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** Welcome! ** This wiki will be the "handout" for the TAIS 09 workshop entitled "Wikis for Teachers".

Everything we present to you will be here--what a wiki is, step by step instructions for making your own wiki, and links to examples of classroom wikis created by teachers.

(source: []) A **wiki** is a collection of [|Web pages] designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified [|markup language].[|[][|1][|]][|[][|2][|]] Wikis are often used to create [|collaborative] [|websites] and to power community websites. The collaborative encyclopedia [|Wikipedia] is one of the best-known wikis.[|[][|2][|]] Wikis are used in business to provide [|intranet] and [|knowledge management] systems. [|Ward Cunningham], the developer of the first [|wiki software], [|WikiWikiWeb], originally described it as "the simplest online database that could possibly work."[|[][|3][|]] "Wiki" ( [|/wiːkiː/] ) is a [|Hawaiian] word for "fast".[|[][|4][|]] "Wiki Wiki" is a [|reduplication]. "Wiki" can be expanded as "What I Know Is," but this is a [|backronym].[|[][|5][|]]
 * What is a Wiki? **


 * Steps to Creating Your Wiki, In a Nutshell: **
 * 1) Decide what your wiki is for: Who will be the members? What topics will you cover?
 * 2) When you name your wiki, you want something simple, but unique, that makes sense for the purpose of your wiki.
 * 3) Create a wiki for teachers in 30 seconds: [|click here]
 * 4) Develop your wiki--prepare it for use. Go to "Manage Wiki" on the side bar.
 * Adjust the design and add your logo image: "Look and Feel".
 * Set the "Permissions:" who will be able to view and/or edit this wiki?
 * Edit your Home page. Usually a short message welcoming members and explaining the purpose of the wiki works best.
 * Create pages as needed- click "new page" (less control) or click "edit navigation." (more control. Type the page name. If you chose "edit navigation," highlight the page name and click the hyperlink tool. Choose internal link if it is a page within this wiki. Choose external link if the page links to a page on the Internet outside of your wiki.
 * Go to "User Creator" and add members- do this after you've received the email announcing your educational wiki is approved.
 * 1) Use the wiki. Develop one simple lesson using the wiki and try it out!
 * 2) Make adjustments if needed--to pages, discussions--lock, delete pages / postings/ discussions, revert page history, monitor all communication: "Manage Wiki", "Notifications".
 * 3) Got your wiki going well? Check out Cool Tools--get some ideas for new web apps / sites to use with your wiki.

Check out Wikispaces' Teacher Help page. Here you will find reminders on how to create users, how to upgrade to an educational wiki, links to video tutorials, and more.
 * Need Help? **