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** An Effective Elementary Classroom Wiki **
 * EDU 595: ST Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts – Independent Study **
 * Peter V. May IV **

//A wiki is like a party that doesn't have to stop. It's a party that doesn't get crowded because new rooms appear when needed. It's a timeless party where you can try each conversation over and over until you get it right.// -Ward Cunningham, Inventor of the first wiki (Cunningham, 2007) Ward Cunningham created WikiWikiWeb, the first wiki, as an easy authoring tool that he hoped would motivate people to publish. The term wiki is a shortened form of the Hawaiian word //wiki wiki// meaning, “fast” (Richardson, 2006). “Fast” and “easy” are the key words in this description according to Richardson (2006), “plainly put, a wiki is a website where anyone can edit anything anytime they want” (p. 59). This feature of a wiki is exactly what Cunningham (2007) was referring to in his comparison of a wiki to a party. Conversations and ideas expressed at a party can be added to at any point by anyone attending the party. A wiki explodes this idea by allowing anyone anywhere, with an Internet connection, to add to the conversation and collective knowledge of the group. Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia, is a well-known example of this type of collaboration. Everyday it is being updated and expanded, attempting to house the “sum of all human knowledge.”
 * What is a Wiki?**

A traditional website is designed for the users to access all of the material, but generally they do not add any new information. //A// //wiki// is a specially designed website that can facilitate collaboration and sharing of information. This collection of web pages can easily be edited by multiple authors who only need basic computer skills. A wiki is designed to allow all viewers to also be contributors to the content on the site. Some users choose to use wikis to access information, while others often use a wiki to share information or collaborate (Marchessault & Carlson, 2009).

Wikis have some basic features that are common to all wiki sites. Many wikis are public sites that can be viewed and edited by anyone using the Internet. Most will require users to create a username and password. Larger wikis use automated systems to create user accounts, but for a smaller wiki a site administrator assigns log in information to its members.
 * A Wiki's Capabilities**

Wikis can be edited using basic page code like HTML or wiki-text. User-friendly editing tools are also available on most wikis so users do not need to know how to use code to edit pages (Marchessault & Carlson, 2009). This type of editing is called “WYSIWYG” (What You See Is What You Get) (“Wiki,” 2010). According to CommonCraft (2007) all wikis have an edit and a save button. The edit button can be clicked and transform the web site instantly into a document that can be edited. When the user is finished editing they simply click the save button, and the document reverts back to a web site that is ready for the next user to view or edit (//Wikis in plain English,// 2007).

Most wiki sites also have a History component that displays the revisions for each page. The history component can also allow the site to be reverted back to a previous version (Marchessault & Carlson, 2009). The history feature is what can alleviate most users biggest concerns, abuse or vandalism of a wiki. This concern is a very real possibility due to the open nature of a wiki. However, studies have shown that the desire of users who wish to keep a wiki accurate and up-to-date outweighs those of people who wish to do harm. In effect, the open format that makes a wiki vulnerable is the same property that makes it strong. To prove this point Alex Halavais, a University of Buffalo professor intentionally created 13 errors on Wikipedia. All 13 errors were addressed within hours (Richardson, 2006). It could be concluded that the larger the user base of a wiki the better chance the wiki will maintain its accuracy and credibility. Wikipedia is the largest wiki and is edited every few seconds. Richardson (2006) is inspired by the fact that, “Every day, thousands of people who have no connection to one another engage in the purposeful work of negotiating and creating truth” (p. 62). Imagine the possibilities of a wiki created and maintained by a group of student users who already do have a relationship and common meaningful purpose.

A wiki is just one of many tools of the Read/Write Web, (Web 2.0). Weblogs (blogs), Real Simple Syndication (RSS), Aggregators, Social Bookmarking, Online Photo Galleries, Audio/Video-casting are all tools of the Read/Write Web that are bound to shake up the way education is served and received. Most of these tools can be effectively combined with a wiki to enhance the educational opportunities.
 * Other Web 2.0 Platforms**

Blogs are an engaging type of website that are created by an author or authors and are fueled by the interactions from the readers. A blog usually shares writing and multimedia in the form of “posts” (starting points) and “comments” (responses to the posts). Blogging is a great platform for expressing individual thought, opinions, and ideas. On a blog, posts and comments can not be edited by anyone other than the original author (//Wiki Walk-Through,// 2010). For this reason, wikis are a far more open format where formation of group knowledge can outweigh the individual. A blog and wiki can be linked together and function in concert as is demonstrated through Will Richardson’s Blog (http://weblogg-ed.com/) and Wiki (http://weblogged.wikispaces.com/). Richardson’s blog is updated frequently with posts designed to share or inspire thought. His wiki is designed as a space for resources that support his workshops and presentations.

