page if wanted. The pages include citations that when clicked on take you to the original article that the student used to produce the summary information on the page.

I chose this wiki because it was relevant to my area of teaching. I took about six hours of searching through the list that was presented on our class wiki to find one that seemed to pertain to me. From what I saw in my search, this was the best in the area of high school chemistry. From the page listings, it appears that the students have done quite a bit of research into time lines for discovery of information related to chemistry and also placed the information in relation to other events in the world over the centuries. In my classes, we spend a few days examining the timing of discoveries that built the knowledge base that chemists now have. Is the information necessary to understand chemistry? No, but it is good to know that what is known now is a compilation of discoveries, some at the expense of life, that should not be taken for granted.

Having now been introduced to wiki’s, I may be able to find a use for them in the future. Vocabulary development is one area that always seems to be lacking. Perhaps my classes could actively produce a wiki using a few of the ideas such as digital photography for demonstrating vocabulary and processes that would help strengthen these areas of chemistry content for themselves and future students.

The name of the wiki is simply studyhall. You can visit this interesting page at http://studyhall.wikispaces.com/. Vicki Davis is a computer science teacher at Westwood School in Camilla, Georgia. She is using wikis with all of her classes. She introduced wikis to the students and it took off from there. She assigned her students to create a wiki that would help them and others study for upcoming tests or projects. The students did this assignment on specific topics such as King Lear or the Scarlet Letter and it went very well. As a result of the buzz they came up with the idea to create a space where they can post assignments, notes, and basically anything they need that would help them study for their classes. The students came up with this idea on their own so you can say that their role is huge. They do all of the updating and all that Ms. Davis needs to do is monitor it.
 * 10****th** **Grade Study Hall (ME 10/31/09)**

The class subjects are listed along with the homework that was assigned for that class. Each class takes you to a page that is special for that subject. The students post material that is important for them to know in that class. Some of the links will take you to a teacher that is using wikis in his or her class. If they miss a day of school their Study Hall page will show them what they missed and gives them the means to get caught up. It appears from some of the discussion on the wiki that the students truly did learn a lot from their wiki. One of the students even said that they would be lost without it.

When we went to an online grade book I was amazed to see how quickly the students came to rely on it. Some of them check several times a day. I see this wiki in the same light. Our students are required to carry their planners everywhere. Their planner contains important school rules, some quick study sheets, and daily calendars. Their planners are given to them on the first day of school and is to last them the whole year. Well here is an example of an online planner, but with constant revisions. Every year I see changes in their paper planners that are always nice, but here you don't need to wait until next years planners to come out to add necessary information for everyone to share. Like the online grade book the fact that this is new, easy to use, and deals with technology the students will use it more often.

To learn more about Vicki Davis and how she is using technology in the classroom you can check out her blog at http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/.

Project S.C.A.T (LH 1/31/10) [] . Abernethy’s Techno tigers (website) http://projecttrinity.wikispaces.com/ (wiki page)

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Greenville, Pennsylvania 5th grade

This particular wiki page focuses on environmental science and the contamination at Trinity, the meaning of S.C.A.T is Stop Contamination at Trinity. The purpose of their class wiki is to provide information to the community about what is happening in their neighborhood, why it is not safe and how it can be stopped. The teacher maintains the wiki but the students provide blog entries, pictures and information so the work is pretty fairly spread amongst the students and teacher. Overall, I like this particular wiki page. It is easy to navigate and everything is very organized. I found it very informational and was interested in reading more about it. What stood out the most for me was the information and how the students were educating the public on this. I have never seen a wiki before and I really enjoyed being able to view what a wiki can do on such an easy accessible wiki page.

The title of this wiki is “Ye Olde Broken Arrow Pirate Wiki” and can be found at http://arrrpirates.wikispaces.com/. The location of the class is not indicated. The grade level is fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Enhanced Learning students and the topic is Pirates. The purpose was to showcase their research project on pirates, which they learned from the Big6 ([]). The teacher provided guidance to students through periodic emails containing information as to how to cite references, research ideas and search engines, and how to find photos. On the home page, the teacher states that "this is the work of 10-12 year-olds" and that "we are proud of their work" which implies the students did the work while the teacher facilitated and guided. Students took the lead and created the majority of the content on the wiki, as each post was signed by the student author. This wiki was very well organized, containing an introduction and home page along with links along the left-hand side to the various topics. Content is factual and links are included in almost every post, primarily within the wiki itself. For example, if you click on Blackbeard in one section of the wiki, it takes you directly to the Pirate Biographies. The outstanding organization of the material and ease of navigation within the wiki was what stood out to me. It seemed as though this would have been a tremendous learning experience for students. They had to utilize research skills, technology skills and teamwork skills to complete this project. Students may have learned this content from a book or even a few select web sites however, the benefits of utilizing the technology and collaborating on a project of this magnitude was invaluable.
 * Mrs. Moffitt’s "Ye Olde Broken Arrow Pirate Wiki" (JK 2/2/10)**

**desbuffalo (JB 2-3-2010)** The wiki that I choose was one that was completed by 5th grade students at Discovery Elementary in Buffalo, MN. The wiki can be found at http://desbuffalo.wikispaces.com. This site was designed to assist and support students in the following areas: writing, language arts, reading, science, social studies, and art. On the left side of the wiki, there is a table of contents which allows students to choose which content area they would like to view. Links are posted to direct students to each subject area. Directions are then posted on the top of each page. On several pages, there were statements also available to encourage students to interact. The teacher also posted supplementary materials which correlated to different subjects. The teacher was able to post classroom notes as well as hyperlinks to appropriate websites, interactive graphics, and "teacher tube" videos.

This wiki allows students to interact with each other to support their academics. Students are encouraged to add to discussions that are prompted by their teacher to connect to their classroom lessons. The teacher created the basic outline of the wiki as well as the ares for students to post their own responses. The teacher is able to view discussions students are having as well as add comments to direct discussion in the correct direction.

The wiki is also beneficial because it has assignments recorded regularly so students may revisit the wiki at home with their families. This encourages students to review work at home and post work to show family members as well. Students are responsible for posting to discussion prompts, writing book reviews, and posting writing samples.

Using this wiki in a classroom could be very valuable. The ability to navigate through the wiki proved to be very simple. Even though the format of the wiki was very simple, the amount of information that was presented was not affected negatively. This wiki presented information which allowed students to learn from their experience. Information was made available to students to review what they have learned as well as provided supplementary material for additional topics. The wiki also provided additional information for families to help support their students learning. Using a wiki in a classroom has shown to be a beneficial way to daily encourage students to interact with each other in addition to allowing students to positively support their own education.

