Wiki-Wiki Means Quick

Wikipedia never ceases to amaze me. The fact that a collaborative website exists on pretty much any topic you can think of for all to read says a lot about where information and knowledge are heading. I have to admit I use Wikipedia as a main source of information more often than I should, but every time I have checked another source for backup the information has always matched up. The fact that Wikipedia is so accurate says a lot and we are fortunate that there are more people who want information to be correct than not.

When it comes to using a wiki in the classroom the possibilities are endless. Wikis are the perfect example of collaboration; a skill students must be proficient in if they are going to make it in today's world. These days everything is done with a group of people and we need to start teaching our students using collaboration now if they are going to be successful. Besides collaboration wikis provide the opportunity to understand respect for others ideas, intellectual property and so much more.

Since my students are not quite ready to dive into the world of wikis on their own yet I will most likely start with creating a class wiki that we edit together. Eventually, I can move into small groups creating wiki posts about specific topics we come up with as a class. I could see my students getting really excited about having a class wiki, especially if they are the ones in charge of the content that goes up.

For my first classroom wiki, I think it will be a topic answer type wiki. The topics will come from what we are learning this week and students will write entries about what activities they did and what specific information they learned each week. The wiki link will be sent to parents, but only students will have access to edit it in the classroom. This would be a great way to introduce wikis to both students and parents at the same time.

What other ways could I start a wiki in an elementary school classroom?