There are many wiki hosting sites to choose from, as well as many factors to consider. These factors can include cost, time requirements, and ease of set up and use. Two examples of available wiki software that are commonly used in education are Wikispaces and PB Wiki. PB Wiki offers free wikis, but the amount of space is limited to 10 megabytes. For a subscription of nearly one hundred dollars a year, space increases and password protected wikis become available. Since 2006, Wikispaces has been free, and free of advertisements for K-12 educational uses. Wikispaces offers their "Plus" wiki (usually $5.00 per month) for educators free of charge to meet their goal of providing teachers a tool that helps students easily work together and contribute to class. Wikispaces boasts its self to be an easy to use tool with a simple interface and visual editor designed to build a collaborative community (http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers). A very thorough comparison of the features of both PBWiki and Wikispaces are contained in the attached pdf files (//Wiki Walk-Through,// 2010). An elementary classroom wiki could be created and maintained via the use of a variety of wiki software as outlined above. Wikispaces was chosen to host my classroom wiki due to its ease of use for elementary level students, including embedding audio and video, word processing, as well as other document or image files. Another primary advantage of using Wikispaces is that it provides free "plus" subscriptions for K-12 use. To compliment the wiki pages, a discussion feature within the wiki is available for logging individual student responses. This host also provides an extensive support site that provides specific help for teachers. Wikispaces allows the teacher the option to create user accounts for students and choose whether or not outsiders can edit the wiki. Overall the ease of editing, free price, support, space capabilities, and focus on education make the WIkispaces wiki host an ideal choice.
 * Wiki Hosting Sites **

The population of current examples of elementary wikis is on the rise. Some ideas provided by Richardson (2006) for potential wikis include: "book report wikis, what-I-did-this-summer wikis, brainstorming wikis, poetry wikis, notes-from-class wikis, history-of-the school or community wikis, formula wikis, wikis for individual countries, political party wikis, exercise wikis, etc" (p.70). It is clear that any topic that might be appropriate for collaborative collecting of information and ideas would make a good candidate for a wiki. From his description it would appear the Richardson would advocate creating an individual wiki for each of these topics. It could be interesting to create a general classroom wiki space and utilizing the multiple page feature to create individual pages dedicated to the different topics that would be of study. A wiki similar to this idea is the Aristotle experiment (http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com/) that functions as the intellectual epicenter of the class, including all assignments, projects, rubrics, etc..
 * Current Wiki Examples**

A very extensive list of actual wikis used in education is found at the Educational Wikis wiki (http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/). Of all the current wikis in action, the ones that allow students to collaboratively document ways that their classroom learning and content can be found and applied in the real world, appeal most to me. Connecting living with learning is a challenge for most educators. Encouraging students to make these connections and share them with each other demonstrates real and meaningful learning. Using a wiki as a discussion format John Blain of Buffalo (New York), noted a tremendous increase in student reading, writing, motivation, and engagement during his novel study. This increase was observed in student-initiated additions to the wiki. Blain stated that it was obvious the students were writing more passionately and frequently because they had real purpose and a real audience. This empowering activity allowed his students the opportunity to read, write, explore, and share around the clock (Ikpeze, 2009).

“T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More” and “None of us is as smart as all of us” are central themes in my classroom that make the integration of a wiki a natural fit. Richardson (2006) discusses this in the context of Wikipedia stating, “everyone together is smarter than anyone alone” and “Each entry is the group’s best effort, not any one person’s” (p. 61). This type of thinking has been around for a long time in education, but never before has a repository for collecting and the opportunity for sharing of knowledge been so readily available. Richardson notes that more and more collaboration and universal access to ideas is the expectation as opposed to the exception. With this in mind it is obvious that the very collaborative nature of wikis can teach students crucial skills for the future. As "digital natives" today's elementary students are already creating and accessing content utilizing technologies that many teachers don't even know exist. It is vital that teachers meet students where there are and present opportunities for them to learn in a way that embraces technology.
 * Application in my Elementary Classroom **

Wikis are being widely used by many individuals and groups for collaboration or for sharing a variety of things online. It has been noted that colleges and universities are using wikis more than the K-12 community (//Wiki Walk-Through,// 2010). Use in the K-12 environment tends to focus on professional development and use by adults. However, due to the ease of use and limitless potential applications, the greatest benefit will come from student participation and the ongoing evolution of wikis.

Traditionally schoolwork and projects often reach the extent of their viewing and significance after a student completes a project or after a class discussion has ended. Most times the work does not travel further than between the students, teacher, and sometimes to parents. However, utilizing a wiki in conjunction with these same types of projects can afford student work the opportunity to be viewed by countless others, receive feedback, and ultimately be a more meaningful and real experience (Wagner, 2006).

Wikipedia and other existing wikis hold much value in education. However, the most beneficial and powerful application of wikis will come from students directly creating and contributing to wikis. An effective classroom wiki can act as a living, breathing tool designed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, creation of new learning, publishing of projects, and promotion of discussions. Richardson highlights the importance of student autonomy and opportunity in this description of students’ interactions with wikis:

//“It’s a very democratic process of knowledge creation. In using wikis, students are not only learning how to publish content; they are also learning how to develop and use all sorts of collaborative skills, negotiating with others to agree on correctness, meaning, relevance, and more. In essence, students begin to teach each other”// (p. 65). A wiki used in this sense depends on the educator understanding and embracing his or her role. This requires the teacher to create a wiki space for the students, provide the background skills, coherent mission, and basic understandings needed to use a particular wiki. Content and direction of the wiki should be decided on by the students. Students and teachers will need to accept co-ownership and responsibility for the wiki. Depending on the grade level the amount of structure and direction will vary. The classroom wiki that I am implementing is designed for third grade students. It will have a simple layout with dedicated spaces for content areas important to our curriculum and classroom community. The actual content of each page will be determined by the student users.