=Mr. Lindsay (AR 2/5/10)= [] I chose this wiki to illustrate learning in this particular 4th grade class, which is located in Rosedell Elementary School, Saugus Union School District in California. Even though the website reads Mr. Lindsay, he has set it up so that it is very collaborative and has a very intuitive interface. The wiki fulfills several roles: Bulletin board which alerts parents to classroom news, links to other educators and soap box from which students can display their work. The teacher, as well as being wikimaster, functions as facilitator for bringing forth the content of the site, which seems to have a higher percentage of content from students compared to the other wikis I’ve visited. I like the fact that it is more graphically organized than text-based as it is more in keeping as a wiki designed for 4th graders as well as it’s resource links for other educators. Since it is a 4th grade, it is a multi-subject curriculum and the wiki reflects that. Subjects are divided up under graphic links for each subject in the curriculum: Art, Literature, Math, Science, Social Studies and Writing which contain a link for the standards for each of hose subjects. I do like the fact there is a link for student blogs, which encourages students to express themselves in both traditional writing and newer forms of expression such as audio files (mp3s) and artistic digitally created graphic work. The feature that stood out for me the most was the sheer amount of links that he provides to different content related areas. It is clear that unlike some of the other wikis that have not been updated in weeks or even months in some of the cases, this teacher enjoys technology and is passing that love of technology along to his students, through the care he shows on this site. At the very least, the students do know how to create and to post different multimedia types of files, which puts them ahead of the game for later on down the road in middle and high school.

http://4-4adventures.wikispaces.com/Worm+Online+Wiki Korea, Young Hoon Elementary School, Grade 4, Classroom 4 This is covering a science project on feeding worm’s different food and combinations of food to see how they grow and respond to these foods. This is also a bilingual class, alternating each day, Korean then English speaking. Here is a dual purpose for this class, a science project but also a foreign language class. There are two teachers, Mr. Richard and Mrs. Ahn for this class. The teacher’s role is to set up the course, describes how to start the project, assist with any questions about the project, to start the day with enrollment. The children would then take over the class and be the speaker or MC of the day. Again, this speaking was done one day in Korean and the next day in English. The wiki page itself was created by the teacher, of course. But most of the information that has been added was by the students. Each student could log into the page and add information about what was done each day. The students where also divided into groups and each of the groups had to post a link to there group page http://4-4adventures.wikispaces.com/Super+Soccer+Stars. Here the kids add pictures and offer other links to visit. This wiki is for all students to be interactive with each other out of the classroom. The teacher has set the guidelines and the students follow these well described steps on what to do. The teacher also has students help students if there is a problem or question. The teacher has organized this site to be extremely interactive. It is also a great way for the students to keep in touch with other teachers or visitors that have came to their classroom, such as http://4-4adventures.wikispaces.com/Miss+Kristina and http://4-4adventures.wikispaces.com/Holidays Along with these links to keep in contact with others that have visited the feature that I thought stood out was the fact that each student has his or her own wiki page linked into the classroom page. This gives them the access to all of the information need. This not only keeps the kids interest with technology but applies it to schooling and to be able to interact with themselves, the teacher and former visitors.
 * Mr. Richard’s WOW! Worm Online Wiki (JH 2/7/10)**

I think that this wiki is being used to enhance this classrooms learning by making a fun project out of numbers. It’s the 100th day of school and a chance for the teacher to do something fun with the students and for them to learn different ways to make the number 100 at the same time. I know that at the school that I worked at all the Kindergarten and First Grade classes had a celebration on the 100th day of school. One classroom put up streamers, another class gave the students bags and they had to pick out 100 pieces of candy to put in their bag, and in the Kindergarten room the students made a chain of 100 paper loops. It’s a way to make learning math fun for the students and this wiki gives others ideas of things to do in their rooms. The 100th Day Project website: http://100thday.wetpaint.com This was made by a Kindergarten class The subject of this wiki was the 100th day of school and the purpose was to show different ways to make 100 and show how much fun the students have making collections of 100. The teacher, I believe was the one that made the wiki and posted all the information. The students participated by making the collections of 100 so the teacher could take pictures and post them. The teacher defiantly created the majority of the content on the wiki probably due to the fact that it is a Kindergarten class. This wiki, I think, is very well organized. There are links on the side to the pictures of collections of 100, ways to get 100, and others. One feature that stood out to me on the wiki was the collection of 100 link. There are pictures in this link of different students and their collections of 100. It’s interesting seeing how students can come up with 100 of something. I’m not sure if the students learned much from the wiki itself they would have learned about the subject of the wiki but I’m sure that the student weren’t the ones that posted on the wiki. However, like I said they would have learned about the number 100 and different ways to make that number. I think that there is a benefit to using the wiki. The fact that other teachers can get access to the wiki and now have new ideas is a great benefit. Maybe there can be more collaboration on the wiki to post more pictures and new ideas by many teachers.
 * Ms. Schroeder (RS 2/11/10)**

http://team8blue09.wikispaces.com This wiki was created for an 8th grade class in Milford Middle School in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. The courses covered specifically on this site are Algebra I and Physical Science with the purpose being to learn “how to use technology to improve our understanding of Mathematics and Science.” (Team8Blue wiki) The content is posted by both the students and the teacher, Mrs. Laguna, and is contained in 3 basic sections—Notes, Science Links and Team Pages. The “Notes” section, posted mostly by the teacher, contains classroom notes and links to aid in a specific day’s lesson. The links were dated and it appeared to contain the entire year’s worth, but the classroom notes were only from a single day. I wonder if the students were responsible for downloading and saving these every day. It was also interesting to note that the classroom notes seemed to be generated digitally, perhaps from a SmartBoard or similar device. Also in the “Notes” section were podcasts and videos created by the students. The “Science Links” contains a large number of links to websites with documents, graphics, animations, videos, and games to aid the learning process. Some of these are organized by chapters to correspond to a textbook. The students are responsible for all content posted under the “Team Pages”. Each team has its own section. It appears that all assignments and lab experiments are posted on the site. Not only do they post all the assignments as simple text, but they include numerous illustrations as well. The thing that stood out the most to me was the inclusion of podcasts and videos produced by the students. I’m amazed that not only are these students participating in the wiki environment, but also creating things in different forms of media. I think these kids learned a tremendous amount from this experience, even just in terms of the exposure to the technology. As for the real goal of learning Math and Science, I would say the technology was beneficial simply for the sake of the inclusion of links to helpful sites. The wiki provides a nice concise point for the students to explore these sites rather than having to spend tons of time searching. I question taking the time necessary for the students to produce a site like this and if that time would be better spent learning the subject matter. These are still valuable skills, however, and the content was more advanced that what I learned way back when, so maybe it is working.
 * Team8Blue (AK 2/12/10)**

