Wikis, and Wikis, and BlogsOh My’

By Tracy L. Chenoweth

What are Wikis and Blogs?

• Let’s try to define each - Blog– The name blog actually comes from the consolidation of

the words web log. “Web-log” turned into “Blog”.– A weblog is usually defined as a personal or

noncommercial web site that uses a dated log format (usually with the most recent addition at the top of the page) and contains links to other web sites along with commentary about those sites.

– A weblog is updated frequently and sometimes groups links by specific subjects, such as politics, news, pop culture, or computer issues

What are Wikis and Blogs?• Let’s try to define each – Wiki (Hawaiian for quick)• Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to

freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser.

• Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.

• Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself.

Confused?

• The definitions are so close to one another it is hard to tell the difference.

• Let’s look at some examples

What is the difference?

What is the difference?

What is the difference?

Let’s See More

• Blogs

• Wikis

Wikis and Blogs in Education

• Who is using blogs and wikis?– The Students- you can be sure they are using and

reading blogs and wikis at home, while traveling, via their phone, via their PSP, etc.

• Who should be using blogs and wikis?– Teachers, Instructors, Employers, Employees, etc.

So, What’s the point?

We already have the experts in our classrooms, they are called the Net Generation and the Next Generation

Ways to Use Wikis

• Great Ideas– 50 Ways to Use Wikis for a more Collaborative and

Interactive Classroom

Ways to Use Blogs

• Great Ideas– 33 Ways to Use B

logs in Your Classroom and in an Educational Setting

What are the Advantages?Both are very simple technology to learn

and use

Both promote “real-world” (21st Century)

collaboration

Fosters richer communication

than synchronous communication (Orech, 2007)

Can pool the strengths of many

Easy to assemble and easy to track

Produces higher quality writing than

face to face collaboration (Orech, 2007)

Can be used with other Web 2.0 and 3.O technologies

What are the Concerns?

Security and safety issues

Cyber “stocking”

Labor intensive for

the moderator

Need to combat the “copy and

paste” principal

Potential for inequitable

work- within a group

What Does Some Research Say?

• Davis 2008- see reference slide – Blogging (and Wikiing) provide a space for sharing

opinions and learning in order to grow communities of discourse and knowledge; a space where students and teachers can learn from each other.

– Blogs (and Wikis) help learners see knowledge as interconnected as opposed to a set of discrete facts.

What About Blooms?

• So where do you think blogs land on the Blooms ladder?– Creating?– Evaluating?– Analysis?– Applying?– Understanding?– Remembering?

Are You Convinced? Okay GO!

• Blog Sites– There are a bunch

• Wiki Sites– There are too many to list

This will get you started:

http://www.sharetabs.com/?marshalldocwikisandblogs

PS. Have you seen Share Tabs? Check it out

http://sharetabs.com

Share Tabs are great to use in conjunction with blogs and wikis (wink).

Reference Material

• Using Blogs to Promote Authentic Learning in the Classroom

• Blog Ideas for the Classroom• Rationale for educational blogging• Wiki Ideas for the Classroom• Wikis Make Learning Wicked Fun • Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally • Blooms Taxonomy Rubrics

Questions/Discussion

Thank You!