The possible methods of successfully implementing a wiki into an elementary classroom are only limited by the creative and innovative minds of the educators who are willing to make the effort. Based on research into the history, capabilities, and functionality of a wiki as well as the past and current successes of others I have come up with a plan for implementing this amazing tool into my elementary classroom. I believe that a whole class wiki is most appropriate for an elementary classroom. From day to day an elementary classroom will cover a wide variety of topics ranging from curricular subject areas to social and behavioral learning opportunities. Everyday there really are many meaningful moments that are often swept to the back of a mind when the new day begins or even sooner, when the student leaves the physical boundaries of the classroom. There is a need for a place that students and teacher can go to and collectively expand upon the comprehensive experience of their learning community. A wiki can meet these needs and more. An effective classroom wiki should be a place that facilitates communication, promotes collaboration and the creation and collection of knowledge. Everything and more that is being discussed in class can have a home and a place to grow. An effective wiki can truly serve as a formative assessment for the whole group's understanding and ability to extend and apply their learning. As a result, the answer to "Son, what are you learning in school?" should never again be "Nothin'." Instead, a student will proudly navigate to their classroom wiki and share the knowledge that they helped to create.

The following ideas for implementation of an effective classroom wiki will be introduced to my students at the start of a new school year. These ideas are only a spring board to the evolved wiki that future students will no doubt help it to become. Home This page serves as an introduction to the wiki and provides some basic background information as well as a student-friendly purpose statement. A navigation menu is displayed on this and every page to guide visitors as they explore the space.
 * An Effective Elementary Classroom Wiki** (http://3may.wikispaces.com/)

Communication Dedicated to keeping parents, students, and teacher informed, this page includes an embedded Google calendar along with important documents and correspondences available for download. The Google calendar will be maintained and open to updating by students of the class. Information such as homework assignments, major projects, birthdays, and school events and activities can be added by students. FAQ This is the space for students, parents, and teacher to //**ask**// and **//answer//** questions. Users can post questions about the 3May Wiki, any subject, project or other appropriate topic. Questions can be answered by **any** member of the wiki. Users are encouraged to expand on answers that are already there.

Language Arts The Language Arts space is a setting designed to keep a class record and reflections of the major events and important ideas from our everyday classroom community. All students are required to contribute in the form of comments using the discussion feature each week. A different student will be assigned weekly to add a new journal entry. Their entry will be well thought out and planned before posting to the wiki. The entry and comments made by students will be guided by specific rubrics with clear expectations.

Mathematics Connecting mathematics skills and concepts to everyday student life is the goal of this wiki space. Students are encouraged to frequently post examples of math that they find in their own lives. Text and other multimedia can be used to highlight these examples.

Parents This page asks the parents to use the discussion feature to post any comments, questions, or suggestions relating to the 3May Wiki. Parents should know that this is not the place to ask urgent questions and that their comments will not be anonymous.

Science Inquiry-based science encourages formation of knowledge by asking questions to utilize and expand on current understandings. This space is designed to create a whole class, living breathing KWL chart.

Team Time During our regular "Team Time" meetings in the classroom we work to build community and teamwork through a variety of activities. This space created an opportunity for the students to publish "Nicest Thing Podcasts" that highlight the unique qualities that make each member of our 3rd grade team special.

Wiki Warranty The Wiki Warranty was adapted from a sample created by TeachersFirst (2010). This serves as a contract similar to an acceptable use policy for the classroom wiki.

The ideas that I am presenting are by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a collection of only some applications and activities for general content areas that aim to benefit the students at a third grade level. My hope is to spread my understandings and excitement for wikis as well as other tools of the Read/Write Web throughout my elementary school and beyond.

References Cunningham, W. (2007). Ward Cunningham. //Wikiquote.// Retrieved June 17, 2010, from []

Ikpeze, C.H. (2009). Writing for real purpose. //Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(7), 36-37.//

Marchessault, R. & Carlson, A. (2009). //PBworks – wiki workshop.// [Tutorial video series]. Retrieved from Atomic Learning Website: []

Richardson, W. (2006//) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms.// Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Richardson, W. (2010). http://weblogged.wikispaces.com

Wagner, M. (2006, October 16). //Wiki while you work//. Video retrieved from K-12 Online Conference website: []

//Wiki Walk-Through.// (2010). Retrieved from Teachersfirst website: []

Wiki. (2010, June 10). In //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved from []

//Wikis in plain English.// (2007, May 29). Video retrieved from Common Craft, LLC. Website: []