F2F (sm 2/7/10)
====The name of the wiki that I found was for the Turning Point Learning Center. The site seems to be for the face to face school, but their virtual school is what started first. The address is http://turningpointf2f.wikispaces.com/. The school is located in East Central Kansas and is a k-8 charter school. The site encompasses global studies, science projects, career studies, independent learning, fine arts and math. The students can journal and can also share experiments, there are also links to homework. It is a way to share with parents what the students are studying and have them be involved too. The wiki seems to be just another learning tool that the school employs. Most of the content is posted and created by the teachers. They also oversee the site and what others post on it. There are some designated areas which students can post their projects and journal entries. The wiki is fairly user friendly with pages and subject areas located on the left side of the page and is categorized by subject area. The teachers post assignments and directions for students and the students post experiments and information about what they have been studying, like a journal. There are a lot of links to other sites, although all new pages open in the same window and sometime it is hard to get back to the home page. The site also includes a few videos from the students. The one feature of the wiki that I was impressed by was that the site is being frequently used by k-8 students, and that they are interacting with a wiki. I think that the students enjoy using modern technology to post and learn from. The wiki is very interactive. This wiki isn’t just one lesson it is a part of their curriculum and it has been being used since 2005 so it must be well used resource.====

The name of the wiki I found is ‘Let’s Go West!’ which is a third grade lesson based on the Oregon Trail. The web address is http://gowest.wikispaces.com/. The primary subject covered in this wiki is social studies and history. The purpose of the wiki is to educate students about the Oregon Trail and the many struggles that travelers endured while traveling from Missouri and heading west. For this particular wiki the 3rd grade students were very involved. On the menu on the right side the home page the different tabs (ex: jumping off places) are written by the students. The majority of the information appears to be created by the students. Since the students are creating a large portion of the wiki, I feel they are not only learning history related to the Oregon Trail but also gaining technological experience. I think the wiki is very organized and easy to navigate. This is something that stood out to me. I think this is very important if other students are going to use something similar to this. The wiki needs to be detailed and organized to prevent frustration. Each section under ‘Jumping off Places’ (and other menu tabs) has another link to view a larger photo. The navigation menu on the side is also detailed and full of a variety of content also created by the students. Students clearly created the majority of the wiki, but of course the teachers needed to help organize and give assistance with writing and grammar. Both classroom teachers wrote a reflection about the wiki experience and noted they would be willing to do it over again. I believe there is a benefit to learning this lesson through a wiki. For one, the students had a part in the creation of the categories and lessons. Secondly, this provided a hands on approach to history. It allowed them to explore research. The non-technological format is still important but I feel students are learning through the wiki without even knowing it.
 * Westward Travelers (JO 2/13/10)**


 * Mr. Benjamin Wilkoff’s Discovery-isms (LO 02/13/10)**

The classroom example I have chosen is “ The Discovery-ism Project” found at http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com. Although it is not specified, I believe that wikispace was created by Ben Wilkoff and his 8th grade students at Cresthill Middle School in the Douglas County School District of Colorado. It appears that this project was created as part of a Social Studies assignment to build self-esteem and help the students create their own identity or personal philosophy before moving on to high school and the challenges that it brings. The students were required to create an individual “-ism” which they could formulate into a movement. The requirements were quite specific and spelled out on the Introduction page of the wikispace. The project required a great deal of personal thought on the part of the students. The wikispace provided a platform where the students could discuss and debate sensitive social issues. I believe their discussions helped guide the students to their individual identity and subsequent “-ism.”

The basic format of the wikispace appears to be primarily set up by Mr. Wilkoff. As the students worked on their projects, they could add sites of interest for others to use. Mr. Wilkoff provided links for the students to view and/or use to create their own portion of the wiki once they had developed their individual “-ism.” Two of the various links that Mr. Wilkoff made available were http://mindomo.com & http://www.gliffy.com; these links led the student to websites that would help them create a Mind/Concept Map of their belief structure which was one of the requirements of the project. There were approximately 30 different “-isms.” I didn’t review all of them but found “happyism” http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com/Happyism and “libertyism” http://discoveryisms.wikispaces.com/Libertyism to be quite interesting. The majority of the students really did put a great deal of effort into this project. It seemed to me that the students learned a great deal from their wiki experience. It also looks like this teacher enjoyed working with technology and shared that with his students through this assignment.

I believe the students benefited a great deal from having this assignment in a wiki format. They could discuss and debate their thoughts with classmates outside of the classroom through the “discussion” tab, were introduced to various techno techniques to use in their project and had the ability to share their “ism” with others.

I had never seen sites like this before. It is amazing what can be done. I particularly like the “Progress” page of the site. It was created by Mr. Wilkoff for the students to go to discuss their progress and concerns during the project. It allowed for open communication. A concept that I believe is essential in order for students to complete as assignment successfully.

The name and web address for this wiki is [|__www.roomtwelve.com__] and it is titled Mighty Writers 2009-10. This class is located in Seattle, WA but I do not know the name of the school. The grade level is 3rd and includes alumni entries from prior years. For the most part, the students submit their writings from Language class and have also included some of their own blogging about what their plans are for the weekend, etc. The teacher originally created the web site for sharing student stories. One of the most recent entries were Turkey Stories from Thanksgiving 2009. The framework of the site has areas for blogging by the students and comments by providing links by first name of each student in the class. Each student has customized his/her area including animating their names, titling their portion of the site, including pictures of the area or a pet, etc. There is also an area that has stories written by the students posted by Mr. A (as he refers to himself on the site). The content consists of student stories and blogs. There are 15 related links to other wikis which includes from other states as well as some from the same school that Mr. A is located in. Mr. A’s class from two years ago are now fifth graders. Those students can still submit stories and there is a link to their 5th grade wiki as well. One feature that stood out to me is the area that was customized by each student. Some really took ownership. Lincoln’s animated name was really neat! From my perspective, the students learned about safety online because of keeping personal information out of their entries and by being discreet. Also, the typing required to do their entries is also invaluable. The primary benefit I see in learning this lesson on a wiki is that it required a new way of learning. Anything that is a new way of learning is a benefit. That’s the only way to find pros and cons for future learning.http://online.marianuniversity.edu/educator/student/modifyfile.cgi?darylannwhitemarsh*mckissinger03*mpos=14&spos=0&slt=99IcpacIjpruw*tde640ws01spring2010*mckissinger03*TerrytheTennisBall.doc
 * Mr. Ahlness’s Mighty Writers (RB 2/14/10)**

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 * Mr. Anguiano Ancient Greece (JH 2/14/10)**

Each year Mr. Anguiano’s 6th grade class creates a wiki on a new topic. This time they focused on the Olympian gods and goddesses of Greek mythology and their quest for power at http://mra-ancient-greece.wikispaces.com/. The students were assigned a god or goddess and then given the hypothetical situation of Zeus stepping down from power. Through an election, a new Olympian king or queen would be chosen. It seems as Mr. Anguiano set up the core of the wiki and then had his students add and modify the pages. On the Greek Mythology page the students had to create a symbol for their god or goddess. Clicking on the symbol would then link you to a page where the student had to explain who the god or goddess was, what they stood for, and give a brief history or story about the god. On this page the student also had to have a campaign poster and a drawing of the god. Since the teacher had organized this as an election there was a campaign headquarters. You could link to one of the three parties and read the bios of the candidates, view their election posters, or hear their mp3 radio ad. Each candidate had also been interviewed and those results could be found on the discussion pages. This wiki allowed Mr. Anguiano’s 6th grade students to learn about the different features of a wiki. They had to type and edit written information, have discussions, create art by drawing, scanning and downloading and also using Paint and transferring the image. And my favorite was the radio ad audio files they created. All of the information I saw was similar to what I have seen done with the Greek mythology curriculum in schools without computers. This seemed like a basic wiki that would allow students to have some fun learning a new technology and required curriculum at the same time.

