Wikis

**1. Tutorial and Overview**
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**2. Suggestions for Teaching**


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**3. Sample Projects with Rubrics**
Literary Analysis Wiki (Independent or Partner Novel Project) Samples from Maya's Class Literary Analysis Wiki Self-Assessment Checklist
 * [|A Walk to Remember Wiki]
 * [|RebelMockingjay Wiki]
 * [|Chris Crutcher Wiki]
 * [|Dream House King Wiki]



Holocaust Literature Circle Wiki from Maya's Class: http://holocaustliteraturecircles.wetpaint.com/

We've all heard of Wikipedia, even if we haven't used it. Our students know what it is, and Wikipedia isn't blocked in our schools. Everyone gets the "pedia" part, as in "encyclopedia," but not everyone understands what "wiki" means. Wiki comes from the Hawaiian word "wiki-wiki" which means "quick" (Richardson, 59). Wikis are a quick and easy way for many people to collaborate in real time. Before you shy away from the concept, realize that you're already an experienced Wiki user because that's how we've been communicating during our KMWP Summer Institute!

Teachers often worry about the security and credibility of Wikis. In fact, I overheard one of our coaches commenting that Wikipedia would never be used in that teacher's classrom. As graduate students at Kennesaw State University, we researched the validity of Wikipedia entries versus the better known online encyclopedias and found that Wikipedia on average, was more accurate and up to date than the more traditional sites (Grolier's, Encyclopedia Brittanica). Try it yourself. Update an entry on Wikipedia with misinformation and see how quickly it is corrected. You may be surprised. We were. Even Steve Jobs is a fan, calling Wikipedia "one of the most accurate encyclopedias in the world" (Richardson, 63).

We've used Wikis in our classes for students to collaborate with each other within the same class, yet at times we've used Wikis for our students to collaborate with others outside the confines of their particular class period. One of the most popular Wiki sites for E/LA students is GoodReads. We've used that for reading groups successfully for secondary students. Here are some of our exemplar Wikis followed by others available for teacher use:

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Ready to begin using Wikis in your classroom? Check out any of the free sites to begin building one for your class.