b. Name: 3rd Grade Wiki Web address: wiwiharju.wikispaces.com c. It is the 3rd grade class of St. Stephen Catholic School located in Grand Rapids, MI d. Grade level: 3rd e. All subjects seem to be covered in the wiki f. The purpose of the wiki is to allow the parents to see the homework assignments that are posted on the blog page. The student pages are meant for them to post a few comments about themselves and post what looks like past creative homework assignments such as science, stories and creating their own monsters. There are also pages designed to help students with links to math practice pages and so forth. g. The teacher is responsible for posting the homework assignments on the 3rd grade blog page. They also set up the links to the practice pages on the website. h. The students each have their own page with their postings for homework, stories, sciences, their created monsters and other various pages. Also, on the 3rd grade blog page there is a section called “Katie’s Corner” where a student gives her perspective on the day’s lessons. i. Because there are so many student pages and the excerpt on some of the days blogs, it seems that the students create most of the web’s content but the teacher also has to write the assignments and create the links to the practice websites so it seems like there’s a bit of both. But the students definitely as a whole have written more. j. The organization of the website starts out on the homepage which simply states the title of the blog in big sparkling red letters. On the navigation tool bar there is a link to the 3rd grade blog listed first. There is a student page with all their surnames as links to their individual pages and postings. Then a prayers link follows tying in the fact that they come from a catholic school. Then there are links to spelling and math practice sites. And finally a link to the schools actual website. All pages are simply laid out and easy to navigate. k. Content: The blog is run by the teacher. They post the homework assignments for class along with a miscellaneous note. For example, the February 9th post notes the Valentine’s Day class party on February 12th. The student pages have their own art work uploaded onto the site along with written postings on stories and monsters among other things. Its cool to see each child’s own creativity on these pages. The link to the other school’s website is nice because you get a good background on the type of school these kids are coming from. The prayers link is nice because it links in their religious practices with the technology. The links for math and spelling practice are nice tools for the students to use for their school work. l. Best Feature: My answer to this is linked with the previous question, hence why I was vague on the math and spelling links. There is a webpage link on the math section that I checked out and played with a little that I really liked. Its called fun4thebrain.com. There are all kinds of games to play to help with your basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills. They are actually pretty fun and engaging. It’s an excellent example of unity between learning and technology…exactly what this class is all about. And kids today love being engaged in computer games and so forth and the game element helps students get excited about learning. m. I don’t know for sure how beneficial this wiki is to the students but they all post and seem to participate so I would say that the wiki is fairly successful. n. I think that learning this lesson on a wiki was very beneficial because it showed us hands on how one really works and what its like to see the kids contributions to them. I think its something I would definitely want to master so I could incorporate it into my classroom.
 * The 3rd Grade Sparklers (RB 2/15/2010)**


 * Mendez US History (PW 2/15/2010**)

__http://mendezushistory.wikispaces.com__

The Mendez U.S. History wiki was created by the Mendez Fundemental Intermediate School which is located in Santa Ana, CA. It was created by the students with teacher wikis for downloads. Each period is responsible for their own wiki which gets opened at the beginning of the school year and is added to reflecting the current study. For example period 1 wiki has information about the founding fathers. There are several links to various pages for the period 1 wiki. It appears that some of the pages are sources while most of them are places for various teams of students to post their research homework. It appears as if period one had an assignment of the articles of confederation. Each team then posts their summary of the articles and it is all their for any one of the periods to view and learn from. Most of the entries seem like a repeat of each other but that may only be due to these being assignments that reflect what the students have been studying. The teacher is in charge of the home page that then offers links to each periods wiki. They did not utilize linking to connect to their sources but on the home page designed by the teacher their are links to source material and to other web pages that offer advice on layout and wiki design. <span style="display: block; font-family: Helvetica,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">I wanted to see how a non technological subject might benefit from the use of a wiki and that is why I chose this History wiki. I don’t believe that the students were benefited in the area of their history study but it could be a fun project that makes dry history a bit more interesting. It then also serves as a great reference for the students to visit later in the year. I feel it is a better and more interesting source than a text book and a good way for the teacher to grade performance.

Collaboration Nation http://collaborationnation.wikispaces.com/ This wiki was created for Mr. Paul Bogush’s 8th grade 19th Century US History Class, from Moran Middle School in Connecticut. This wiki was first started with students in the 07-08 school year and has continued since then. It’s a wiki that allows the students to work on collaboration projects and the teacher hopes to participate in collaboration projects with other schools. The teacher started the homework link page, but each day a student from each class updates the day’s assignments. The teacher has also added links to help students and visitors learn more about wikis and tools that can be used to create an interesting wiki and he adds the information for the students to follow to correctly complete their assignments. Students are involved in keeping up the blogs, adding a section of information about themselves, creating podcasts and videos that are related to their assignments and several have also helped upload links on the wiki. I feel the teacher has created more of the technical information base of the wiki, but the students are adding the rest of the information, creativity and projects. This wiki is organized into sections such as profiles, how-to-pages, wiki guidelines, the current assignments, blogging, podcasts, research links and other areas. There are very distinct areas on the left that will lead a visitor to whichever section they are looking for. They include 2.0 Tools information and help videos for reference. The students seem to really enjoy helping run this wiki. They have included many links, pictures, jokes and information about themselves to make this their community. One thing that stood out to me is a current project they are working on. The students were given a day to create a poetry slam, write it, rehearse and record it and embed them into the wiki. There were some great videos!
 * CYBER COLLABORATION (AW 3/21/2010)**

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Students Create e-Portfolios as They Close out their Academic Career** Teacher: Al Tucker Web Address: [] School: Center for Arts and Technology, Pickering Campus. Grades 9-12 Location: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Purpose of the Wiki: This wiki site hosts the student’s e-portfolios from the Center for Arts and Technology. They document their projects, research, some writing examples and share about their job shadow experiences. The students will use these career portfolios that they can use when they are applying for jobs or for future applications to schools. Role of the teacher: It appears that Mr. Al Tucker plays more of a moderator role on this class wiki. It looks as though he is building this class wiki at this time as there were only the student examples on the page. Mr. Tucker hosts some discussion links on the page. Role of the students involved in the wiki: The student’s play the largest role on this page. The page is put together for the student’s in the program to host some of their most important assignments, cover letters to possible employers, examples of their projects that they did for their classes. The e-portfolio acts as an interactive online resume for students. The student’s can use their e-portfolio as they take their next step in their academic careers. Other Content/Links: There are some links on the page that lead to ideas on creating their own page, helpful suggestions when creating a page and easy to follow directions for the students to add creative items to their e-portfolios, i.e. music, artwork and photographs. One feature that caught my eye: The idea of the class wiki that hosted Student created e-portfolios caught my attention. The site seems to be new and there are not many examples of other students work on the class wiki, but it correlates to one of my roles here at my high school this year. I was asked to be a part of group of teachers from my district that is evaluating the “Senior Year” and all that is involved in that year. We are looking at what we can add or subtract from student’s senior year. We have discussed some sort of portfolio that would be required. I like the set up of this type of portfolio as I think the students would be more apt to do something like this if technology is involved. One feature of the wiki that stood out was that it includes photographs as evidence of their work, examples of cover letters, community and school involvement and areas of school that the student had success in. I think all students in a senior class could put together something like this regardless of post-secondary plans.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">(MH 3/22/10) **

The name of the wiki is The Science classroom, which can be found at: https://thescienceclassroom.wikispaces.com/The+Science+Classroom. The class that created this wiki is located in Warr Acres, Oklahoma. The wiki is geared towards high school physics students who attend Putnam City High School. According to the wiki, the purpose of it is to “Enrich students' learning process, thereby preparing them more fully for their post-high school experience in today's technology-heavy educational climate and workplace. Build a comprehensive knowledge base of which my students will have ownership. This will encourage higher-level Bloom's Taxonomy skills and the new Digital Bloom's Taxonomy skills they hopefully have when leaving the classroom” (https://thescienceclassroom.wikispaces.com/The+Science+Classroom). It looks as if most of the information on this wiki is compiled by the teacher. There is a section of projects that the kids completed in the AP Physics section. There is also a textbook that the students are writing. The homepage gives an explanation of the purpose of the wiki. There is a section for AP physics which includes multimedia projects that the students created on various topics. Next, there is a list of people who have made contributions to science, with short biographies of each. The fourth area is the student created textbook, with the requirements of what to include in each entry. Lastly, there is an area explaining what turnitin.com is and how to create an account. It states that prior to posting work, the student must first give their information to turnitin.com to make sure they are not plagiarizing. There is a link to turnit.com. Links to other websites include the references used to create the list of important people in science. One feature that stood out to me is that this wiki has a link to buy a shirt to help support the physics classroom. I would assume that the most student learning occurs when they contribute to writing their textbook. I think the benefit to creating their own textbook, is that they can continually change and update the information. The textbook becomes a living, ever-changing document.
 * The Science Classroom (EP 3/27/10)**

=MR. MCDOWELL’S AP WORLD HISTORY (NC 3-28-10)= [|MCDOWELL'S AP WH] I chose this wiki to share because it looked like the instructor, Dan McDowell, had created the framework for the wiki, while his student’s provided the lion’s share of the content. The wiki’s web address can be found at: http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/~ahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=Main_Page. From what I can tell the site is designed for 11th and 12th grade World History A.P. students. After reading the overview and scouring around on the wiki, one can see that the main purpose of the wiki is to research, gather, and share facts and content of interest pertaining to World History, with specific interest on the Holocaust. The instructor has basically created a clean board for his students to post content on the Holocaust as a whole, and also provided some space for research on specific families that endured this tumultuous time in history. McDowell has constructed links for each of his classes, making it easy for his student teams to navigate and to post their content in the appropriate areas. The content is largely created by the students, once they have done the required researched leg-work. For instance, two student’s from McDowell’s 4th period class, Ryan and Mohammed, have posted a report on what life was like for the Stein family in Budapest right before the Nazi’s came into power. Even though the content is not perfect—typos and informal sentences abound—it’s plain to see that these students have researched together and produced and posted their own content. I was impressed with how easy this kind of project is. I’m excited about the potential for such a medium for such assignments. From an educator’s standpoint, I’ve long loathed the idea of students taking up large chunks of class time for assignments like this and then for me to have to wade through all those reams of paper afterward. With the wiki, students like Ryan and Mohammed don’t even have to be in the same room at the same time to collaborate effectively. Depending on the turn-in time frame they can work on this outside of class and turn it in paper-free, which also makes it easier for the instructor to check and make comments on as well, I’m assuming.

**Mrs. L's Collaborative-Learning (SW 3/28/10)** http://collaborative-learning.wikispaces.com/

<span style="color: #444444; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I found a wiki made by Mrs. Pam Lowe. Her wiki appears to be primarily used as an assessment tool in her classroom. The way the wiki has been set up it appears that Mrs. Lowe spends quality time teaching the students in her class and then uses the wiki to assess their knowledge and understanding of the concepts that the students have been learning in class. This wiki appears to be enhancing students learning because it allows them to share their content knowledge with other students in their classes. The class wiki allows students to use their technology skills and at the same time demonstrate content area knowledge to the teacher. This wiki is also helpful for the teacher because the teacher doesn't have to spend many hours correcting tests anymore. It is easy for the teacher to log on and view the discussion between students and to see how they have answered the questions that she has posed to them. We know from everything that we have been reading that students love technology so why not use technology and wikis in place of lectures and essay tests. As long as students can demonstrate their understanding of content area knowledge does it matter if they wrote down their answers in an essay test or just made a post on a wiki. To me it seems like learning no matter what the form, plus the online component makes it more exciting for students.

C: Where is the class located that created the wiki? unknown

D: It appears from reading the content that this wiki is created by an upper elementary teacher. Possibly 5th or 6th grade because (at least in my district) that is when these topics are covered.

E: Two subjects are covered in this wiki. They are Math and Science.

F: The teacher that created the wiki describes it as: "a student-centered, inquiry based learning community." In my opinion, the purpose of the wiki is mainly an assessment tool for the teacher to use to check to see if the students are understanding the material that she has been teaching to them. The teacher poses a question and the students log onto the wiki and answer her questions about the content areas of study.

G: The role that the teacher plays on the wiki is that she is the creator and the person who poses the questions to the students about the content.

H: The student’s role is to contribute to the wiki using the information that they have learned in the classroom in order to answer the discussion questions that are posed by the teacher.

I: The students created most of the information on the wiki by answering the discussion question that had been asked by the teacher.

J: The organization on the wiki is easy and simple to follow. The teacher has tabs located on the side of the wiki for easy use by the students. The students can easily pick the topic that they are assigned to work on and begin answering the discussion questions easily without having to make several unnecessary clicks.

K: This wiki contains mostly original content that was generated by the students in response to what they had learned about the discussion topics in class. The students answered the discussion questions very appropriately using their knowledge of the content they had previously learned. The students appeared to participate in this experience in a very responsible manner and used overall correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

L: The feature that stood out to me is the ease of use of the navigation of the different discussion areas. The tool bar on the left side provided students with an easy way to see the different discussion topics and access them quickly without being about confused where to go and what to do.

M: It seems like the students learned how to collaborate with each other and used the wiki as an assessment and collaboration tool where they can use the information that has been posted for future reference. The students also learned how to use and incorporate technology into their everyday learning experiences.

N: The benefit of using the wiki versus a non technology tool was that it provided students with the ability to collaborate about a topic rather than just working independently. Students could use their own knowledge and add to the information that others had posted for more clarification and better understanding.

__**Art 4Cast (BR 4/3/10)**__ b) Art 4Cast http://art4cast.wikispaces.com/ c) Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Granite, Utah d) K-8 Grade levels. e) Art Core Curriculum (Visual Arts) f) The purpose of the site is to promote visual arts in public schools by emphasizing the need for critical thinking and product-based learning. The site also offers a host of references and links to offer a full experience in the possibilities of visual art in education. g) The teacher that manages this site, Rosie Mitchell, has as her main role to upload content in regard to the WWE school calendar and its art-infused curriculum, post upcoming art exhibition announcements, create and edit slideshows of student artwork and happenings. and respond to comments or questions by staff, students, or public. h) The students at Woodrow Wilson Elementary don’t seem to have an active role on this Wiki. Although the site emphasizes their work and learning through visual art, there does not seem to be any presence from students in regard to comments. This may be due to the fact that it is an elementary and the students might not be able to have access to uploading their own material. i) Rosie Mitchell and other W.W.E. staff created the majority of the content on this site. j) The framework of the site is well-organized in that it has an easy toolbar to navigate to find images of student artwork, slide shows of classroom interaction, calendars for the school district that include the Core Arts Curriculum by week and grade level, as well as links to resources and a section for teachers that outlines standards and their role in the Core Arts Curriculum. k) This site has really wonderful links to many sites that include lesson planning, materials resources, pedagogical theory, project examples, technology usage and ideas, and more. l) One feature that I really appreciated is that the site has a page that is not specific to art classes, but rather is an open dialogue forum for all the teachers in the building to talk about concerns, questions. This is valuable because it opens that conversation up exponentially more than just simple email alone could ever do. m) Students certainly have benefited from this site if only by seeing themselves or other students of the same age being engaged in meaningful art-focused learning. n) The benefit of this wiki site is that there is so much available info in one location. The site offers a very clear example of how the visual arts need to be a primary focus in our public schools, not an addendum to the conversation. The links, forums for discussion, and well-organize structure makes it a very powerful tool.

=**"Ye Olde Broken Arrow Pirate Wiki" (TN 7/13/10)**= After reviewing quite a few wiki sites, I choose to write about an elementary wiki site called, "Ye Olde Broken Arrow Pirate Wiki" at arrrpirates.wikispaces.com. Because I am new at using wiki sites, and because I teach elementary school, I wanted something that would be fun and could possibly use in the classroom. This wiki site was created by a group of gifted fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, with the help of Mrs. Moffitt. The subjects that are covered include history, social studies, and reading. The purpose of this wiki is to show off the research the students did on Pirates. It looks as though the students did all the writing themselves. After doing their research on a Pirate topic, they wrote a 1 to 3 paragraph report. The reports are organized into 9 headings which are posted in blue print on the left hand side of the page. Some headings include "General Pirate Information", "Pirate Biographies", and "Modern Piracy". It is a completely non-fiction site. Therefore, there is a long "Bibliography and Links" page included. But, they do acknowledge that much of the information is taken from __The History of Pirates__ by Angus Konstam. Within each report there are links to specific sites as well.

The thing that stood out to me about this wiki site is the simple lay-out. It is very clearly organized, not only with headings, but sub-headings as well. The information shared is easy to read and concise. Each heading is at the most 1 page long.

It seems that the students learned a lot! Not only did they learn a lot of facts about Pirates, but they learned technology skills to get that information on a wiki. The group used " . . an information and technology literacy model and curriculum" known as the BIG 6 (www.big6.com/what-is-th-big6/).

I think there was a benefit to doing this lesson on a wiki. From what I'm learning about the students in this digital age is that they prefer to receive information quickly from multiple multimedia sources, network simultaneously with others, and multi-task. This lesson seems to have included all of those learning styles. Otherwise, I could see this lesson being translated into a Pirate research book that is set up sequentially with slow and controlled release of information. That style may be what many educators prefer, but not what students benefit from.

Mrs. Toponce’s Class Wiki (http://ktoponce.wikispaces.com) provides second graders with opportunities for the students to read and contribute knowledge in all curricular areas. In addition, several of Mrs. Toponce’s resources are available for parents to utilize at home. On the Home page, Mrs. Toponce created a new page for each student and created a template for each student to fill out describing themselves and their learning goals. The students typed in their responses and uploaded a teacher-created PDF file that would be a resource for them and/or their parents in helping them achieve their learning goals. On the Navigation Pane, the wiki provided several links to various topics the class was studying. The links provided the students with opportunities to share: what they’ve learned about the continents; their own, student-generated division problems and answers in addition to completing other math related assignments; poetry-casts [podcasts] of their favorite poems; and the teacher provided several links to movies/short videos, games, and activities for the students both as a reward for completing a certain assignment and as a resource for students to revisit a different day or at home.
 * MRS. TOPONCE’S CLASS WIKI (AJ 7/14/10)**

I believe that the students in Mrs. Topance’s class learned how to successfully and purposefully use technology to collaborate with each other and their teacher in addition to being able to share their goals, knowledge, and progress with each other and their parents. Students practiced reading and writing, math, critical thinking and analyzing, geography, science, reading with fluency and expression, and following directions. Once they completed an assignment, they had the opportunity to further explore that topic by visiting the various websites Mrs. Toponce provided. Consequently, the students were more motivated to complete an assignment; they were more engaged with the process and knew they were being held accountable; and they were able to work at their own pace (within reason) and proceed to another activity that would deepen their understanding and learning.

What struck me most about this wiki was the opportunity each child had to create his/her own page (of course using the teacher’s template). Students needed to reflect on their strengths and learning goals, upload resources that would help them to achieve those goals, and publish that on a wiki. Wow! I think this is a great way to encourage students to take ownership of their learning, to motivate them, and to reassure them that they are an important part of the class.


 * Falcon Films [KS 7-15-10]**

The wiki I looked at was entitled Falcon Films (http://falconfilms.wikispaces.com/) and it was created by a teacher for his high school multimedia/film classes in Clearfield, Utah. I chose to look at this wiki in more depth because of the embedded videos that stood out on the home page and I liked that there was so much content so easily available to visitors of the site. The main purpose of this wiki is to showcase student work. The teacher’s role in the Falcon Films wiki is to create the framework for the wiki and to manage all of the pages involved/linked together by the site. This wiki is very user friendly and organized in that the navigation bar on the left is well-labeled and will take you to any of the pages you are interested in looking at.

The majority of this wiki is overtaken by student work that the students were responsible for adding to the site.I am sure that the students learned about wikis when they uploaded their projects, but since they were in such technologically advanced classes, they may have already been familiar with the ins and outs of wikis.

The students that have work published are in either multimedia classes or production classes and this is a website in which they can share their projects. There are student made short videos, music videos, animations, self-portraits, movie posters, and even games that students have made. This is an excellent way for these students to reach a large audience with the pieces they produced .

What stood out to me the most about this wiki is the content. I LOVED looking through all of the projects that the students submitted! I wish that I had had the opportunity to take a class in which I learned how to make something so creative through the use of a computer when I was in high school! I would highly recommend checking out the video game covers that the students had to make...there are some pretty creative titles that came through the random generator they used and I can imagine the difficulties some of the students may have had! What a fantastic wiki!


 * Mr. Lee’s Math Outcomes (SM 7/14/10)**

The Wiki is titled “Math 12 Outcomes Portfolio” and can be found at [|http://acrospire.pbworks.com]. This Wiki is used in a twelfth grade Math class in Nova Scotia, Canada with the purpose to allow students to collaborate together to create an online portfolio that explains the outcomes of their math curriculum. It appears that the teacher was responsible for creating the guidelines and instructions, as well as providing references and resources for the students. The teacher also provided feedback and grades. The student roles are to use the wiki to collaborate with each other and to create examples of curriculum outcomes. The majority of the content of the Wiki was created by the teacher, with the end results created by the students.

The Wiki is very well laid out and organized. There is a calendar view to organize the work, and it is also divided into sections, or units. Throughout the Wiki there are links that take you to information as it is needed. The best feature of this Wiki was its organizational layout. The students seemed to have learned from their experience as this Wiki allowed them to create an understanding of what they were learning in their math class. It was definitely beneficial to learning this lesson on a Wiki because it conveniently organized and condensed the information, bringing everything to one location. The other students in the class are able to see each others’ work and gather different outcomes.


 * Ms. Jensen's Literature Wiki (KC 7/15/10)**

Our Literature Study Wiki - https://msjensenclass.wikispaces.com/ is a wiki created by Ms. Jensen’s 6thgrade literature class in Los Angeles, CA. The wiki is a place where students can come together and ask their teacher and each other questions about what they are reading. They also share assignments and work on here to help everyone build upon their understanding of the piece of literature.

The teacher is the facilitator. She often gets the students started and provides them with an example, but after that she gets out of the way and allows the students to use the wiki to help each other. The students are the main authors of this wiki. As was stated before, the teacher gets them started, but the students are expected to carry the wiki after that. With that being said, the majority of the content is student created.

The wiki is organized with easy to follow links. The different assignment areas are labeled and easily located. You can find what you need on this wiki with great ease. The content that makes up a majority of the wiki is based on a piece of literature they were reading. There are questions to help guide the reading as well as chapter summaries and a dictionary to help with words they might not know. There is also a page of links that cover more than just things related to literature and a link to science songs that appear to have been created by a pervious class.

What really stood out to me was how much content was created by the students. It is easy to tell the work has been created by sixth graders, but they do a very good job of contributing. It does also seem like they learned from the experience, especially from the dictionary section. However, they also learned how to summarize and use other skills while reading.

I’m not sure there was a huge advantage to using a wiki for this assignment, but it was definitely not a use of technology just to use it. The discussion section was used and that is probably the biggest benefit of the wiki and was probably the reason the wiki was helpful and used for this project.

Let’s Go West!

(GM 7/15/10) The name of this wiki is Go West ( http://gowest.wikispaces.com/ ). This wiki project was created entirely by third graders from Woodward Academy located in College Park, Georgia. This project was created in conjunction with a social studies unit of the westward expansion along the Oregon Trail. The goal of this project was not only to teach the kids about the Oregon Trail, but to provide students with a learning experience that strengthened skills in areas such as doing research, the ability to communicate effectively improving language skills, and the use of technology.

This wiki is organized into sections titled Home (which summarizes the Oregon Trail and displays a Web noting key points), Introduction (Timelines, Explorers), Oregon Trail (Supplies, Daily Chores, Clothing, Weather, etc.), Fun Stuff (Puzzles, Math Problems), and About the Project (Teacher Reflections, Resources). The only area where the teacher contributes information is in the Teacher Reflections section. Within the content of the sections, student included websites linking you to the source of images in the wiki. The Resource section also links you to websites students used for the project. This wiki also uses ClustrMaps ( [] ) to document visits to the wiki. From September 2009 to July 2010 there have been 2,984 visits from around the world.

As part of the research process, students had to explore and learn how to evaluate websites, use common browser functions, and copy/paste URLs for documentation. As students gathered information for specific subtopics (hardships and diseases, wagons, supplies, and daily chores), they were responsible for how to communicate the information in their own words. This improved their language skills. They also had to plan, organize, and edit their work before pasting it into the wiki project. Students used software programs such as Inspiration to create graphic organizers and Timeliner. There was group of students responsible for converting the scanned and digital work to jpegs. Other groups learned how to use the site Bubbleshare ( [|www.bubbleshare.com] ) to upload pictures.

This project appears to be student driven. All of the information (except for Teacher Reflections) in this wiki is created by the kids. The teacher’s role is to facilitate learning during the research process, support and troubleshoot as students navigate the web, set up accounts (when needed), and monitor the learning experience keeping students involved and on task. One of the benefits to learning about the Oregon Trail through this wiki project is that it provides the students with a hands-on learning experience that motivated and excited the kids to learn, create, and share their work. The quality of the student’s work supports this fact. As I viewed this wiki, I was amazed at the collaboration effort of the students to complete the project. It is evident that without the effort and hard work from the students this project would not have turned out to be as successful.

The wiki that I looked at was from Deira International Schoo l, Dubai and was created for the book ­__Holes__ by Louis Sachar. The address to the wiki is http://stanleyyelnats.wikispaces.com/. The grade level that created this wiki was the Year 8 students. This Wiki was created for a reading class for it went along with the book.
 * Holes (SD 7/16/10)**

There are many purposes of the wiki that was created for __Holes__. Not only was there a summary of the book, but there was also a quiz that could be taken. Within the wiki, the person looking at it could find a table of contents with all of the main characters from the book. They are also able to get further descriptions of certain things throughout the book. For example, there is a link that will take you to Camp Green Lake. On that page, there are 3 other links that will give you a better description of what the Wreck Room was, a survival guide, and one on Stanley.

By looking at the entire wiki, it looks like the students created most of it with some help and guidelines from the teacher. The writing and the explanations sound like they are written by the students. There was a link that was for wacky inventions and also comparing what the camp looked like many years ago versus what it looked like when Stanley had to attend the camp. Also, on the wiki there is a page that contains links to other topics that were mentioned throughout the story. For example there was a link for juvenile correction facilities, palindromes, and even to define what stealing is.

One feature that really stood out for me was the table of contents of the characters. Every character that was in the book had a link. With it being set up like that, you could go to a particular character instead of scrolling down to them. The students were able to make their description of the characters as they saw fit. It seems that the students were broken into groups and each group had to create their own page of the wiki.

Not only were the students learning how to use the technology to post their wiki, but they also need to work cooperatively so the group could agree on what was going to be posted on their page.

I found a wiki from a reading class titled “My Side of the Mountain” at the address http://mysideofthemountain.wikispaces.com/home#HOME. The grade level is not mentioned anywhere, but I did some research on the school (Woodward Academy) and narrowed it down to somewhere between grades 4-6. Woodward Academy is located in Atlanta Georgia. This wiki covers reading class and the purpose is for students to share all they have learned through reading the book, “My Side of the Mountain.”
 * MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (RS 7/18/10)**

As I looked through the wiki, the only thing I saw that was created by the teacher was the “About the Author” page. __Everything__ else was created by the students. It looks like the teacher did a fabulous job in facilitating the learning. It looks as though the teacher may have assigned certain sections to different students so create one comprehensive resource for the whole class.

Students created summary pages for all the chapters. There are also student created games (fill in the blank, vocabulary, word search, crossword puzzles), Venn diagrams comparing the book to the movie, a timeline, videos, illustrations, outside research on the book’s setting and themes, a blog, a character web and much more! The wiki is organized into games, research and summaries. There are some other links at the bottom of the sidebar without a heading which makes it look slightly unorganized, but I wouldn’t say it makes the wiki difficult to navigate.

I’m sure the students gained a wealth of knowledge from creating this wiki. It looks like it made the book really come alive, since the students really delved deep into the background information and also the basics like summaries. The part that stood out most is that the students were able to truly understand the book and go beyond the words. They seemed immersed in the plot and the setting. For example, students created pages on how to train a falcon, along with a brochure on survival. There was a clear benefit to the students using the wiki. The book became dimensional through its creation, and students are able to see work created by their peers. This makes for powerful learning.

Each year the in Terry Smith’s fourth grade class in Hannibal, Missouri contributes to a wiki called, Monster (http://smithmonsters.wikispaces.com/). This wiki links classrooms around the world to a world wild web-based interface where kids collaborate with one another developing their creative, communication, and problem solving skills. Each classroom builds a single monster using descriptions of the monster parts (e.g. Eyes: 4 big, blue and 2 small green and yellow) submitted from classrooms around the world, one part submitted per classroom. The students in each individual classroom then have to organize and plan together constructing the monster. For example, the kids building the head have to work together with the person responsible for the eyes, ears, mouth, etc. This monster the classes create together, are then used within instructional activities to develop student’s creative skills writing stories, creating podcasts, and making videos that are shared with other classes around the world. The skills previously mentioned the student’s were developing and learning were evident while looking at this wiki and seeing the products of this simple interactive collaborative idea. In this wiki (http://smithmonsters.wikispaces.com/) students and teachers can navigate their way through Monster Processes from previous year’s projects, ask and answer questions to and from other classes, share monster jokes, share monster ideas, as well as enter into the web-based Monster Project. In Monster Ideas, classes share activities pertaining to monsters, they used throughout their curriculum. Things like matching and bingo games for younger children to marking on a United States and World map where monsters were created, including descriptions and pictures. Other classes created skits and movies for the wiki. This wiki can be applied to various subject areas such as writing, geography, social studies, literacy and science. The benefits of this type of learning experience are endless. Students can share ideas with other kids across the world and learn about their differing cultures, a student from the USA asked a question to a student from Kenya about their language, students from Turkey wrote and posted a poem of their monster named “Scarecrow”, and one class asked a class from Pakistan where they were going to put their monster and why. The teacher’s role in this wiki is to help students (if needed) post activities to the link, facilitate the interned based project for their class, then comment and reflect about their class project on the wiki. This wiki also links you to other class’s wiki home page. What stood out to me about this wiki was how a small class from Missouri was able to link itself to so many other classes from around the world through a simple project titled “The Monster Project”. I also loved how through the use of technology, kids could collaborate with other kids from, Pakistan, Turkey, Australia, and South Africa (just to name a few). As Jukes and McCain stated in their handout, “it’s not just about getting them to learn, it’s about getting them to WANT to learn – without motivation there is no learning.” As I thought about my students, this is what came to my mind while viewing this wiki. This type of learning would motivate kids to learn creatively and collaboratively by starting with the big idea that intrigues many….monsters.
 * Monster (GM 7/14/10)**


 * Living the Lesson (RD 7/17/10)**

The Aristotle Experiment, http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/, is located in Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, California. The wiki is for high school students and covers the content areas of social studies and language arts. The purpose of the wiki is to study and experience various topics in the content areas, such as: After the War (America post-911); The Atticus Factor (experiencing “To Kill a Mockingbird”); The Death Penalty in America; and Mango Street My Life (experiencing the House on Mango Street)., to name a few of the topics. The teacher’s role was to carefully lay out instructions for each project in an organized process: introduction, task, process, due dates, topics, questions, evaluation, resources, student/project pages. The student’s role was to work together as a group and put the project together. The teacher laid out excellent instructions, however, the student’s provided all the content information on the wiki. Students often developed their own resources, such as interviews or podcasts. The teacher did provide a couple of resources to get students started. The feature that stood out to me was that as students completed these projects, they lived and experienced them. The completed projects were amazing! While learning about the subject matter, students also learned about technology, which was an integral part of each project.

** A Celebration of 100 School Days (BB 8/11/10) ** The 100th Day Project is a wiki that was created with the original purpose of celebrating the 100th day of school, as indicated on the first line of the wiki homepage: []. Since many grade levels like to celebrate the 100th day of school, this wiki can be used by any age level—though the target audience seems to be kindergarten students. The wiki was created by an anonymous source for the educational enjoyment of teachers, classes, and individual students across the nation! Classes and students from Conneticut, Maine, New Jersey, and many other states have created the majority of the content on the wiki. Teachers from various grades and classrooms assist students as they upload their work on the website’s four pages, listed along the left-hand margin of the wiki. The four different links include a counting book, a page featuring collections of 100, a page showing ways to get to 100 page, and a page featuring photos of 100th Day Celebrations. Through an integration of art and math, students are responsible for creating the majority of the content featured on the wiki. They create pictures representing numbers 1-100 in the website counting book page. My favorite feature on the wiki is the link called The Collections of 100. This link features student created pictures representing the number 100, a project I typically do in my classroom to celebrate the 100th day of school. I am always looking for new ways to display student work. A wiki is a wonderful way to preserve, share and celebrate the 100th day! Students are able to learn so much as they see numbers represented in different ways—through pictures, people, number sentences, object groups, and more! Learning about number representations and celebrating the 100th day of school using the wiki space gives students a chance to connect with students around the nation. The celebration is not just confined to a school building’s walls; children can join in a nationwide collaborative celebration!